A two-hour drive from Manhattan and nestled at the foot of the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County is the tiny village of Ellenville. 

The beautiful, rural area is known for its quiet, country charm – so when residents on Ulster Heights Road saw unusual police activity last Tuesday and heard about a possible homicide investigation, they reached out to News 12 for help. 

News 12 didn’t know the exact location of the activity until speaking to several neighbors who pinpointed the possible crime scene to a wooded area behind 649 Ulster Heights Road. 

Several neighbors were too afraid to go on camera but say FBI investigators were at the home for two days last week and had the road shut down after getting a tip on a cold case possibly tied to the Russian mob. 

They say federal agents were seen digging in the backyard and found evidence that was taken from the scene. 

A law enforcement source tells News 12 that the word is the wooded area behind the home may have been a dumping ground used by mobsters. 

News 12 spoke to someone at the house who also confirmed authorities were there but didn’t know much else. 

Neighbors say the homeowner bought the property a few years ago and that the investigation has nothing to do with him – other than his backyard possibly being of federal interest. 

They say generations of Eastern European residents have long lived in the neighborhood, which may explain why the Russian mob would know about the area – if neighbor accounts of what happened there are true. 

News 12 reached out to local, county and state police who referred the matter to the FBI in Manhattan.