Family makes horrifying discovery while opening backyard pool
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A New York family kicked off the summer season with a horrifying discovery when they opened their backyard pool and found a dead body found floating in the water. 

The disturbing find occurred on Sunday afternoon ahead of the Memorial Day holiday in the Long Island neighborhood of East Shoreham, New York, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. 

The department’s homicide squad is now investigating the body’s identity and cause of death, including the possibility that the corpse belongs to a murder suspect who had been on the run.

The suspect was Matthew Zoll, 23, who disappeared in November after allegedly killing his father. 

Matthew was accused of stabbing his father, Joseph, 61, in their Rocky Point home, which is about five miles from East Shoreham.

Police said at the time Matthew fled the scene of the crime in a black GMC Yukon and ran away after crashing the car. 

The East Shoreham home is about a half-mile from where police believe Matthew crashed his car and fled on foot. 

There is a wooded lot behind the home that extends to the parkway where the crash occurred. 

A family in New York made a shocking discovery when they took off the protective cover on their backyard pool and found a dead body floating in the water

A family in New York made a shocking discovery when they took off the protective cover on their backyard pool and found a dead body floating in the water 

The victim's identity hasn't yet been released, but the community has speculated that the body may belong to a young man who vanished last November after allegedly killing his father

The victim’s identity hasn’t yet been released, but the community has speculated that the body may belong to a young man who vanished last November after allegedly killing his father 

Matthew Zoll, 23, disappeared last November after he was accused of stabbing his father, Joseph Zoll

Matthew Zoll, 23, disappeared last November after he was accused of stabbing his father, Joseph Zoll

The shocking murder rocked the seaside Long Island community as authorities issued a massive manhunt for the alleged killer. 

US Marshals searched for the fugitive for weeks, combing a nearby 1,600-acre state park, but Matthew was never found. 

Police reported at the time that Matthew had schizophrenia and had gone missing last April.

Joseph Koll had worked as a mail carrier and had ‘lots of friends,’ his neighbor Karen Diffley told the New York Post after his tragic death. 

Diffley told the publication that she heard someone faintly screaming ‘help’ the night of Joseph’s murder, but assumed it was just the TV. 

‘I’m in shock. I’m totally in shock. He was a very nice man,’ she added.   

‘If I needed help mowing the lawn he would lend us his lawn mower. Very quiet.’

Another neighbor, Gavan Israel, described Joseph as a ‘nice, quiet, soft-spoken guy,’ adding, ‘Joe had a problem with alcohol years ago but he cleaned up.’

Community members told reporters at the time that Joseph was a kind neighbor. He died on  November 9 after sustaining stabbing wounds

Community members told reporters at the time that Joseph was a kind neighbor. He died on  November 9 after sustaining stabbing wounds 

Community members were riddled with tragedy after Joseph's (middle) death, and questions still loom over what happened to his son Matthew (far left)

Community members were riddled with tragedy after Joseph’s (middle) death, and questions still loom over what happened to his son Matthew (far left)

‘He was divorced. His wife moved to another town years ago. It was just him and his two sons. His older son, he was okay. 

‘Matthew, you could see immediately something was off because he was always looking down. He never really talked,’ Israel continued. 

‘He had a problem a few months ago where he went missing because he went off of his medication. The local news did a story about it when [police were] looking for him. I’m guessing that’s probably what this started with – a lack of meds.’ 

The community was left with looming questions about what transpired before Joseph’s death and where his son disappeared to. 

‘It was very strange… We all thought he just left town. Got on a train or a bus,’ community member Sharon Healey told local NBC affiliate, WNBC

The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine the identity of the body found in the pool. DailyMail.com reached out for an update on the investigation.  

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