Body Found Behind Berkeley Plaza Identified

He had no fixed address. He lived in the woods near the Berkeley Plaza in Bayville. He used a cardboard box to stay warm.

Berkeley Township police officers found Kenneth Beers, 64, face down in a wooded area near ShopRite off Route 9 shortly after noon on Wednesday, after they responded to a report of an unresponsive man, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Al Della Fave said.

He was pronounced dead via telemetry by a physician from Newark Beth Israel Hospital at 1:05 p.m.

“The deceased is homeIess. He was found in the woods with a flattened cardboard box used as a blanket,” Della Fave said.

Police found Beers’ belongings next to him, in a hospital bag. He was released from Community Medical Center in Toms River on Tuesday, where he was treated for dehydration and depression, he said.

“The decedent is known to be homeless and resides in the woods where he was located,” Della Fave said. “No signs of foul play and visual signs of trauma.”

The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Crime Scene Investigation Unit along with the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office responded to the scene. An autopsy will be conducted on a future date, he said.