Jaclyn Elmquist: Internet doesn't buy 'no foul play suspected' angle as woman found dead in trash chute

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Minnesota woman Jaclyn Elmquist was found dead in the trash chute of an upscale Chelsea building on December 1. She went missing following a work party in Manhattan and was seen on camera swaying along the sidewalk before she was found dead the next day.

The New York Police Department stated on Saturday, December 2, that there was no suspicion of foul play in Elmquist's death. According to police, the 24-year-old's body was found at +Art, located at 540 West 28th St, on Friday afternoon.

The NYPD told USA Today, "Upon arrival, officers discovered a 24-year-old female unconscious and unresponsive in the garbage compactor in the basement of the building."

Chilling footage showed Jaclyn Elmquist's last known movements

An unstable Elmquist can be seen walking down the walkway on video recorded outside the building before entering the condo where her death ultimately came to light.

She appears shaky on her feet at one point in the video, clinging to a wall before turning and walking back onto the sidewalk in the direction of a building.

A police source stated, "It hasn’t been determined if she was intoxicated but it’s a possibility. It’s being looked at," per the New York Post.

Elmquist, a recruiter for Mission Staffing, never returned to her Brooklyn home after attending a work party in Manhattan, according to a post made by her cousin on X (formerly Twitter).

Her cousin "kat" wrote on X, "My cousin Jackie Elmquist has been missing since last night after she left a work party in Manhattan – she didn’t come home or show up for work this morning please spread the word so people in the area can see it since all of her family lives here in Minnesota."

Initial investigations declared 'no criminality suspected'

However, many unsolved issues remain, including her cause of death and how she died.

"No criminality is suspected at this time," according to the NYPD after initial investigations found that the deceased's injuries might have resulted from a fall down the garbage chute.

According to the police, a medical examiner will ascertain the cause of death, and the accident continues to be investigated.

Elmquist was declared dead at the site, per the authorities and the medics. Elmquist was not a resident of the building, but the police did not explain how she got there.

Internet users question 'foul play is not suspected' angle

Though the authorities have stated that the initial investigation did not reveal any signs of foul play, Internet users were not convinced and took to online platforms to question the death of the 24-year-old.

One user questioned on X (formerly Twitter), "How easy is it to "get" into a garbage chute unless someone "helps" you into a garbage chute? Is it really THAT easy?"

A second one echoed a similar sentiment and wrote, "Anyone from nyc give perspective into their trash chutes? In south Florida it would be impossible to enter one on your own, especially drunk."

"She was inebriated after leaving bar she’d been at w/colleagues - but they put her in a cab to get home to BK. How did she get from cab to Chelsea luxury building & then fall through garbage chute? Even someone incredibly drunk wouldn’t voluntarily go into a garbage chute," explained a third one.

One more added, "Trash chute? Makes no sense. How can someone fall down a trash chute? Her coworkers put her in a yellow cab so she could go home to Brooklyn. Her phone was found in the city not far from where she was last seen. This needs to be investigated b4 the media goes off on false info."

Not believing the initial investigation, another one chimed in, "Um, what?? I'll need to see pictures of this trash chute to believe that. Modern trash chutes have very small openings and the door usually doesn't open all the way AND is hinged at the bottom to prevent something like this from happening...."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.