The headless, armless torso that washed up on a Queens beach last week likely belongs to acclaimed Irish filmmaker and photographer Ross McDonnell, who police now say drowned while going “wild swimming” in the ocean. Friends of McDonnell’s identified a distinctive birthmark and red Adidas swim trunks found on the remains as matching those of the 44-year-old Emmy winner, who was last seen leaving his Brooklyn home more than two weeks ago, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Tuesday. Police are still waiting on the medical examiner to test...

Police officials said they believe the torso found on a Breezy Point beach last week belonged to Ross McDonnell, an Irish filmmaker who enjoyed open water swimming at night. Police used video footage, bloodhounds and interviews with friends to retrace McDonnell’s steps on Nov. 4, the last night he was seen. He left home at 10:30 p.m., biked to the beach, locked his bike and left his clothes on a rock jetty, according to police. His body was found two days later. “It was typical for him to go swimming...

Birthmark on headless torso found on beach matches one on Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell: police BREEZY POINT, Queens (WABC) -- A birthmark on the torso of the headless body recovered in the Rockaways last week is believed to match the one on a missing Irish filmmaker. "We believe the body to be that of Ross McDonnell," a senior police official said Tuesday, adding confirmation is pending further study, including toxicology and DNA reports. The NYPD is working with the Irish consulate to obtain DNA from his family in Ireland. McDonnell...

A distinctive birthmark helped police link the headless armless corpse that washed up on a Rockaways beach to missing Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell, police said Tuesday. Cops are still waiting for a DNA match, but believe the remains belong to the 44-year-old Emmy-award winning visual artist, who was reported missing more than two weeks ago, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “We matched a birth mark on the body that was discovered (to McDonnell),” Kenny said. “We also have photographs of him wearing the same swimsuit.” McDonnell was a...

A dismembered body found on a beach in Queens on Friday prompted speculation that the remains "may be" those of Emmy-winning Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell, who went missing earlier this month. Police have not confirmed or denied the multiple reports. McDonnell disappeared Nov. 4 after going on a bike ride in his Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, according to Deadline. His bike was discovered locked at Fort Tilden Beach in Queens, which is a short distance from Breezy Point Beach, where the headless and armless body was discovered. Friends of McDonnell reportedly found...