Screams for help heard month before missing 29-year-old’s body found in Nebraska chimney

The body of a missing man was found inside a Nebraska chimney last week — more than one month after mysterious screams for help were heard inside the building.

The victim was identified Wednesday as 29-year-old Zachariah Andrews, who had an arrest warrant issued against him more than two weeks after he vanished, police said.

Andrews’ body was recovered Oct. 19 when a maintenance worker investigating a foul odor emitting from the chimney of the apartment in Norfolk, a city 110 miles northwest of Omaha.

The employee discovered what appeared to be human shoes dangling from the shaft, police told the Norfolk Daily News.

Andrews was last seen alive on Sept. 15, but wasn’t reported missing for another 19 days.

The day after Andrews was last seen, Norfolk Police received a call from a resident inside the apartment building claiming they heard mysterious screams.

“The resident reported that he heard a man yelling for help and that it appeared to be coming from the first floor,” police said in a statement.

By the time officers arrived, the strange screams had stopped.

The cops searched the property and spoke with multiple residents, none of whom heard the pleas for help, so offficers left without finding the source of the squalls — seemingly leaving Andrews to perish in the chimney.

Andrews was officially reported missing Oct. 3, the same day the Madison County Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest on seven counts of violating a protection order.

Over the last several months, Andrews repeatedly posted on his Facebook page in an attempt to reach an unnamed woman, with several of his friends warning him to let her go and one advising him to remember what he learned “in treatment.”

In one post, Andrews claims police raided his “love letters” to her before telling him his goals of being with her “weren’t realistic.”

“I kinda wanna prove them wrong tho,” he wrote in May.

Andrews was also charged in 2018 with allegedly trying to entice a 12-year-old girl who was trying to sell a swimsuit on Facebook.

In a text conversation, he allegedly offered for her to visit his place to have a drink and “see what happens,” along with more sexual comments, according to Souixland Proud.

He was also charged with resisting arrest by kicking police officers when they tried to arrest him for assaulting another man in April of last year.

While he was missing, a parking warning was placed on his car — which was directly in front of the apartment building he was stuck inside.

“I couldn’t image how you were feeling being trapped but now you are free my brotha, free in gods (sic) hands! Spread your wings angel,” friend Josh Isenbart wrote on Facebook.

“I’ll cherish everyday (sic) that I did have with you there until we meet again my friend, you are no longer suffering and are now in the best place you can be.”

Police believe Andrews’ death was accidental, but are still investigating.