Man who jumped from the Vessel was wanted for killing his mother in Texas
The 21-year-old man who jumped to his death from the Vessel in Hudson Yards was under suspicion in the fatal stabbing of his mother in Texas, The Post has learned.
NYPD cops made the startling discovery when they contacted authorities in San Antonio, where the dead man had his last known address, to notify his next of kin, law-enforcement sources said Tuesday.
But they instead learned that Franklin Washington was being sought for questioning as a “person of interest” in the slaying of Michelle Washington, 55, sources said.
A San Antonio Police Department spokesman said that Franklin Washington “has no outstanding warrants” and wouldn’t comment further.
But on Friday, San Antonio cops went to an apartment in the Villas on Springvale complex on the city’s West Side when people visiting from out of town said a female relative they planned to visit wasn’t answering the door or responding to phone and text messages, according to reports.
“Upon arrival, [officers] opened the apartment door that had been unlocked by the apartment manager of the location,” the SAPD said in a prepared statement.
“As they entered the apartment, they confirmed that the victim had apparent trauma and was a victim of homicide.”
The SAPD described the victim in that case as a 55-year-old woman.
The department spokesman didn’t immediately respond to an email asking if that woman was Michelle Washington.
Franklin Washington became the third person to commit suicide at the Vessel when he jumped off the popular tourist attraction around 11:45 a.m. Monday.
He was pronounced dead minutes later by EMS, according to cops.
Washington’s suicide followed those of a 24-year-old Brooklyn woman and a 19-year-old former rugby star from New Jersey, who leaped from the massive spiral staircase in December and February, respectively.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255 or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.