The daughter of a New York woman discovered dead inside a burning clothing donation bin says she doesn’t believe the official account of her mother’s death.
Michelle McFarren, 43, was found around 2:20 a.m. Thursday, March 6, inside a burning donation bin in the parking lot of a Glens Falls restaurant on Hudson Avenue, according to police.
Authorities determined that her death was caused by a fire, but have not released any additional information.
McFarren, a mother of three and grandmother of three, had climbed into the bin seeking refuge from the rain, Glens Falls Mayor Bill Collins surmised.
“A human being and member of our community lost her life in a fire in a clothing donation bin in which she may have sought refuge from a cold, rainy night,” Collins wrote on Facebook .
However, McFarren’s daughter, Harley McFarren, is not convinced. On Sunday, March 9, she held a protest outside the Glens Falls Police Department, calling on others to join her in demanding justice.
“NO ONE climbs into a blue donation box to get away from the rain,” family friend Kaeleigh Ann wrote in a widely shared Facebook post on Harley’s behalf. “She got into that donation box to get away from those who were attempting to harm her. AND THEY’RE TRYING TO COVER IT UP AND LIE.”
Another friend, Trevor Beault, claimed McFarren called 911 twice hours before her death but was ignored. “If they would have listened the two times she called and took her seriously, she would still be here,” he commented on his Facebook page.
Indeed, Glens Falls Police told Albany station WNYT that McFarren called 911 twice the night before her death. The outlet obtained audio recordings of one call, which showed a seemingly annoyed dispatcher relaying McFarren’s claim to officers about “a group of men coming to cause bodily harm.”
“She keeps reiterating that she’s stuck inside of the blue box… and cannot come out,” the dispatcher told police.
It was unclear whether any officers arrived at the scene before McFarren died, or why her calls for assistance appeared to go unanswered. The Daily Voice has reached out to both the Glens Falls Police Department and Mayor Collins for comment.
Meanwhile, in her obituary, McFarren was described as “the life of the party” who enjoyed music, dancing, and shopping.
She leaves her mother, three daughters, and three grandchildren.
Her daughter Harley started a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses, which had raised more than $4,000 as of Wednesday, March 12.
“We are reaching out to our community for support in honoring Michelle’s memory,” Harley wrote in her letter. “Any contribution, no matter how small, will help alleviate the financial strain and allow us to focus on grieving and remembering her fondly.”
Those wishing to donate can find the campaign here .
