The family of a 26-year-old Irish woman who was found dead in Queens, New York, is seeking justice. Claire McKenna was found “unconscious and unresponsive, partially clothed lying face down on the pavement near a bush,” by officers responding to a 911 call.
The body was discovered in the morning on Oct. 12, at 94th Ave and 214th Street in Queens Village, police said, NYPost reported. The cause of death is yet to be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office in the city.
Originally from Dundalk, Ireland, McKenna was attacked on Oct. 11 not far away from her home in Astoria, Queens. She sent a text message to her family at 3:11 a.m. ET asking for “help” and that her phone’s battery was dying, Irish Mirror reported.
According to video footage timestamped 4:30 a.m ET, on Oct. 12, a man clad in dark clothes and a mask was seen pushing her body on a dolly cart. The suspect reportedly pushed the cart for five blocks before dumping the body in a bush where McKenna was found dead.
A police spokesperson said he was unable to confirm McKenna’s text and the video.
The woman’s distraught family has offered a huge reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.
“The family of Claire McKenna, of Astoria New York, is offering a reward of $35,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction concerning the death of Claire McKenna,” the notice read.
McKenna’s blood work reportedly revealed she had a history of drug use, and there were track marks on her arm. Toxicology reports are expected as well, to determine the cause of death.
The young woman was described as five foot, five inches tall, and weighing 115 pounds. Posters have been pinned up all over Queens within a one-mile radius of the crime scene.
The New York Police are treating her death as “suspicious” and while homicide hasn’t been ruled out, they are waiting for the post-mortem report from the medical examiner’s office.
Anyone with information is urged to call Michael G. Santangelo at (914) 391-1823 or send an email to mgsesq@msn.com.
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