Bodies Of 2 Men Missing From Group Home In BurlCo Found: Cops

The bodies of two men who went missing from a group home for the mentally handicapped in Burlington County late last year have both been found, authorities announced.

The body of 58-year-old Juan Garcia was discovered on Thursday morning during an active search in Smithville Park, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Eastampton Township Police Chief Joseph Iacovitti announced.

Garcia and 56-year-old Joseph Brockington both went missing from group home for mentally handicapped persons on West Railroad Avenue in Eastampton on Nov. 1, according to authorities. Brockington’s body was found in the park in February.

Both men were determined to have died accidentally due to hypothermia, according to Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood.

The men had permission to leave the group home unsupervised, and were known to have enjoyed walking to the Wawa store located at the intersection of Route 38 and Route 206 in Southampton.

The search effort, which began on the day the gentlemen disappeared, included personnel from the following agencies and organizations: Burlington County Central Communications, Burlington County Fire Marshal’s Office, Burlington County Medical Examiner’s Office, Burlington County Office of Emergency Management, Burlington County Parks Department, Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, Eastampton Township Police Department, Eastampton Fire Rescue Department, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, Mount Laurel Police Department, New Jersey Search and Rescue, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Transit Police, Westampton Township Fire Department, and Westampton Township Police Department.