Man Found Hanging In Central Park Near Fifth Avenue

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY – A body was found in Central Park on Monday morning, and after Patch reported the narrative exactly as authorities described it, a reader reached out with more details Tuesday.

“This article is incorrect,” the email from Sara read. “It was NOT on the UWS – it was on the UES – just north of the reservoir by 97th/5th Ave.”

How did Sara know? She found the body.

What Happened?

Sara, whose last name is being withheld due to the sensitive nature of the incident, came upon the body during a morning run.

“It was pretty early, probably closer to 6 a.m.,” explained Sara, a longtime East Sider. “I have a really demanding job, and going out in the park in the morning is my only sacred time.”

At first, it was just another routine jog, passing familiar faces practicing tai chi in the meadow, and enjoying the park’s serene morning quiet. But then Sara spotted something unusual: a body, motionless, with a hood over the head, hanging from a tree.

“I thought he was stretching, and then I saw the rope,” she said. “I saw these two women, and said, ‘Did you see that?’ And they were all freaked out.”

Just then, a police cruiser drove by, and although Sara said she went running into the loop screaming and waving her hands, they just kept on driving.

“That's when I saw another cruiser parked nearby. They did not even skip a beat, ‘Ok, we’ll check it out,’ they said,” Sara added.

On Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed that a 24-year-old male was indeed found hanging from a tree near 98 East Drive, not far from Fifth Avenue.

“As of now, it’s under investigation, and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death,” a spokesperson for the NYPD told Patch.

A Memorial

Although the man’s identity is being withheld by authorities pending family notification, a memorial has begun to form around the tree where his body was found.

“There’s a thing around the tree that says ‘Happy Birthday’,” Sara said.

There are also a few bouquets, and several framed photos, a development Sara noticed on Tuesday.

She has no intention of shifting her running routine.

“I've lived here for a really long time,” she said. “It just doesn't bother me, I don't know why. [At the time] I wasn't really sure what was going on, I wasn't sure that he was dead. For a moment I thought I might’ve saved his life, but I got pretty close to him, and it was pretty clear that he wasn’t breathing.”

Patch will update this story as more details become available. If you are having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.