Man Takes Cover Off Pool for Summer, Finds Body

A Long Island homeowner got a grim surprise on Sunday when he took the cover off his pool for the season. The East Shoreham resident found the body of a man that police believe could be that of fugitive murder suspect Matthew Zoll, NBC New York reports. Authorities say the homeowner called 911 after finding the body, which had apparently been there for some time. Zoll, a 23-year-old resident of nearby Rocky Point, disappeared after he allegedly stabbed his father to death in November. Police say Zoll crashed a black GMC Yukon on William Floyd Parkway after fleeing the scene, Newsday reports. A wooded lot directly behind the East Shoreham man's pool extends to the parkway.

Zoll, who is reportedly schizophrenic, escaped on foot after crashing the vehicle at around 1:35am on Nov. 9. US marshals spent days searching nearby wooded areas, including the 1,600-acre Brookhaven State Park, the New York Post reports. Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Kevin Catalina says there is a "strong possibility" that the body in the pool is Zoll. DNA analysis is pending. NBC New York reports that the homeowner noticed that a portion of the pool cover had been opened. "I don't know why somebody would try to get under the cover. It's not a smart thing to do," neighbor Paul Gawreluk says. "I really wouldn't be happy opening my pool to find that." (More Long Island stories.)