Who was Zachariah Andrews? Missing man's body found inside chimney a month after pleas for help went unanswered
NORFOLK, NEBRASKA: In a chilling turn of events, the body of 29-year-old Zachariah Andrews was discovered concealed within a Nebraska house chimney, nearly a month after eerie cries for help had echoed throughout the building.
The tragic incident unfolded on October 19 when a maintenance worker, responding to a noxious odor emanating from the chimney, stumbled upon a gruesome sight - human shoes protruding from the narrow shaft.
The eerie discovery raised unsettling questions surrounding Andrews' death and the unanswered pleas for help heard within the apartment building where he met his tragic end.
Zachariah Andrews alleged screams for help before mysterious disappeance
Adding an eerie layer to this grim narrative, the day after Andrews was last seen, a concerned resident inside the apartment complex made a frantic call to the Norfolk Police. They claimed to have heard distressing screams for help, seemingly emanating from the building's first floor.
In a statement, the police explained, "The resident reported that he heard a man yelling for help and that it appeared to be coming from the first floor," norfolkne.gov reports.
Unfortunately, by the time the officers arrived on the scene, the perplexing cries had ceased. Despite an extensive search of the property and interviews with multiple residents, no source of the distressing pleas was found.
The last confirmed sighting of Andrews was on September 15. However, it was only on October 3 that he was officially reported missing, coinciding with the issuance of a warrant for his arrest on seven counts of violating a protection order.
For several months leading up to his disappearance, Andrews had been using his Facebook page to reach out to an unnamed woman, a pursuit that had garnered the concern of his friends, some of whom advised him to let go and remember the lessons he had learned "in treatment."
Zachariah Andrews' troubling history with law
Furthermore, Andrews had a troubling history with the law. In 2018, he faced charges for allegedly attempting to entice a 12-year-old girl through Facebook, making suggestive sexual comments and inviting her to his place for a drink and “see what happens," according to Souixland Proud.
Additionally, he was charged with resisting arrest for assaulting another man in April of the previous year.
Throughout the duration of his disappearance, an eerie parking warning remained affixed to Andrews' car, parked right in front of the apartment building where he had become tragically ensnared within the chimney.
The circumstances surrounding his final moments remain shrouded in mystery, with authorities leaning towards the belief that his death was accidental. Nevertheless, an ongoing investigation continues to piece together the puzzle of this eerie and devastating incident.
