A bulging suitcase crammed with human body parts was found discarded on a Lower East Side street early yesterday, police said.
A homeless man and woman spotted the suitcase at 2 a.m. on the sidewalk at the corner of East Broadway and Forsythe Street.
They lugged it several blocks to a deserted parking lot opposite 100 Division St., where they opened it, apparently hoping to find something of value inside.
But instead, they were confronted with a hacked-off human hand and torso.
They slammed the suitcase shut and called 911 to report their grisly discovery, police said.
When cops checked the suitcase, they found six plastic bags inside, all containing body parts.
The human remains were taken to the medical examiner’s office, where it was determined that the hacked-off body parts included a man’s torso, two arms and two hands.
Not found were the victim’s head and legs, police said.
Further tests are being conducted to determine how and when the man died, and whether there are any distinguishing marks or features that can help identify him.
Police said it appeared the man died very recently because the body parts were not badly decomposed – and considering the recent 90-degree weather, they would decompose fairly quickly. No information was released about the man’s age or race.
Police were checking video surveillance cameras in buildings at the corner of East Broadway and Forsythe to see if anyone was caught on tape depositing the suitcase on the sidewalk.
The luggage was described as a black Travelstar suitcase with retractable wheels, measuring 3½ feet tall by 3 feet wide.