A dismembered body found on a beach in Queens on Friday prompted speculation that the remains "may be" those of Emmy-winning Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell, who went missing earlier this month.
Police have not confirmed or denied the multiple reports.
McDonnell disappeared Nov. 4 after going on a bike ride in his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, according to Deadline. His bike was discovered locked at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens, which is a short distance from Breezy Point Beach, where the headless and armless body was discovered.
Friends of McDonnell reportedly found some of his clothing on the beach, leading to speculation that he might have gone swimming. According to a police source cited by the New York Daily News, it is believed that the body was dismembered by the sharp rocks, waves, and marine life over the previous two weeks before being carried onto the shore.
"It's not uncommon with the churning current and rocks for this to happen," the source told the Daily News.
Hailing from Dublin, McDonnell has a wide-ranging career as a director, cinematographer, and producer.
His first feature, "Colony," debuted at Toronto and secured the IDFA First Feature Award. He went on to earn an Emmy nomination in 2018 for directing "Elián," a feature-length documentary created for CNN Films, BBC, and Jigsaw Productions. His cinematography on Showtime's series, "The Trade," earned him an Emmy in 2021.
McDonnell's work in cinematography was recognized again in 2022 when he won the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary for his work on Matthew Heineman's acclaimed COVID documentary, "The First Wave."
"He's a very good human being and he's greatly missed right now," Gene Gallerano, a friend of McDonnell's, told WNBC. "We are deeply, deeply concerned. The mystery of it takes an emotional toll. It's very confusing and painful to not have any kind of answers for what happened."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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