David Bird found
David Bird found, The body of Wall Street Journal reporter David Bird was pulled from a New Jersey river more than a year after he disappeared, authorities said.
Dive teams retrieved the body from the Passaic River between Morris and Somerset counties Wednesday after two men in canoes spotted a red jacket near branches at about 5 p.m., the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said.
Police arrived and found human remains. 17 agencies assisted in recovering the body, which was later identified as Bird using dental records, authorities said.
His body was pulled about a mile away from one of Bird's favorite walking spots, according to NBC News.
Bird, then 55, vanished after leaving his Long Hill Township house for an afternoon stroll in January 2014. The energy reporter did not bring his cellphone or the medication he needs to take twice a day to prevent his body from rejecting a liver transplant.
Police previously searched the area where the body was found, Long Hill Township Police Chief Michael Mazzeo told the Daily News. Authorities combed the woods, river and train tracks near Bird's home but found no leads after his disappearance.
The body was decomposed and authorities are trying to determine how long Bird was in the river, so close to his house, Deputy Chief Denise Arseneault of the prosecutor's office told the Daily News. Medical examiners are investigating the cause and manner of death, including whether foul play was involved, she said.
Arseneault declined to say if anything was found with the body.
Bird's family thanked authorities for their "tireless efforts" and asked reporters to "respect their privacy as they begin to mourn," family spokeswoman Carolyn Buscarino said.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.
The same day his body was found, Bird's family published a website to facilitate the search.
"David's disappearance has been a long, trying ordeal, and it never gets any easier," David's wife, Nancy, said on the website before he was identified. "But I'm committed to doing everything possible to find David.
Dive teams retrieved the body from the Passaic River between Morris and Somerset counties Wednesday after two men in canoes spotted a red jacket near branches at about 5 p.m., the Morris County Prosecutor's Office said.
Police arrived and found human remains. 17 agencies assisted in recovering the body, which was later identified as Bird using dental records, authorities said.
His body was pulled about a mile away from one of Bird's favorite walking spots, according to NBC News.
Bird, then 55, vanished after leaving his Long Hill Township house for an afternoon stroll in January 2014. The energy reporter did not bring his cellphone or the medication he needs to take twice a day to prevent his body from rejecting a liver transplant.
Police previously searched the area where the body was found, Long Hill Township Police Chief Michael Mazzeo told the Daily News. Authorities combed the woods, river and train tracks near Bird's home but found no leads after his disappearance.
The body was decomposed and authorities are trying to determine how long Bird was in the river, so close to his house, Deputy Chief Denise Arseneault of the prosecutor's office told the Daily News. Medical examiners are investigating the cause and manner of death, including whether foul play was involved, she said.
Arseneault declined to say if anything was found with the body.
Bird's family thanked authorities for their "tireless efforts" and asked reporters to "respect their privacy as they begin to mourn," family spokeswoman Carolyn Buscarino said.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.
The same day his body was found, Bird's family published a website to facilitate the search.
"David's disappearance has been a long, trying ordeal, and it never gets any easier," David's wife, Nancy, said on the website before he was identified. "But I'm committed to doing everything possible to find David.