PICTURED: Ukrainian woman, 52, found dead in duffel bag in Manhattan apartment - as family describes finding corpse in closet while her dog wandered around

The 52-year-old woman who was found stuffed inside a duffel bag in a Manhattan apartment closet has been pictured for the first time. 

Nadia Vitel, originally from Kyiv, was found inside the bag in the East 31st Street apartment in Manhattan's Kip's Bay on Thursday night. 

The complex is a government housing facility with 69 units and the rent paid by residents is calculated using a third of their income. 

New York City Police Department officers were seen hauling out several bags of the victim’s items, including three suitcases and bags of her clothes out of the building.

The building’s superintendent Jean Pompee, who has lived in there for 22 years, was the first one to enter Vitel’s apartment following a distress call from her relatives. 

Her family told him they hadn’t heard from her in a few days so he went to up her apartment to check on her and saw signs something was wrong. 

Ukrainian woman Nadia Vitel, 52, was found dead in apartment in Manhattan's Kip's Bay on Thursday

Police remove evidence from the home where Vitel's body was found

NYPD officers remained at the property on Friday as the victim's family searched for answers

The NYPD is yet to confirm how Vitel died, or whether they have any suspects 

Pompee discovered her dog urinated all over the floor because it had been unaccompanied which was very unusual.

‘They found a bag in the closet and said, “I believe there is a body in here”. I kind of sensed something was wrong, it kind of looked suspicious.’

He added that he saw signs of struggle in the apartment as the breaker panel (I think electric) was left damaged. 

‘I wondered how did this get like that,' he added. 

Vitel’s concerned family members then called the Fire Department who arrived on the scene quickly.

‘The fire department opened the bag and discovered her body,’ Pompee added. 'I didn’t peak and see the body myself, they just said there was a body in there and called the police. It was in the closet by the entrance to the door. 

A photo of Vitel's social media shows her pictured with a Ukrainian flag as it's revealed she is from Kyiv 

The building’s superintendent Jean Pompee was the first one to enter Vitel’s apartment following a distress call from her relatives 

Her family told him they hadn’t heard from her in a few days so he went to up her apartment to check on her and saw signs something was wrong 

‘It was in a little type of bag you zipped up, a soft case type. I felt bad, you never want to hear anyone is killed or murdered.’

The superintendent confirmed there was another name on the lease of the apartment Vitel was in and said had only met that person once and forgot what they looked like.

'Apparently she [Vitel] was subletting. I didn’t know she was going to be moving in,’ he added.

Pompee said the building is extremely friendly and filled with elderly residents who host regular get-togethers and barbecues in the community garden. 

There were six packages in the lobby of the building under the name of the original leaseholder of Vitel’s apartment which had piled up over the course of a few days.

No one has been arrested and police are yet to reveal how she died. 

Residents living in the building have said they are living in fear as details are still unclear about what happened to the Ukrainian national. 

'I’m scared beyond belief,’ one elderly resident told DailyMail.com under the condition of anonymity. 'It’s so sad what happened to this woman.

‘Since Covid we have been getting strange young people in the building and it is not safe.

‘Drugs are being sold in here- they have no business being in a senior living facility.'

Another woman, who also was too fearful to share her name, said: ‘I spoke to the building manager before about how many people can just walk into our building.

‘Just last week someone came into my apartment and refused to leave so I had to call the police.'