A 25-YEAR-OLD tax advisor from Shirley plummeted to his death while on a business trip in New York in what police believe may be a suicide.
Duncan Hodgetts fell from the 14th floor window of the Executive Plaza building in midtown Manhattan at 8.30am on Monday morning (April 6).
He was found on a third-floor balcony of the neighbouring Michelangelo Hotel, near the Rockerfeller Center and was declared dead at the scene.
Speaking to the Observer a New York Police Department spokesperson said they were treating his death as suicide.
He added: “Officers were called at about 8.29am to the Michelangelo Hotel to reports a man had jumped to his death.
“They found the victim unresponsive and with severe trauma on the third floor balcony of the hotel and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It is being treated as suicide and there are no further investigations into the matter at this stage.”
Mr Hodgetts was employed as an accountant with Ernst and Young and had been working with the company since 2011 as a tax advisor.
In a statement his employer said: “We are very saddened to hear of the death of our colleague, Duncan Hodgetts.
“The matter is being investigated by the New York Police Department and they can expect our full cooperation.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Duncan’s family, friends and colleagues.”
Tributes flooded in for the Durham University graduate including one from colleague Joe Bateman on Twitter which simply read: “So sad to hear of Duncan Hodgetts passing.
“Only worked with him 6 weeks but was an amazing and friendly guy.
“Thoughts with his and the Ernst and Young family.”
