Ex-con’s rotting corpse found wrapped in Bronx apartment

An ex-con was found dead inside his Arthur Avenue apartment with his body wrapped in plastic and blankets late Monday night.

A Bronx resident called police around 9:40 p.m. on Monday to report a foul smell coming from a nearby apartment, the New York Daily News stated. Inside, authorities found the decomposing body of Sidney Harris.

Police said that the body of the 64-year-old man was found with a plastic bag over its head and wrapped in carpet, the New York Post reported.

Although there was no apparent trauma to Harris’ body, an autopsy showed that he died of skull fractures from multiple strikes to his head, a medical examiner spokeswoman told the Daily News.

Building residents also told the Post that it was believed that the deceased had been very ill.

“He was a sweet guy,” resident Claudia Espinal said to the Daily News, describing Harris. “He was always outside.”

Harris, who had been arrested 11 times on a variety of charges including statutory rape, drug possession and robbery, was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2008 after a conviction on grand larceny and welfare fraud charges, the Daily News added.