Crime & Safety

Police Ask For Help in Massapequa Body Mystery

Police ask public if they've seen Irene Luetje before she was found dead.

Nassau County Police asked for the public's help Wednesday in finding information in the case of the woman whose body was discovered outside a vacant Ocean Avenue home in Massapequa last week.

"Unfortunately at this time, it's a big mystery to us why she's there, how she wound up there, and ultimately how she died," Nassau County Homicide Commander Det. Lt. John Azzata said about the unexplained death of Irene Luetje.

"At this time, there's no evidence of criminality," Azzata said.

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There was no sign of trauma when the body of the 60-year-old woman was found in front of the home by a construction crew that heard running water.

Police are waiting for the results of a full autopsy, including a toxicology report, which Azzata said will take several weeks.

Find out what's happening in Massapequawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She was last seen wearing a black jacket, a black pullover shirt, black Capri pants and silver shoes. 

"This, we learned from co-workers, was one of her favorite outfits," Azzata said. 

She was last seen by the owner of her home on West Drive North in North Massapequa at about on 11 a.m. Jan. 6, and was reported missing by her sister six days later, the homicide commander said.

There was no sign of any robbery. Nothing was missing from her purse, or apartment and her car was found parked in her driveway. There was nothing abnormal about any of her electronic devices, according to Azzata.

Police don't believe she was outside the home for the month that she was missing, nor do they believe the body was dumped there, so they're looking for somebody who might have seen her go to Ocean Avenue.

"What we're trying to do is get residents in the area anywhere from where she lived down to the location where she was found to call us and give us some information if they saw her," Azzata said.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244 TIPS. All calls will be confidential. Police also released a recent photo of Leutje.

Azzata said police are pursuing all avenues in the case.

"Right now everything is a possibility, and that's why we're enlisting the public's help." he said. "I've said it before. We do our best work when we have the public's input."


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