On Saturday, the community mourned a Brooklyn man who was discovered dismembered near his apartment, remembering him as a gentle and loving individual eagerly anticipating his upcoming birthday. The tragic news of Darrell Montgomery’s death shocked many, as he was known for his non-violent nature and kind demeanor.
Standing at 5-foot-4 with a slender build, Montgomery was nearing his 34th birthday, a milestone he will never reach. His grieving mother, speaking in tears outside her son’s residence in Flatbush, shared her sorrow with the Daily News. Her son’s remains were tragically found in a blue trash bin just steps from his home.
“I was on my way to the train when I got the call about what happened,” she recalled, asking to remain anonymous. “I was so overcome with shock that I fainted on the train.”
Montgomery’s family, who reside out of state, rushed to his apartment on E. 21st St. near Ditmas Ave. upon hearing the devastating news. However, the police officers stationed outside his sixth-floor unit were unable to provide them with any details.
“My son was a loving individual,” his mother expressed. “He kept to himself and never troubled anyone.”
The gruesome discovery of Montgomery’s head and torso, found inside a black plastic bag in the trash bin, was made shortly after 9 a.m. on Friday, deepening the family’s heartache and leaving the community in shock.
“I’m thinking this is a dream,” said Montgomery’s younger sister, Shakeema, who tried her best to console her mother at the scene. “I was just reading this article (about this killing) yesterday and I didn’t know it was my brother.”
Construction workers discovered the dismembered remains outside the building after smelling a foul odor, police sources said.
Cops immediately cordoned off Montgomery’s apartment to search for more evidence, but it wasn’t immediately clear if any other body parts were found inside.
Cops on Saturday could not immediately confirm the victim’s identity. The remains were brought to the city Medical Examiner, which will conduct an autopsy and officially identify the victim.
Neighbors told police that Montgomery was living with a much taller man, possibly his boyfriend, before the victim’s body was discovered.
At about 6-foot-3, the roommate towered over Montgomery, neighbors said. The victim’s family said they had never met the roommate.
Neighbors said the pair had lived in the building for a few years, moving in soon after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two were always together, a 54-year-old resident said, noting, “Where you saw the tall one, you saw the short one.”
One 75-year-old neighbor recalled seeing Montgomery’s roommate outside the building on Thursday, a day before Montgomery’s body was found.
Cops were looking to question the roommate. No arrests have been made.
“He was just a gentle person,” Shakeema said about her brother, “family-oriented.”
She hadn’t spoken to him for more than a month, she admitted.
“I remember my brother picking me up from school,” Shakeema recalled fondly. “He was not violent at all — so for this guy, he had to intimidate my brother.”
“I honestly want justice,” she said. “My brother was not violent.”
Originally Published: October 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM EDT
