WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn — What was first feared to be a horrific homicide has now been ruled a tragic accident after authorities determined that 39-year-old Michelle Montgomery died after falling into a garbage chute inside a public housing building in Williamsburg, police said.
Montgomery’s body was discovered on February 1 in the basement trash room of The Borinquen Public Houses, a residential complex operated by the New York City Housing Authority at 330 Bushwick Avenue. Maintenance workers investigating a suspiciously heavy trash bag made the grim discovery, prompting an immediate police response and an intense investigation.
Authorities initially treated the case as suspicious due to the condition in which Montgomery was found. Detectives worked to determine whether foul play had been involved, especially after residents reported hearing screams coming from the building’s trash chute during the early morning hours.
Surveillance footage later showed Montgomery entering the complex alone at approximately 1:39 a.m. Sunday after reportedly being out drinking earlier in the evening. Police said she had no known connection to the building or its residents.
According to investigators, an autopsy later concluded that Montgomery’s death was accidental. Medical examiners determined she was alive when she entered the chute and that her injuries were consistent with being crushed by the building’s trash compactor. Officials noted the absence of defensive wounds, supporting the conclusion that no assault had occurred.
The heartbreaking circumstances have left residents shaken and mourning a life lost in a devastating and unusual accident. Community members described the incident as deeply distressing, with many expressing sorrow for Montgomery’s family as they struggle to process the sudden loss.
Police say the case remains closed as an accidental death, but the tragedy has renewed concerns about safety around building garbage systems and the dangers they can pose.
As loved ones remember Michelle Montgomery, she is being mourned as a woman whose life ended in circumstances both tragic and unimaginable, leaving behind grief and unanswered questions for those who knew her.