UPDATED Oct. 7, 11 a.m.
New details have emerged regarding the death of an 85-year-old woman whose body was found wrapped in plastic bags inside her Ridgewood home earlier this week.
Erika Kraus-Breslin — who shared her 65th Street home with her grandson, 30-year-old Christopher Fuhrer — apparently died in May of this year, published reports indicated. The cause remains under investigation, and an autopsy by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is ongoing.
Fuhrer, fearing he would lose his home, allegedly never reported her death and kept Kraus-Breslin’s body inside the residence, the New York Daily News reported. Over the last five months, he painted her body and wrapped it in 16 plastic bags in an attempt to mask over the odor of her decomposing body. Fuhrer also allegedly placed numerous air fresheners through the home to cover the stench of death.
Officers from the 104th Precinct made a wellness check to the residence on 65th Street near 68th Avenue at about 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 5; a family member had requested that the precinct visit the home after not hearing from Kraus-Breslin for an extended period time.
When the officers arrived, they were met by Fuhrer, who led them to the second-floor bedroom where he kept the body. He allegedly told police she died on May 21.
Following questioning, Fuhrer was arrested and charged with not reporting a death and burial/body removal without proper permit; he is currently awaiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court.
Additional charges are pending the results of the ongoing investigation.
