Body Found Floating in Family Pool as Cops Probe Possible Link to Notorious Manhunt

EAST SHOREHAM, NY — What started as a routine chore to kick off summer turned into a grisly nightmare for a Long Island homeowner who peeled back his pool cover on Sunday—only to find a dead body floating beneath the surface.

The East Shoreham resident, whose name has not been released, was opening his backyard swimming pool for the season when he made the horrifying discovery around midday. According to Suffolk County Police, the body appeared to have been submerged for some time.

Authorities have not yet identified the victim. An autopsy is underway to determine both identity and cause of death, but local officials are already eyeing a possible connection to an unsolved murder case that rocked the neighborhood just months ago.

“This is not your average Sunday afternoon in suburbia,” a local detective told reporters off the record. “This is a developing situation with potential ties to a prior violent crime.”

A Chilling Connection?

Last fall, 23-year-old Matthew Zoll vanished after allegedly stabbing his father, Joseph Zoll, to death in nearby Rocky Point—just a few miles from where the body was found. A massive manhunt ensued, helicopters circled overhead, K9 units scoured the woods, and neighborhoods were locked down. But Zoll was never captured.

Now, police sources say they are not ruling out the possibility that the body in the pool is his.

“If this is Matthew Zoll, it raises more questions than it answers,” said one local law enforcement official. “Was he hiding in plain sight? Did he try to come back? Was someone helping him?”

A Neighborhood on Edge

Residents of East Shoreham say they’re shaken—and angry.

“It’s disgusting and terrifying,” said Sharon Healey, a neighbor. “What if it was a kid who found that? What if someone had already gone swimming?”

Others are baffled at how the body ended up under a pool cover. “You don’t just wander into someone’s backyard and slip under their tarp,” said Peter Gawrelek, another neighbor. “Something isn’t adding up.”

Police remained at the scene through Sunday evening, interviewing nearby residents and searching the wooded perimeter for any signs of struggle or evidence. Drones were seen circling overhead by dusk.

Questions Mount

Officials say foul play has not been ruled out. While the area has remained relatively quiet since the fall manhunt, the body’s discovery could re-ignite fears of an unresolved threat in the neighborhood.

“Everything about this is suspicious,” said a retired NYPD homicide detective familiar with the case. “From how the body ended up there to the timing—right as the weather warms and people start using their pools again—it’s eerily calculated.”

For now, residents are being asked to remain vigilant and report any recent suspicious activity to Suffolk County Police.

Stay with us for updates as this story develops.