Workers clearing snow at a 55-and-older housing complex on Long Island found a man dead and buried beneath a snowbank Monday afternoon, and Suffolk County police said detectives believe the death does not appear to be criminal.
The discovery came as Deer Park and the wider Town of Babylon struggled through cleanup after a powerful storm dumped close to 2 1/2 feet of heavy snow in parts of Suffolk County. Police have not identified the man, and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine how he died and how long he had been covered.
The man was found on Monday, Feb. 23, as crews hired to shovel and clear walkways worked through dense, packed drifts at the complex. Residents said the snow had been piled into high ridges along paths and around parked cars, leaving workers to chip away in layers. One neighbor said she heard shovels scraping for a long time and then heard people shouting outside. A worker knocked and told her, “There’s a dead man in the snow,” she said, recalling the moment she opened her door and saw people backing away from a walkway.
Another resident, who also asked not to be identified, said a worker brushed away snow and realized he was looking at a person rather than debris. The resident said the worker touched the spot, then stopped when the outline became clear and a head came into view. Police said the man was discovered just before 4 p.m. Suffolk County officers and emergency medical workers responded, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers cordoned off the area as detectives arrived and workers stepped back from the walkway, residents said.
In a department news release, Suffolk County police said workers shoveling found a body buried in the snow near a walkway at a housing complex at 7 Parkcenter Drive at about 3:45 p.m. Police said the Homicide Squad opened an investigation, a routine step for unattended deaths, and detectives believe the cause appears noncriminal based on early findings. Police did not say whether the man was a resident of the complex, and they said his identity was being withheld while next of kin are notified. A final cause of death is expected to come from the medical examiner.
Detectives have released few details about the man’s final hours, and officials have not said whether he died during the storm or was outside for another reason. Investigators have not publicly discussed whether the man was reported missing, whether anyone saw him outside during the blizzard, or whether drifting snow later covered him after he fell. Even when a death appears noncriminal, detectives typically document the scene, collect background information and speak with potential witnesses to rule out foul play and build a timeline. Suffolk police said anyone with information can contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392.
The death unfolded as Long Island continued digging out from what local officials described as historic snowfall. Weather reports from the region showed some of the deepest totals in years, including 31 inches measured in Central Islip and 29.5 inches measured near Babylon. The Town of Babylon said heavy, wet snow created challenges for plows and other equipment, including blades wearing down faster and trucks getting stuck, while high winds pushed snow back onto areas that had already been cleared. Officials said a travel ban was imposed late Sunday and was lifted Monday afternoon, but they warned road conditions remained difficult as crews worked through the night.
At the Deer Park complex, residents said conditions on private walkways and around building entrances lagged behind progress on main roads. Several people said they could see narrow, freshly scraped paths but also tall banks on both sides that made it hard to move around and hard to see what was under the surface. Residents said that inside many apartment and condominium complexes, snow removal is handled by private contractors and property managers rather than town plows, which can mean slower clearing depending on staffing and equipment. News reports said the property manager had not commented publicly in the days after the discovery.
Neighbors said the complex’s age requirement raised extra concerns because many residents have limited mobility or medical needs. Frank Daconta, 62, told reporters he struggled to get in and out of his unit and worried about neighbors who could not shovel for themselves. He described a resident in a wheelchair who he said was blocked by a wall of snow at the entrance. “A man, he’s literally trapped,” Daconta said, estimating the pile in front of the door was about 5 feet high. Another resident, Eddie Velasquez, said snow pressed against his door so tightly he could not push it open. “I can’t even squeeze through here,” he said while describing how little space remained at his entryway.
Investigators have not said whether blocked walkways or storm conditions played a role in the man’s death, but detectives and medical examiners often look at several possibilities in cases like this. Those can include a medical emergency, a fall followed by exposure, or another condition that becomes harder to recognize in severe cold and heavy snow. The autopsy can help determine whether the man died from exposure, a health crisis, or another cause. Officials have not said whether the man had injuries consistent with a fall, or whether he may have been covered by additional drifting after he was already down.
Residents said the discovery rattled a complex that was already tense from days of digging out. Some people said they watched from windows as officers marked off the area. Others said they stayed inside, listening to the scrape of shovels outside and the rumble of plows on nearby streets. Several residents said they did not know the man who was found, but they worried he could have been someone they had passed in a hallway only days earlier. Neighbors said the storm’s aftermath left many residents isolated, and they said the sight of police tape and a blocked walkway added to the strain.
As of the weekend, Suffolk County police had not released the man’s name, and the medical examiner’s findings were still pending. Town officials said road clearing and wider cleanup across Babylon would continue for days, while residents at the Deer Park complex said they were still waiting for broader paths and deeper piles to be removed. Police said the next public update is expected after the autopsy and after the man’s family has been notified.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.