Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp and Long Hill Township Police Chief Michael Mazzeo report that the body found in the Passaic River yesterday was that of David Bird, Wall Street reporter, who was the subject of an ongoing missing person investigation. Dr. Carlos A Fonseca of the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office, and forensic ondotologist Mitchell M. Kirshbaum, DDS have positively identified the body found as that of David Bird. Identification was made through dental records.
At this time, the Medical Examiner’s investigation into the cause and manner of death is ongoing. Yesterday at approximately 5 p.m., two men canoeing in the Passaic River came across a red jacket located near branches.
They immediately notified Bernards Township Police Department, who determined the existence of human remains and commencing a multi-agency recovery operation. The search for David Bird began on Saturday, January 11, 2014, when he was last seen leaving his home on Long Hill Road, in the Millington section of Long Hill Township, to take a walk. The Bird family has requested that the community and media respect their privacy at this time.