Crime & Safety

Reports Reveal 911 Call For Missing Freehold Township Woman

Two reports revealed the mother's 911 call that was made before her NJ daughter went missing, revealing some stunning details in the case.

Stephanie Parze
Stephanie Parze (MCPO)

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — Two reports have revealed the mother's worried 911 call that was made before her daughter, Stephanie Parze, went missing in October, sparking a months-long search. And they revealed that her ex-boyfriend may have been the last one to see her.

"We still haven't heard from her. She's still not home," her mother, Sharlene Parze, said after Stephanie Parze of Freehold Township went missing. The 911 audio was provided by NJ Advance Media and The Asbury Park Press.

The mother said the "so-called ex-boyfriend," who died in November by suicide, had a "domestic violence thing going on in court" but said he saw Stephanie the previous night.

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Here are videos of the call:

John Ozbilgen, 29, was a person of interest in the Oct. 30 disappearance of Stephanie Parze, according to prosecutors.

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Parze has not been seen since 10 p.m. on Oct. 30, when she said good night to family members after a family outing. Her family says it has not given up hope of finding the 25-year-old Freehold Township woman, even after Ozbilgen's death was announced, NJ.com reported.

Ozbilgen had just been released from the Monmouth County jail to await trial on charges of child pornography, which were filed when he was arrested Nov. 9. He had not been charged in connection with Parze's disappearance, even as he was named a person of interest.

His death sent shockwaves through the community and through social media, where dozens of people following the case have joined Facebook groups to share potential information and ideas and discuss the case.

Some have expressed anger at Ozbilgen, whom many have viewed as a prime suspect even as authorities have remained tightlipped about the case. Others have expressed frustration over the bail reform system that allowed him to be released from jail.

Prosecutors seeking to keep him in jail until trial told Superior Court Judge Paul Escandon that Ozbilgen had multiple images of violent child pornography on his phone, according to news reports from the proceedings by News 12 New Jersey and NJ.com.

The images were found when authorities seized his phone and other electronic devices while searching Ozbilgen's Freehold Township home as they investigated Parze's disappearance.

Prosecutors also told Escandon that Ozbilgen sent 10 angry text messages to Parze the night before she disappeared, NJ.com reported. Parze never answered the texts, which concluded with one calling her an expletive, the report said.

News 12 New Jersey reported prosecutors also told the judge Ozbilgen has three prior domestic violence cases filed against him. Two were filed in New York. The third was filed in September when Parze told police Ozbilgen hit her on the head, the report said. That case is still in the courts. News 12 also reported the child pornography involved 10 images that were described as violent.

Parze was last seen at 10 p.m. on Oct. 30 when she said good night and went home after an outing with family to see psychic medium Cindy Kaza’s show at the Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick, the New York Post reported.

Her phone and car and other belongings were found at her home the next morning when family members went to check on her after she did not show up for work. Authorities have been searching for her ever since.

There have been two searches for her in a wooded marsh in Staten Island, including one that involved more than 200 volunteers, the Asbury Park Press reported.

The New York Daily News reported Ozbilgen's cell phone was tracked to the park and there for about six hours the night of Parze's disappearance.

Ozbilgen was originally from Staten Island and worked for a Staten Island brokerage firm until recently; News 12 reported prosecutors said he had been fired.

The Asbury Park Press reported that in addition to the text messages, authorities were investigating a number of Facebook posts allegedly made by Ozbilgen, who used the name John Oz on Facebook. Screenshots of posts allegedly made by him made references to beating women and other violence.

Parze remains missing.


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