What to Know
- A 67-year-old woman's burned, decomposed body was found in a closet in her Crown Heights apartment Wednesday
- Police found the body when called to the home for a wellness check; a man who answered the door said his mother 'went out'
- When officers searched the home, they saw her body upside down in the closet
The burned, badly decomposed body of a 67-year-old woman was found upside down in a bedroom closet in her Brooklyn apartment Wednesday, law enforcement sources said. Her son has been charged with her murder.
Police were called to the apartment inside the Albany housing development in Crown Heights for a wellness check around 3 p.m. when the woman didn't show up for work at a middle school down the street, according to sources.
When they knocked on the door, a man answered and told officers he lived there with his mother, the sources said. When asked where his mother was, the man replied she "went out."
Police searched the apartment and found the woman's body upside down in the closet, partially covered by clothing, according to sources. The body appeared to be severely burned.
The woman's 32-year-old son, Jason Reeves, was charged with murder in connection with her death, the NYPD said. A motive has not yet been determined.
Police said Reeves has two previous assault charges from 2010.
Neighbor Antoinette Davis said police officers asked if she'd smelled anything; "I didn't smell anything," she replied.
"It's just horrific. It's just terrible," said Davis. "Why would somebody do that to their parent?
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Another neighbor, who only gave Stephanie as her first name, said the woman was "a quiet lady. She kept to herself. She just came in and out of the building."
But recently, the mother spoke out living in fear, according to Stephanie: "She said, 'My son is going to kill me.'"
Reeves appeared in court Friday, and was remanded. His attorney did not speak to reporters, saying he was given the case just minutes prior.
