Ocean Grove pier during Hurricane Irene in 2011. The waters were also dangerous over the Labor Day weekend 2016. Ted Aanensen photo, Blogfinger staff ©
Body recovered 9/14/16 APP photo.
The Neptune Township Police Dept has confirmed that a body was found on the Ocean Grove beach near Atlantic Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, September 14, 2016. The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office is involved and “will release any further information.”
Blogfinger has spoken to some local sources who tell us that the body, buried under a sand dune, was discovered after board walkers noted a terrible odor.
Neighbors on Heck Avenue report that an Ocean Grove man, Richard Morton, had been missing for two weeks—last seen Aug. 25. Posters appeared (see above; click to enlarge) around town over the Labor Day weekend regarding his disappearance. That weekend the waters off Ocean Grove were very dangerous due to tropical storm Hermine. Neighbors are suspicious that the body may be his, and that there might have been foul play.
Facebook photo of the missing Richard Morton. Undated.
Mr. Morton is described as a kind, elegantly dressed and dignified person who drove a car to work 6 days per week. Those who know him say that he loved to collect rocks on the beach.
Speculation is growing regarding this matter by those close to the situation. Comments have already appeared on Facebook and Google searches. A cousin, Patrick Mackin, has indicated on Facebook that the body is that of Richard Morton.
Editor’s note: On Sept. 15, the County Prosecutor confirmed the identity of the deceased as being that of Richard Morton. Foul play is not suspected as of now.
As usual, the Prosecutor’s office and the NTPD are offering no information. It’s like pulling teeth–just ask Dr. Whilden about that, because the CMA is the same way along with many other institutions and organizations in town. That’s why we depend on the OG citizenry to help us out—citizen reporters.
Any update? Results of autopsy?
First Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Marc LeMieux said Morton’s partially decomposed body was found in the dune grass at Ocean and Atlantic avenues. He said the death does not appear to be suspicious and there appears to be no foul play
The bulldozers were also far from the dunes, as they were working in front of the ocean line and plowed from the Ocean and up. It is still a possibility. Anything is a possibility.
I live on Atlantic. The odor was apparent before the temporary dunes for Hermine were created on Sat, Sept 3.
If you look at the pic above, the individuals involved with the recovery are on the top of the well-established dune behind the cross at the end of Atlantic. The water has not come anywhere near that point this summer, so this was not either (i) individual drowning or (ii) getting pushed by the bulldozers as speculated above.
Perhaps he took a swim, and the tide was too strong for him to survive.
After the storm, I watched a sand plow pushing the sand around and it seemed like they had no organized pattern, while plowing.
Editor’s note; We are allowing comments having to do with the news aspects of this story including speculation as to the cause of death and whether there might be foul play. So far, we do not have a definite announced identification of the body.
Hopefully the authorities will release the results of the autopsy and the investigation. Note that the matter is being covered not only here and on Facebook, but also at NJ.com and APP.com.
If you want to share factual information with BF, please document your sources.
But for those who want to express condolences and similar sentiments, Facebook is the place to go.
The only dunes that I see are the ones that were plowed up recently. Could this man have suffered some medical issue or committed suicide while on the beach and simply got plowed over?
According to Facebook posts, it turns out that the missing man, Richard Morton, is the person found in the dunes.