BRONX, NY — A case that has haunted New Yorkers for over a month took a devastating and deeply baffling turn Wednesday as police recovered the body of a toddler from the East River — and believe it may be that of missing 2-year-old Montrell Williams.
The NYPD Harbor Unit made the heartbreaking discovery near Ferry Point Park, just off the Whitestone Bridge. While the child has not been formally identified, authorities say the description and clothing match that of Montrell, who vanished on May 9 after a scheduled custody visit with his father in the Bronx.
Adding to the anguish, investigators confirmed that just hours before the body was found, Montrell’s 20-year-old father was named a person of interest in the child’s disappearance — a case already shrouded in disturbing inconsistencies and unanswered questions.
“We are waiting for confirmation from the Medical Examiner, but the circumstances are deeply troubling,” said one law enforcement source familiar with the investigation. “Everything is pointing in one very grim direction.”
Police say surveillance footage from around the time of the toddler’s disappearance shows a man believed to be Montrell’s father throwing a black bag into the Bronx River, just off the Bruckner Expressway. The footage, though grainy, is now a focal point of the investigation as detectives work to determine whether it connects directly to the remains recovered Wednesday.
Montrell’s disappearance stunned the community. His 17-year-old mother, who had primary custody, reported him missing after the boy was not returned following the May 9 visit. She has reportedly told investigators that, during a chance encounter with Montrell’s father on June 8, he made a chilling confession — that he had “put the baby in the river” — and then threatened her with a knife. She contacted police immediately.
Officials took the father into custody Monday after he appeared in Bronx Family Court for violating a custody order. He remains behind bars, though no criminal charges related to Montrell’s disappearance have yet been filed. Police say his behavior during questioning raised multiple red flags.
“This is a case that’s shaken us all,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. “It’s every parent’s nightmare.”
Authorities have made clear they do not believe the mother was involved or had knowledge of the child’s whereabouts.
The city is now waiting, heart in throat, for forensic confirmation and clarity in a case that has come to symbolize the darkest of fears. Vigils are being planned across the Bronx as residents mourn and demand justice.
Anyone with information is urged to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
In a city that has seen its share of heartbreak, the disappearance — and apparent death — of little Montrell Williams remains an unbearable and baffling tragedy.