By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Two years after a 25-year-old Massena woman was found dead near the Industrial Park, her death has been labeled suspicious but state police officials say they aren’t sure how she died.

On Aug. 29, 2014, a body that police described at the time as “partially wrapped” was found across from the NYSARC bottle return, off state Route 420. It turned out to be Lacey Leigh Yekel, 25.

[img_assist|nid=178871|title=Lacey Yekel|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=200|height=240]The cadaver was in such a state that she was identified by DNA and dental records at the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center.

“The state police do consider this to be a suspicious death at this point,” said Bureau of Criminal Investigation Capt. Robert LaFountain. “The cause and manner of death are still under investigation.”

Yekel’s mother, Bonnie Lamay, says police haven’t given her an explanation as to how her daughter died.

“I keep asking them and I asked one time if they were ever going to know the cause of my baby’s death and … they said ‘we’re working on that,’” Lamay said.

She says she has theories about how her daughter died, but declined to go into detail.

“I do but I don’t think that should be in the media,” Lamay said.

LaFountain said police are looking to talk to some people in connection with the case.

“We are ... interested in talking to anyone who may have been operating a dark pickup truck in the area of Massena Industrial Park, or who may have been parked along Commerce Drive during late night or early morning hours” sometime at the end of May or beginning of June 2014, LaFountain said. “The state police are interested in speaking to anyone who has not been interviewed, or who may have additional information, especially those who had contact with her at the end of May and beginning of June of 2014.”

He said to date, investigators have chased down 200 leads.

“Interviews conducted have helped to reconstruct Yekel’s final days and continue to provide invaluable leads which continue to be investigated,” LaFountain said.

Yekel’s uncle, Ricky Lamay, says he is frustrated by the investigation’s slow pace.

“I feel like it should be moving on. I believe they should already have people in jail,” he said. “I believe the investigation is totally screwed up … I’m really upset about the whole deal.

“I just wish justice would be served so she can rest, everyone can move on. It destroyed our whole family, you know? It’s totally crazy, it really is … I can’t believe she’s gone still and I can’t believe justice hasn’t been served.”

Bonnie Lamay said she was initially upset after going a long period of time without hearing anything, but recently met a new investigator assigned to the case.

“I was losing all hope. I was, I truly was, because I hadn’t heard from them in so long,” she said. “He told me how sorry he is about Lacey … it gave me a lot of great hope.”

Both Lamays say they remember Yekel as a sweet, outgoing person and greatly miss her.

“She was a sweet girl. She loved kids, she was outgoing, she always had a smile on her face,” Bonnie Lamay said. “For being so young, she always held a job … she worked as much as she could. She was a good kid, she got into some trouble around here but everybody makes mistakes.”

“I mean she was like the butterfly of the family. She would do anything for anyone. Always had a beautiful smile on her face,” Ricky Lamay said. “She messed up in life, she straightened herself out … she was a gorgeous little girl, inside and out. She was like a sister to me.

Yekel’s family plan a balloon release in her memory near the site where her body was found. People are welcome to attend the ceremony Aug. 27 at 3 p.m. on Commerce Drive.

Anyone with information on the case can contact the state police in Ray Brook at (518) 897-2000.