LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: The skeleton of the 20-year-old man who disappeared earlier this year after entering a Native American reservation was discovered on Thursday, July 13. In light of the tragic incident, Isaiah Henriquez's friends and family state that they believe he died after suffering some form of "horrific violence."
State police reported that Henriquez was recognized on Saturday as the person whose remains had been discovered by a motorist, who stopped at exit 40 of the Southern State Parkway in Islip before turning to the woods.
'A violent scene'
According to a friend, the family was informed that the case was being handled as a homicide because of the "horrific violence" that Henriquez endured. Further, Henriquez's former classmate Nicholas, who opted not to disclose his last name, said, "There was blood in the area and there was a body, other material that just indicated that there was a violent scene," as reported by New York Post.
Cause of death yet to be determined
According to the state police, the cause of death is yet to be determined. Suffolk County police have been looking for him since April 8, when Henriquez disappeared from the Poospatuck Reservation in Mastic. His mother, who spoke to The NY Post in May, said that the 20-year-old was dropped off at the Suffolk County reserve at 7:30 pm after attending a party in Brentwood, a city more than 20 miles from Poospatuck.
His friends said that he had previously gone to the Unkechaugi people's reserve to get marijuana and had promised partygoers he would return "quick," the night before he vanished. Nicholas, who has been in communication with Henriquez's best friend and cousin said, "It's kind of crazy and no one knows why, but he got into a Lyft and took him out of the Indian Reservation out east on Long Island." "The reservation or the police really don't have any reasoning as to why he went out there or if he went out there willingly. The only thing that they know at this point is someone reported skeletal remains on the Southern State, which is back where we live, where the party was," Nicholas added.
Henriquez's phone stopped working
After many hours, Henriquez's phone stopped working, which was unusual for the talkative Long Islander, according to his mother, Diana. Just two days after Henriquez, another man went missing from the same reserve, raising suspicions that sinister gang-related operations may be involved. However, the 27-year-old man was eventually recovered uninjured in the same area.
Henriquez, according to Nicholas, was leading a regular, healthy life at the time of his disappearance. The Unkechaug Indian Nation Chief and the federal Tribal Law Enforcement Authority did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.
