The body of a possible missing fugitive was found dead, floating in a pool, according to PEOPLE. A homeowner woke up to the horrifying sight on Sunday, May 25. It’s not just anybody, as police firmly believe that it was the body of 23-year-old Matthew Zoll.
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Body Of Possible Missing Fugitive Found Floating In Pool Under Cover
Matthew was wanted for allegedly murdering his father in November 2024, per WABC. He allegedly stabbed his father, Joseph Zoll, 61, to death near Rocky Point, New York, on November 9.
Since November, police have been searching for the suspect with no luck. Matthew fled in an SUV after the alleged murder, but crashed it around half a mile away from their East Shoreham home.
Now, it seems the case has closed. “We are currently waiting for a DNA analysis to confirm that,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. “But, you know, based again on all of the ancillary evidence that we were able to uncover, we are investigating that strong possibility.”
Unfortunately, the homeowner had to witness the floating body after opening their pool for the season. “It’s just so disturbing,” said neighbor Sharon Healey to CBS News. “You take your pool cover off and… I mean, what if there was young children around or the poor family?”
How A Fugitive Escaped And Got Stuck Under A Pool Cover
It seems that after Matthew fled from the crash scene, he hid under the pool cover. “I don’t know why somebody would try to get under the cover, you know,” said another neighbor, Peter Gawrelek. “I mean, it just is not a smart thing to do.”
Catalina also explained how Matthew’s escape into the pool worked. “It was a Loop-Loc cover, but it appears that one of the portions of the Loop-Loc was undone, and somehow the body became secreted under that portion of the pool cover.”
It makes the most sense to the authorities that this body belonged to Matthew based on many factors. “Based on the location that the body was found, proximity to what we believe was the crash site of Matthew Zoll, the clothing, the fact that there were no shoes on the individual, we are investigating the possibility, the strong possibility, that it would be Matthew Zoll,” Cataline explained.
Coincidentally, the home with the pool belongs to a veteran Suffolk County Police detective. They were a part of the task force searching for Matthew.