Restaurant workers arriving for their morning shift at an Atlanta soul food cafe discovered a man’s body wedged inside a kitchen ventilation duct, with only his head and arms visible from the ceiling vent on September 14.

Discovery Shocks Morning Workers

Employees at the Cleveland Avenue establishment made the disturbing find around 8:58 a.m. when they noticed something unusual in the kitchen area. The business owner immediately contacted authorities after staff identified what appeared to be a person trapped in the HVAC system. Workers described seeing only the victim’s head and arms protruding from the vent opening in the ceiling, with the rest of his body lodged inside the ductwork. One employee recalled another worker running in screaming for help after making the initial discovery.

Atlanta Fire Rescue responded to the scene and pronounced 37-year-old Terrika Myer dead. Emergency personnel used ladders to access the restaurant’s roof while investigating how Myer entered the ventilation system. The recovery operation required coordination between multiple agencies to extract the body from the narrow duct space where it had become wedged.

Investigation Reveals Accessible Roof

Authorities determined the restaurant’s roof could be reached from an adjacent gas station situated near a hillside, providing a possible entry point. Customers who arrived at the restaurant found it closed for the investigation, with some expressing confusion about how anyone could access the building’s rooftop. The Atlanta Police Department’s Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit responded alongside the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office to process the scene and gather evidence.

No Foul Play Suspected

Police investigators found no signs of criminal activity at the scene. The Medical Examiner’s Office continues to investigate the cause and manner of death, with autopsy results pending. Authorities have not released information about why Myer may have entered the ventilation system or how long he had been trapped inside before workers discovered him. The restaurant remained closed during the investigation as officials completed their examination of the scene and recovered the body from the ductwork.