Woman burned to death on New York subway still unidentified after five days
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‘It just adds another level of tragedy,’ says homelessness activist as police may have to use DNA and dental records. Five days after a woman believed to be homeless was burned to death by a passenger inside a New York City subway car, city officials have still not been able to confirm her identity.
![[The Rev Kevin McCall speaks during a press conference at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station on Thursday.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/2faf42e5bcd724741a6d8e99c905d024028c2147/0_262_7866_4722/master/7866.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Investigators may have to rely on dental records or DNA analysis to make an identification of the victim. “It just adds another level to a tragedy,” David Giffen, director of the Coalition for the Homeless, told the New York Times. “At this point, we still don’t even know who she was and she can’t be mourned.”.
Giffen said the incident underscored a broader lack of interaction, or empathy for, the city’s homeless. “We can’t forget our humanity as a city,” he told the outlet. “The fact that nobody knows who this woman is the saddest story I can imagine during the holidays.”.
The shocking early-morning attack on a Brooklyn F train last Sunday has horrified the city, with questions being asked about why it appears no one stepped in to help, including a police officer at the scene who appeared to fail to assist the burning victim.
However, police have defended their actions. Joseph Gulotta, the chief of transit for the police department, commended the officer who he said stayed at the scene and “made sure he kept the crime scene the way it’s supposed to be, made sure he kept an eye on what was going on”.
