Police Suspect They've Found Missing Filmmaker's Body

Ross McDonnell was last seen at Breezy Point Beach in Queens on Nov. 4
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 20, 2023 4:15 PM CST
Body Found on Beach May Be Missing Filmmaker's
Breezy Point Beach in Queens, New York   (Getty/John Penney)

New York police say they may have located the remains of Ross McDonnell, 44, an Irish filmmaker who was last seen on Nov. 4. A 911 call on Friday reported a partially dismembered body washed up on Breezy Point Beach in Queens, NBC News reports. The remains have not yet been identified, and the New York City medical examiner's office has not yet ruled on the cause of death. DNA tests are in progress. There's been no suggestion of foul play or suicide.

The Emmy Award winner's bicycle was found locked at an adjacent beach. Friends suggested McDonnell, who lived in Brooklyn and was seen at the beach, went into the water that night, per the Irish Independent. He won the Emmy for cinematography on the Showtime series The Trade in 2021 and was nominated in other categories twice, including direction for the documentary Elian. Friends appealed for help on social media after McDonnell's disappearance. Nicola Tallant, a journalist, described him in a tweet as "compassionate, humble," with "so many plans." (More missing person stories.)

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