Body Identified at NY Skyscraper

original story posted July 14, 2009

Police have reported that they may have found the body of Eridania Rodriguez, 46, a cleaning woman who had vanished without a trace days prior.

Her body was found Saturday stuffed inside an air conditioning duct in a utility room located on the 12th floor at a Manhattan skyscraper, according to Police Department spokesman Paul Browne. Rodriguez was also bound and gagged with a gold crucifix taped to her mouth.

Rodriguez had disappeared last Tuesday and police were unable to pick up any signs of where the woman was as they searched the 26-story building from top to bottom for numerous days.

Police were tipped off

to her disappearance by Rodriguez's family and police started the search Wednesday. Investigators even went to a landfill where trash was disposed having the notion that her body might have been dumped there. After four days with no findings, a smell that was resonating rang the alarm and was the necessary hint in discovering her whereabouts.

Although there had been no clear indication of the identity of the corpse, police heavily believed that the body found was Rodriguez. Investigators stated that the building is under 24 hour surveillance equipped with security cameras and staff. Ever since the September 11 attacks, the building has received enhanced security and every door is covered by a camera. The cameras were able to capture the woman when she entered the building and clocked in at 5 p.m. but no footage showed her ever leaving the building. Her last appearance on the camera was at 7 p.m. while in an elevator lobby.

Along with this, it was discovered that her street clothes were still sitting in her locker room and friends stated that she had missed a dinner date that they had scheduled that Tuesday.

The medical examiner, however, cleared any doubts Monday when the body was identified as being Rodriguez, according to the medical examiner's spokesman Ellen Borakove. Authorities believe that the woman is a murder victim, but they have yet to round up any potential suspects to the crime after questioning some people that work in the building.

Rodriguez was a mother of three and was the sister of professional bodybuilder Victor Martinez.