The body of a 12-year-old boy was found in a dumpster in West Philadelphia, police say

The body found in a dumpster in West Philadelphia last week has been identified as a 12-year-old boy who was shot in the head and wrapped in plastic before his remains were discarded, police said Thursday.

Police had said they recovered the body of a young man on the morning of Aug. 23 inside a trash can at a public housing complex at 55th and Cherry Streets.

But for nearly a week, they did not know who he was — or that he was a child.

On Tuesday, he was identified as Hezekiah Bernard, according to Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom, head of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit.

Bernard’s death has been ruled a homicide. Ransom said at an afternoon news conference that Bernard’s remains were discovered on Aug. 23 by a Housing Authority sanitation worker, and that an autopsy later showed that the boy, by that point, had been dead for 24 to 36 hours.

Ransom said Bernard had not been reported missing in recent weeks.

Bernard, known by friends and family as “Hezzy,” grew up in North Philadelphia but was most recently living in West Philadelphia area, according to his sister, Lovier Jolly.

His family, overwhelmed with grief, declined to speak Thursday morning. They were in the middle of planning his Janazah prayer for later this week, they said.

Thursday evening, hundreds of young people gathered for a balloon release in the courtyard of LevelUp, an organization that provides services, mentorship, and a safe space for young people to hang with friends.

Pastor Aaron Campbell, the founding director of LevelUp, said Bernard was a beloved member of the organization. He was one of the first kids through their doors each Tuesday and Thursday, he said, and stayed until after dinner was served at 8 p.m.

“This was a 12-year-old, a baby. Many here saw him as their younger brother,” he said. “I want them to know they can cry publicly together, to not suppress their grief and anger.”

He said Bernard was polite, always saying “please” and “thank you” and speaking to adults with respect.

“He lit up a room. He was always dancing,” he said. “He was teachable, he wanted to be mentored and he was joining our new job training program.”

His death, he said, has left everyone in the organization heartbroken and confused.

Ransom, of the Homicide Unit, said it was not clear where the boy was killed, by whom, or why.

He said a PHA sanitation worker had collected a plastic trash container from the housing complex on the 5500 block of Cherry Street on Aug. 22 and taken it to a PHA facility on the 5000 block of Haverford Avenue, where it was stored overnight. The next day, Ransom said, when a sanitation worker was bringing the container back to Cherry Street, the bin tipped over and the sanitation worker saw a person’s body spill out. The worker called 911.

An autopsy was conducted, but investigators weren’t able to figure out who the victim was, Ransom said. Detectives distributed fliers in West Philadelphia, and on Aug. 29, Bernard’s relatives reached out to the Medical Examiner’s Office and were able to confirm that Bernard was the victim.

Thursday evening, as the golden sun set over West Philadelphia, Campbell stood on a ladder amid the crowd of teens, all holding red, white, and silver balloons. More than 800 would gather at LevelUp that night.

”Family,” Campbell said, addressing the crowd with a megaphone. “We’re here to honor Hezekiah. We’re showing our city the power of our youth. That we can come together in love.”

Then, they counted down together.

“Long live Hezzy,” they said, releasing the balloons into the air.

Campbell told the crowd he was proud of them, then he told them to repeat after him.

Together, they said: “One day at a time.”