SARAH TOWNSEND - 18 yo - Florence/Burlington NJ

No Sign of Missing Teen in Air, Water, Ground Search
New Jersey woman missing since she left for school Monday, police say

Monday, May 9, 2011 | Updated 10:40 PM EDT


Burlington Township
Sarah Townsend was reported missing Monday

Police and fire departments who were
searching for an 18-year-old New Jersey woman came up empty handed by
the end of the day Monday.

Sarah Townsend was reported missing
10 a.m. Monday morning after her boyfriend found her car in Green Acres
field, adjacent to Sherman’s Pond in Burlington Township with the
18-year-old Florence Township teen nowhere to be found, police say.

Townsend has not been seen since she left for school Monday morning, police say.

"We have a car parked here with a cell phone, a purse," Police Lt. Bruce Painter told NBC Philadelphia.
"Her parents haven't heard from their daughter. A boyfriend calls in
that he finds the car here and that's when we get the missing person's report."

Townsend's boyfriend told police that he and Townsend would visit Green Acres Field often.

Townsend is 5-feet, 4-inches tall, with blonde hair, and weighs about 105 pounds, according to authorities.

Authorities searched by ground, air and water Monday to find nothing.

Painter says that they is not evidence of foul play yet.

If anyone has information on her whereabouts, please contact Burlington Township Police at 609.386.2019.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Cops-Search-Park-Pond-for-Missing-Teen-121524639.html

New Jersey authorities are continuing their
search Tuesday for an 18-year-old high school student who was last seen Monday morning.
Burlington Township Police say Sarah Townsend, 18, was last seen Monday morning
at 7 a.m. when she left her Florence home to go to school.
Police tell MyFoxPhilly.com that her car was
found in a park near a pond by her boyfriend. Her purse and cell phone were inside the car.
Police do not suspect a crime has occurred.
The Townsend family asked their daughter to come home during
a news conference Tuesday and said she would not be in trouble.
The family is also offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/10/nj-police-search-missing-teen-girl/#ixzz1Lzy83OJF

BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP — Most of them never met Sarah Townsend, but
that’s not stopping them from keeping up the search for the
Florence teenager who vanished Monday morning.

One day after authorities ended their search of the park where
her car was found, a group of about three dozen people are combing
through the area to look for any sign of the missing 18-year-old
woman.



“We’re offering a few fresh pairs of eyes,” said volunteer
firefighter Amanda Zelauskas, the woman who organized the impromptu
search on Facebook. “The guys who were on the search were at it
for 30 plus hours. Maybe we’ll find something they missed, or
maybe we’ll see something new that wasn’t here when they were
searching yesterday.”Zelauskas doesn’t know Townsend, but was one of the emergency
responders involved in the official search most of Monday and
Tuesday morning. She was also a member of the “Find Sarah
Townsend” Facebook page and organized Wednesday’s search after
seeing someone post the suggestion online.“Being a volunteer firefighter and seeing someone in distress,
you want to help,” Zelauskas said. “Hopefully, we’ll find
something.”Nearly 40 people saw the message and also came out to lend a hand
to find the teenager who was last seen 7 a.m. Monday leaving home
to travel to Allentown High School in Monmouth County. She never
arrived and her vehicle was found abandoned in the park near
Sherman’s Pond.Her family is offering a $10,000 reward for information that
leads to her safe return.Police did find her purse and cell phone inside her car, but no
signs of foul play.Lt. Richard Sweeney said Wednesday that a police dog picked up a
track that led to Neck Road before it went cold. Authorities were
attempting to see if they could pick up the trail again
Wednesday.He declined further comment about the investigation.The civilian search went on Wednesday afternoon despite what
authorities said was an exhaustive examination of the area earlier
in the week.Police had eight teams of 10 people looking over the park,
nearby woods and pond, but found no clues about her disappearance,
said township Public Safety Director Walt Corter.“It’s only going to help,” Corter said about the civilian
search. “They want to help, to be able to do something. As long
as they don’t go on private property and don’t stay in the park
after dark, it’s fine.”Corter instructed the crowd to alert police if they do find
anything and to leave any evidence undisturbed. Diane Colon also heard the news online and she and her daughter
drove over the bridge from Bristol, Pa. to render assistance to
find a woman they’d never met.“We would just be home not doing anything better, so we came out
to help find her,” she said.Out of the three dozen people at the park, the vast majority had
no connection to Townsend other than keeping an eye on the Facebook
page.A handful came from Allentown and did know the 18-year-old. She
was described as a congenial teenager, who excelled academically
and socially, ran track and competed in the pole vault.Her schoolmates said they were baffled by her
disappearance.“She was quiet and reserved, but very nice and open when you talked
to her,” said track teammate Anajae Register. “This is really
weird. She’s not the kind of person who would run away or anything
like that.”Other schoolmates said that Townsend was well liked throughout
the school.“She was just somebody who was nice to everyone,” said an
Allentown High School student who only identified herself as
Olivia.“She was someone that if you knew her you wouldn’t have anything
bad to say about her.”http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/community-continues-search-for-missing-teen/article_969e4076-7c24-11e0-ae67-001a4bcf6878.html

Family Keeps Searching For Missing Girl

Townsend Last Seen Monday; Parents Offer Reward




FLORENCE, N.J. - The family and friends of Sarah Townsend are starting their own search for the missing 18-year-old. Police have called off the official search for Townsend after three days. The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported for the first time that Townsend might have been at risk of hurting herself the day she disappeared. Burlington
Township Public Safety Director Walter Corter said, "There was some
indication that she might harm herself." The Inquirer said he declined
to give additional details.

Townsend remains missing after
three days in a story that is getting a lot of national attention. There
are few clues, but many theories. Townsend, 18, was last seen Monday morning leaving her Florence, N.J. home for school in Allentown, N.J. The family of a missing girl is offering a $10,000 reward for her safe return. Her
car was found in a Burlington Township park near a pond. Her purse and
cell phone were inside. Authorities have completely dragged the pond. Police
do not suspect foul play. Her parents say she has never run away from
home. It was reportedly her boyfriend who called police. "We want
you to come home," the young woman's mother, Laurie Townsend, said
Tuesday. "We want you to know we love you. You're not in trouble, just
please come home, Sarah." "Everything's OK, Sarah. Just come
back. If anyone knows where Sarah is to bring back her safe," said the
teen's father, Roy Townsend. At least 100 people took part in the search for Townsend on Tuesday. Police
can't track her cell phone because they found that, and they say they
don't really have credit cards or things like that they can search for
use of. Townsend's parents actions have led to speculation that maybe there was an argument beforehand. A relative told The Trentonian that Townsend's car was found running by police at the sire near the pond. “Her
purse and her phone is in the car. Her money was in the wallet. The car
was running, and the door was open," said the relative.

Anyone with information about Townsend is asked to call Burlington Township Police at (609) 386-2019
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/family-keeps-searching-for-missing-girl-051111

On the fourth day of searching for missing New Jersey teen Sarah Townsend, her mother sees only a happy ending to what is a frightening time.

"Not knowing where your child is, it's real scary, it's scary but we want her back. We know
she's out there," said Laurie Townsend. She's convinced that soon, her
18-year-old daughter will come home.
"We know somebody has seen something or will see something or spot her."
Sarah, who is from Florence
Township, vanished Monday. Her boyfriend, Matt Welsh, found her car
with the engine running, her purse and phone still inside, near
Sherman's Pond in Burlington Township that morning, according to
investigators, but no sign of Sarah.
"We've spoken to him, we've called him. He's checking on us all the time and wants the focus to be on Sarah."
Police are no longer
searching the Sherman Pond area, but continue to treat the case as a
missing person's investigation. They're also going through Sarah's phone
and computer records. Police say they do not suspect foul play, but
Sarah's mom says she doesn't believe reports that her daughter may be trying to harm herself.
"We don't believe that. Sarah's going to two proms. She had her dresses...was happy," said Townsend.
Friends are using social media to keep Sarah's story in the public eye -- anything that helps bring her home.
"We want to keep her face out there so that people will know when they're looking that this is our missing daughter."
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Missing-New-Jersey-Teen-Sarah-Townsend-Mother-Not-Giving-Up-121749034.html

So Sad.

Body of Missing New Jersey Teenager Sarah Townsend Found in Pond
Published May 13, 2011
| FoxNews.com

Police have found the body of missing New Jersey teenager Sarah Townsend, who disappeared almost a week ago, prosecutors said Friday.
Authorities found Townsend's body at approximately 1:15 p.m. Friday in Green Acres III Park in Burlingtown Township. Burlington County Prosecutor Robert Bernardi said canine tracking teams led police back to the pond they'd searched earlier in the week.
An autopsy is expected to determine a cause of death.
"Because the investigation into Sarah's death is continuing, no further information will be released at this time," the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
Burlington Police Director Walter Corter on Wednesday said police were told the 18-year-old may have wanted to harm herself.
However, Townsend's parents told The Courier-Post of Cherry Hill their daughter was happy when she left their home for Allentown High School on Monday. They said she was getting ready to attend two proms and was working on coordinating her hairdo and dress for each.
Townsend's boyfriend found her car hours later near the pond in Green Acres Park -- a place he said they often spent time. The car was left running and her purse and cellphone were inside.
Friends and other teens who didn't know her had combed the area where Townsend was later found and held a candlelight vigil for her Wednesday.
A woman who answered the phone at her family's home Friday afternoon tearfully said she couldn't talk.
Joel Bewley, a spokesman for the Burlington County prosecutor's office, said the autopsy would be conducted Friday. But he said it was not certain when details would be released publicly.
Click here for more on this story from MyFoxPhilly.com.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/13/report-police-body-believed-missing-teen-sarah-townsend/#ixzz1MHN8J72H

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/13/report-police-body-believed-missing-teen-sarah-townsend/

Thanks Carolina. How terribly sad. I'll move it to unresolved until we find out more.

Drowned girl had happy plans for two proms

By Cynthia Burton
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

In the days before her body was found in the murky waters of Burlington Township's Sherman Pond, Sarah Townsend was getting ready for two proms.

One was in Florence, where the 18-year-old high school senior lived, and the other was at Allentown High School in Monmouth County, which she attended and where her father, Roy, works in the maintenance department.

"Before she drowned, she was happy and talking about what she would do with her hair to go to two different proms," said her aunt, Coleen Makovicz.

Townsend bought two dresses -- one for each prom -- and was still shopping for the right shoes. She seemed fully engaged in those last few weeks of her senior year. She enjoyed running, field hockey and gymnastics.

After high school, she planned to attend Burlington County Community College to study nursing, said her aunt. That career choice made sense to the family. Two years ago Townsend helped care for ther late grandmother at a hospice.

Authorities are still piecing together how Townsend got from her running car to the still, muddy floor of Sherman Pond at Green Acres Park in Burlington Township sometime after 7 a.m. Monday.

Divers found her body Friday afternoon ending a massive five-day search which began around 10 a.m. Monday, when Townsend was first reported missing.

"What happened between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. we don't know," said Makovicz.

Local and state police as well as her close-knit family and community put up a billboard, posted a Facebook page and handed out fliers along the northeastern corridor in the hopes of finding the popular and athletic Townsend alive.

During much of next week police will be "winding things up. There's some questions we need answered," said Burlington Township Lt. Richard Sweeney.

A preliminary autopsy showed no signs of a struggle, no foul play, according to Ian Hood, the Burlington County medical examiner. He is waiting for a toxicology screening which could bring some answers in a few weeks.

Though law enforcement sources said earlier in the week that they discovered a note in her car and that she may have tried to hurt herself, family members said there were no such indications that Townsend was troubled.

"If she was a wild child or a runaway, you'd say, 'What do you expect?'" Townsend's aunt said Saturday. But she was a kind-hearted, soft-spoken girl, who lit up a room when she walked into it, the aunt said.

"If this could happen to Sarah, it could happen to anyone's child," she said. "There's no red flags, no warnings here."

Police reported that Townsend left her home in Florence around 7 a.m. Monday and may have slipped into the pond's cool water soon after that. Her boyfriend, Matt Welsh, located her car near Sherman Pond around 10 a.m., Monday not far from where she drowned.

The car was on; her purse and cell phone were still inside.

Hundreds of people were engaged in the search. New Jersey State Police used a hand-held sonar device to scour the pond's depths but nothing turned up.

Police were joined by Townsend's family and friends as well as community members. They combed through the park, and communicated on a Facebook page called "Find Sarah Townsend! Invite Everyone!" set up by Townsend's cousin, Monica Makovicz. An uncle took the train from New Jersey to New York, got off at each stop and handed out flyers with Townsend's picture on them.

The family offered a $10,000 reward for information. Her mother, Laurie Townsend, went on television pleading for information leading to her discovery. Friends helped raise money for a billboard which was put up Friday along Route 206 in rural Columbus.

The police turned their attention away from the park search on Tuesday to pursue other leads. But nothing turned up and they were back in the park Friday, this time with cadaver dogs -- three German Shepherds and a Labrador Retriever. They dogs led the divers to the deep end of Sherman Pond, where they found Sarah Townsend's body.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/121836199.html

(Kiwi, if this post isn't appropriate, please feel free to change/delete it.)

It's perfect. Thanks for your help!

????? Will be interesting to see what comes of this, praying they check the boyfriend out thoroughly.

FLORENCE
— An air of sadness and disbelief hung heavily on the quiet streets of
Florence Saturday, as residents of this small community tried to come
to grips with the death of one of their own. Questions
still linger over the death of 18-year-old Sarah Townsend, whose body
was pulled from the murky Sherman Pond in Burlington Township Friday
afternoon.

She had
been missing since Monday morning when her boyfriend found the car
with its door open, engine running and Townsend's purse and cellphone
still inside. Police also found information they said indicated
Townsend may have intended to harm herself.Since
that time, police, volunteer searchers and media members had descended
on the two towns, searching for the missing teen and seeking answers
about her disappearance.Her
parents offered a $10,000 reward for information about her
disappearance, and posters, billboards and Facebook postings nationwide
sought clues from the community.Police
returned to Green Acres Park Friday with K-9 teams in tow. The densely
wooded park and pond were the sites of an extensive search involving
54 agencies throughout the area and Pennsylvania and hundreds of people
-- including K-9s, dive teams and a police helicopter -- earlier in
the week. Her body was found about 1:30 p.m. on Friday.An
autopsy conducted by the Burlington County medical examiner on Friday
night determined that Townsend died from drowning and that "there were
no signs of trauma to her body and no indications that foul play
contributed to her death."The results of toxicology tests are not expected for several weeks.On Saturday, her parents, Laurie and Roy, took a couple minutes on their front porch to talk with a visitor."We don't know anything about what happened," said a very weary Laurie. "We just know she's gone and that's it.""Right now we're just trying to figure out a memorial for Sarah," said Roy."She
was my little angel," Roy continued, fighting back sobs. "Now she's up
there," he said pointing upward. "And now (God) has her."For
friends and neighbors, the death is just as painful. Diane Lee, who
has lived in the township for more than 30 years, said the community is
in shock."We're
a small town, and it's a tight community," she said on the porch of
Debbie's Snack Shop, where Townsend worked two summers ago."When something bad happens, we're always here for each other," said Lee, who has worked at the shop for six years."You could see that last week (while Townsend was missing). So many people pulled together to do things for the family."Sarah
was a sweetheart. She had a smile for everybody. We were hoping it
would be a happy ending, but unfortunately . . ." she says, her voice
breaking off as a tear began rolling down her left cheek.In
Green Acres Park Saturday, Burlington Township residents Robert Taylor
and his wife, Mary Lou, were standing on the bank of Sherman Pond,
staring out over the water, smoking cigarettes.Robert
Taylor shook his head and said, "I'm just saying to myself, "why?' She
was a beautiful girl. It's so sad. I just can't understand (what
happened.)""Sarah
was to drive herself to school as usual but she went to the park
instead," said Richard Fitzpatrick, superintendent of the Upper
Freehold Regional School District in Monmouth County.Townsend attended the district's Allentown High School, where her father is an employee."Our hearts are filled with compassion and support for the Townsend family," Fitzpatrick said in an online statement Friday.Rumors
on how Townsend met her fate have abounded, but few details have been
released by authorities. The possibility of her taking her own life is
inconceivable to many people who knew her."People are saying she tried to drown herself," said neigh Eunice Romines. "That wasn't her."In an interview with the Courier-Post last week, Townsend's parents dismissed the idea of their daughter being suicidal."Sarah left here happy-go-lucky and her normal self," Townsend's mother, Laurie, said.Jim
Haugh, an associate professor of psychology at Rowan University,
wouldn't speculate on Sarah Townsend's mental status, but did say that
if she was depressed or thinking about suicide, someone would have
noticed.
When
told that by all accounts Townsend, who had been preparing for a prom
in recent weeks, was happy, friendly and outgoing, Haugh said,
"Typically, it's pretty rare that no one would see any signs or
symptoms.


"But
I have to throw in the caveat that you wouldn't necessarily have to be
depressed to commit suicide. A sudden painful or traumatic experience
that the individual feels there's no escape from, that could be a
trigger."Haugh
also noted that suicide by drowning is "very bizarre. For someone to
kill themselves in that fashion is a very rare occurrence."At Boyd's Pharmacy on Broad Street, resident Tammy Kish echoed the prevailing sadness of the town."Everybody knows everybody here. It's horrible. She was so very young, a really sweet kid. It's just so terrible."A
woman who wouldn't give her name was walking near the Roma Bank at the
corner of Front and Broad Street. When asked if she knew the Townsends
well, she said, "Not really. But I heard they're really good people."I just can't imagine losing a child. What a tragedy."Laurie
and Roy Townsend made a special effort Saturday, even in their
sadness, to show their appreciation for the support they've received
over the last week."Oh my God," said Laurie. "All the good wishes and prayers, all the help that's been given.""We especially want to thank the police and the detectives and everyone who worked on this," said Roy.Rowan's
Haugh said the community would do well to keep in mind that the
Townsends need help and support now, but also down the road as the pain
of their loss lingers."The
process of grief and mourning is a long one," he said. "Friends and
neighbors need to continue reaching out to (Roy and Laurie). A week
from now. A month. A year. They (neighbors) can resume their normal
lives and go back to their day to day. The parents' lives are now
changed forever."
[email=jcooney@camden.gannett.com][/email]
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http://beta.courierpostonline.com/article/20110515/NEWS01/105150351/1002/SPORTS01/Mourning-teen--town-asks--why-

FLORENCE
— An 18-year-old Florence woman found dead in a Burlington Township
pond in May had cocaine in her system and her death has been ruled a
suicide, authorities revealed Tuesday.

A medical examiner's ruling that Sarah Townsend took her own life ends
all involvement from the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office in a case
that drew a frenzy of attention in the days after she went missing.
Townsend's body was discovered May 13 in a pond at Green Acres Park off Old York
Road following an extensive five-day search by as many as 54 agencies
throughout the area and Pennsylvania as well as hundreds of volunteers.
The medical examiner said drowning was the cause of death.
Police launched an extensive search of the pond and park off Old York Road
after Townsend's boyfriend found her car there around 10 a.m. May 9. The
car was found with its door open, engine running and Townsend's purse
and cellphone still inside. Police also found information they said
indicated Townsend may have intended to harm herself.
The prosecutor's office confirmed Tuesday Townsend left a suicide note in
the car. Investigators said there were no signs of trauma to Townsend's
body or any indication of foul play.
Officials with the prosecutor's office Tuesday said postmortem toxicology tests indicate
"significant levels of cocaine in her (Townsend's) system."
Townsend's parents -- who offered a $10,000 reward in the days after their
daughter's disappearance and initially dismissed claims she may have
harmed herself -- could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
"Sarah left here happy go lucky and her normal self," Townsend's mother,
Laurie, told the Courier-Post after the teen disappeared.
Townsend was supposed to be headed to her Monmouth County high school when she
drove to Sherman Pond instead. Authorities said Townsend and her
boyfriend frequented the spot.
Townsend's disappearance and
death shocked the Florence community. Vigils were held for the teen and
mourners crowded her memorial service.

http://beta.app.com/article/20110727/NJNEWS10/110727002/0/NJNEWS18/Report--Sarah-Townsend-had-cocaine-in-system--left-suicide-note