Michelle Montgomery was in a good mood and looking forward to a night out when she left her Brooklyn home on Saturday, Jan. 31 — a detail that has become especially painful for her family as they try to make sense of her death.
Montgomery, a 39-year-old mother of four, was last seen alive by her husband, Anthony Echevarria, who told local news outlets that there was nothing unusual about her plans that evening.
“She left this house vibrant, happy and alive,” Echevarria said, according to ABC 7. He told multiple outlets that Montgomery was headed out with friends, though he did not know exactly who she was meeting.
The following morning, officers with the New York Police Department responded to a call reporting an unconscious person at a public housing complex in Brooklyn. What they discovered instead was far more disturbing. Montgomery’s remains were found in the building’s basement, police confirmed to PEOPLE.
A law enforcement official not authorized to speak publicly told The New York Times that Montgomery had been dismembered and her remains placed inside a plastic bag in a trash compactor room.
As investigators work to piece together what happened, Montgomery’s family has begun sharing details about their last contact with her. Her sister, Serenity Montgomery, told The Times that she received a FaceTime call from Michelle around 10 p.m. Saturday night. The call lasted only about one second and cut off almost immediately, with music audible in the background.
Serenity said she was unsure whether the call was accidental or intentional, but it has since taken on a haunting significance.
About an hour later, Montgomery posted a video on social media showing her dancing with two other people, according to friends who spoke with PIX 11. It was the last known public sign of her alive.
Montgomery and Echevarria shared four children — ages 19, 12, 11, and just 10 months old. Her sudden and violent death has left the family grappling not only with grief, but with unanswered questions about how a night that began with joy ended in tragedy.
As of Thursday, no arrests had been made, and investigators have released few details about potential suspects or a motive.
Echevarria said he is determined to see the case solved.
“We will get justice,” he told News 12. “I promise that.”
