Police identified the victim as Michelle Montgomery, 39, and said no arrests had been made as of Monday night.
BROOKLYN, NY — A New York City Housing Authority employee discovered a heavy plastic bag in the compactor room of The Borinquen Houses in Williamsburg just after 9:30 a.m. Sunday, and police later identified the dismembered remains inside as those of Michelle Montgomery, a 39-year-old mother of four.
Authorities said the discovery set off a homicide investigation focused on the building’s basement and trash handling areas at 330 Bushwick Ave. Detectives canvassed every floor and collected surveillance footage while the medical examiner worked to determine the cause and manner of death. The case has rattled residents in a complex already concerned about security, and city housing officials faced questions about access to basements and maintenance rooms. As of Monday night, no one was in custody and investigators had not publicly identified a suspect or a possible motive.
Police were called at 9:38 a.m. Sunday after the worker tried to lift the bag, opened it and saw human remains, officials said. Officers from the 90th Precinct and Police Service Area 3 secured the compactor room, and crime scene technicians removed several large bags from the basement for analysis. “They realized the bag was too heavy,” a neighbor said, recounting what workers told him as the building filled with police tape and investigators. By late afternoon, detectives began going door to door, asking residents for video and for anything they had seen in the hours before the discovery.
On Monday, police released the victim’s name and age and confirmed the remains were found in the building’s compactor area. The medical examiner will determine how and when Montgomery died. Housing workers first noticed the bag while servicing the lower level, officials said. Neighbors described startled screams in the basement when the bag was opened and said they watched as evidence was photographed and carried out. Some residents said basement access points are often left unsecured, while others said they routinely see nonresidents enter through broken front doors. Investigators have not said whether Montgomery lived in the building, whether she was killed there or elsewhere, or whether any weapon was recovered.
Residents said security has been a longstanding issue at the complex. Several described malfunctioning locks and doors that do not fully close, which allows visitors and strangers to enter common areas. The building, part of a cluster of NYCHA properties along Bushwick Avenue, has had periodic calls for improved lighting and cameras in laundry rooms, stairwells and basements. Police have not linked this case to any prior incidents in the neighborhood, and no pattern has been announced. The area around the complex is a mix of older walk-ups and public housing near busy commercial streets, where officers often respond to quality-of-life complaints alongside more serious crimes.
Detectives are reviewing building surveillance, examining logs of basement and maintenance access, and tracing any bags and materials removed from the scene for possible DNA and fingerprints. The medical examiner’s autopsy is expected to confirm the cause of death and could establish a timeline for when Montgomery was killed. Police will brief prosecutors once core forensic results come in, and any arrests would be followed by an arraignment in Kings County Criminal Court. Housing officials said they are cooperating with the investigation and are reviewing security procedures in and around the compactor room. Investigators have not announced any planned briefings or released a suspect description.
By Monday evening, the crime scene tape was gone from the entrance on Bushwick Avenue, but the basement corridor still smelled of heavy cleaning chemicals. Parents ushered children quickly past the lobby. “People are scared,” said a neighbor who has lived in the building for years. Another resident said she wants doors that latch every time and cameras that work in the lower level. A maintenance worker shook his head as he returned with a cart, saying he had never seen the building so quiet.
As of late Monday, the investigation remained open with no arrests. The next major development is expected when the medical examiner releases preliminary autopsy findings, which could come as early as this week and help establish a clearer timeline in the case.
Author note: Last updated February 3, 2026.