Police seek boyfriend of girl found dead at NYU

(New York-WABC, August 7, 2007) (WABC) -- Police are looking for new details behind the murder of a young woman, the daughter of two NYU professors. Her body was discovered in her mother's university apartment in Washington Square Village.

Now authorities are trying to find her boyfriend.

Eyewitness News reporter NJ Burkett reports from NYU.

Police are still trying to figure out what happened in that eighth-floor apartment. Police believe 20-year-old Boitumelo McCallum was murdered on Wednesday, but her body was not discovered until Sunday night, four days later.

Police say her bloody, decomposing body was found wrapped in a sheet with a bloody towel around her face, barely recognizable.

"It's very hard to believe that there's so many persons walking around and no one missed her until a couple of days later," resident Latoya Jackson said. "I'm so sorry to hear about it and my heart really goes out to the family."

McCallum is the daughter of two well-known NYU professors. Her mother, Teboho Moja, is a noted anti-apartheid activist. She had been on a study trip to South Africa and was notified of her daughter's death. Her father was reportedly out of the country as well at the time of the incident.

"I generally do feel safe in the neighborhood," resident Michelle Shor said. "This is the first of I've heard of this in many years of something like this happening in this area. I don't think it will prevent from enjoying the neighborhood, but it's definitely shocking."

Police say McCallum's death was murder. Though he is not classified as a suspect or even a person of interest, police are searching for 23-year-old Michael Cordero to talk to him.

All neighbors know is that Boitumelo threw a wild party in the apartment last Wednesday and she may have had an argument with her boyfriend. Neighbors of the area just can't believe what happened.

"It's pretty horrific, especially when you put that together with the party," a neighbor said. "I'm wondering, did happen before the party or did someone do it after?"

The victim's mother is expected to arrive from South Africa sometime later on today.

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