Bodies Found in Brush Fire Off Queens Parkway, at Least 1 Tied Up: DA

Two badly burned bodies were discovered off a Queens parkway Wednesday as firefighters put out a brush fire, and at least one of the victims had been tied up, authorities said.

Police say the two adult men were found under trash bags around 4:25 a.m. Wednesday in a grassy area off the Belt Parkway in Howard Beach.

Dozens of firefighters and crime scene investigators gathered in the brush near where the bodies were found, which borders a row of residences near 159th Avenue and 78th Street.

The victims were fully clothed, police said. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said both were found face down.

Their ages were not immediately known. 

Police were investigating the circumstances of how they wound up off the parkway. Authorities said they were likely killed elsewhere and dumped at the site, which Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said has been used as a dumping ground in the past. 

Authorities say the fire is being considered suspicious and police are canvassing the neighborhood for potential witnesses. 

The medical examiner said autopsies will be conducted Thursday to determine how the men died.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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