Man Found in NYC School Chimney Identified as Aspiring Rapper
Matthew Collado's mother says he was afraid of heights and would not have climbed into a chimney.
The badly decomposed body found stuffed inside a chimney at a Queens public school has been identified as Matthew Collado, 29, an aspiring rapper who reportedly feared heights. His mother, Sophia Wood, expressed disbelief, stating that her son would not have willingly climbed into a chimney due to his phobias.
The remains were discovered on June 30 at P.S./I.S. 113 Anthony J. Pranzo in Glendale after an exterminator was called to investigate a persistent, foul odor emanating from the school's smokestack. The exterminator found a shoe and then a foot inside the ash dump, leading to the discovery.
Wood stated she had last heard from her son the day before Mother's Day, when he planned to visit her and his grandmother. He never arrived, prompting her to put up missing person flyers and search for answers online. She has not heard from him since.
The city's medical examiner's office has stated that the cause and manner of Collado's death are pending further study. Wood told The Daily News that the police have found no surveillance footage or other evidence to explain how her son ended up in the school's chimney.
"My son was afraid of heights so him climbing up there? That is not my son," Wood said. "He hates fire. He hates smoke. A chimney? It doesn’t jive with my son and who he was."
Collado, who was raised in East Elmhurst, was reportedly preparing to start a new job as a residential aide at a Breaking Ground shelter. He also pursued a career as an aspiring rapper under the stage name A.K. Nash, sharing some of his music on SoundCloud.
"That's how I hear his voice now," his mother said.
It remains unclear how long Collado's body had been inside the chimney before its discovery. Students at the school had reported noticing a foul smell for weeks.
The New York Police Department has stated that the investigation into the death is ongoing.