An initial autopsy for the man who died on a Manhattan subway train and was then sexually violated and twice robbed failed to reveal a cause of death, according to city officials.
The victim remains unidentified, according to police, as the city Medical Examiner’s office plans to run more tests to determine how he died.
“The cause and manner are pending further study following the examination,” a spokeswoman for the city Medical Examiner said.
After the man died on a Manhattan subway train on April 9 a stranger who stumbled upon the body had sex with and robbed the corpse — and then the body was robbed by a second rider, MTA and police sources said.
Cops are now searching for both suspects and have released surveillance footage of the two they say violated and robbed the corpse.
The horrific crimes came to light after an MTA train conductor found the dead man, believed to be in his 40s, facedown on the floor of an idling R train at the Whitehall St. subway stop in lower Manhattan about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, transit sources said. The station is the end of the line of R trains from Brooklyn on overnights.
When cops investigating the case reviewed subway car surveillance footage it showed a man, believed to be in his 50s, having oral and anal sex with the corpse, a police source said.
About 20 minutes later, the MTA conductor found the body, but not before a woman came upon the corpse and also rifled through the dead man’s pockets a few minutes after the man exited the train car, stealing more of his belongings.
Investigators determined the victim got on the R train about 8 p.m., sources said. He lit up a cigarette given to him by another rider, filling the train car with smoke, surveillance footage recovered by authorities shows. The few people on the train moved to another car. The smoking man went on to die quietly.
There were no apparent signs of trauma and no drugs or drug paraphernalia was found in the train car, cops said.
The suspect wanted for sexual misconduct is described as about 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds with black hair, brown eyes, and a goatee. He was wearing an LA Dodgers cap. Cops released surveillance footage of him on the train and are asking the public’s help identifying him and tracking him down.
Surveillance photos of the woman wanted for robbery were later released by cops as well.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Initial autopsy inconclusive on corpse sexually violated, robbed on NYC subway train
