Body parts washing up near Arthur Kill concern Elizabeth residents
Authorities say that a human torso and human leg washed up in the Arthur Kill waterway in Elizabeth five days apart.
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Body parts washing up on the shores of Union County are keeping residents on edge.
Authorities say that a human torso and human leg washed up in the Arthur Kill waterway in Elizabeth five days apart. This is an area of waterfront off Front Street that has been built up and become very popular.
Police have confirmed the torso was discovered in the water on May 16 and the leg on May 21. Those who walk the area every day say that it is becoming a concern.
“It’s disturbing because that means you can't walk around here without seeing somebody being dead in the water,” says resident Raymond Delapaz.
Delapaz hasn't ever discovered any human remains. But resident Peter Pisano has. He says that it happened about eight months ago while with a friend taking a daily walk.
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"We were over standing by the water, and I looked over and happened to see a femur - a leg part,” Pisano says. "It's a little scary, a little strange but in today's world, it's real."
The medical examiner determined the torso was a Caucasian male. That person has not been identified but the man's death is being investigated as a homicide.
Authorities have not released additional information about the leg. It is not clear if the remains belong to the same person.
Delapaz says he would like answers. He says that this is his neighborhood and that he worries about the impact of body parts washing up on the shoreline.
"It's summertime now, people come through here all the time and what are people going to think?” he asks.
The Union County Prosecutor's Office says that further testing of the remains is needed to determine an identity.
