The dismembered body of a 22-year-old woman was found in two suitcases at an apartment in New York City this week.
Police were called to the scene of the incident at 315 Linwood Street in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, at around 1.30pm on Wednesday after neighbours complained about a foul smell coming from the flat.
Other residents had told the building's security officers that the woman who lived at the flat had not been seen for nearly a week, police said.
When a security guard went to the apartment on the 6th floor and tried to enter for a welfare check, he was turned away at the door by the woman's 23-year-old boyfriend and another man, police added.
The guard then went downstairs to call the emergency services, but before cops arrived the boyfriend and the other man left the building with what looked like a suspected bag of evidence, reports ABC.
The security guard then went back upstairs and discovered two suitcases with the victim's remains in a bathroom alongside a meat cleaver, police officers said.
Cops added that a "large amount of blood" was found at the scene.
Neighbours told the New York Police Department that the woman had been abused by her boyfriend and had an order of protection against him.
Cops are now hunting the suspect and the investigation is ongoing.
The New York Post reports that the city Medical Examiner's Office will officially confirm the victim's identity and determine the cause of death.
Neighbours were shocked by the discovery, with a woman describing the incident as "outrageous" and "scary".
Lindsey Vena told ABC: "This neighbourhood is not the best neighbourhood, to be honest with you, but this is outrageous. Absolutely outrageous.
"This is scary. I live here with my family, and it's just kind of wicked knowing that there's somebody doing something like this where you lay your head at night."
Another neighbour, Stephanie Harris, who knew the woman, said: "My head hurts, my heart hurts, my eyes hurt from crying.
"Her mum was complaining, 'I want to get her away from this building. She's gonna end up dead, please get her away from this building.' Nobody wants to listen."
