11 Years After He Disappeared, Manchester Man's Body Found

MANCHESTER, NJ — Nearly 11 years after William Schmidbauer disappeared without a trace, authorities say they have found the Cedar Glen West man's remains in a heavily wooded area about a mile from his home.

An engineering crew working in the heavily wooded area off Ridgeway Boulevard called Manchester police Tuesday to report the discovery of what appeared to be a human skull, Manchester Capt. Todd Malland said, in a heavily overgrown and swampy area along a bank of the Ridgeway Branch stream. Additional remains were found a short distance away, he said, and it appeared the bones had been exposed to the weather and environment for an extended period of time.

Investigators from the Manchester investigations bureau, the Ocean County prosecutor's office and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department's crime scene investigation unit documented and excavated the site and found personal effects just under the ground, including a pocket knife, a wrist watch and a wallet containing several pieces of identification, Malland said.

"Based on the investigation and evidence located at the scene, the human remains were identified by the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office as that of William Schmidbauer," Malland said.

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The discovery closes a case that Manchester police have been investigating since Schmidbauer, 64, disappeared from his Robin Street home on Sept. 23, 2007. His wife, Jean, went to sleep after he kissed her good night, and woke to find him gone without a trace. She found the morning newspaper sitting on the kitchen table, along with his money and his keys. (RELATED: 8 Years After Loving Husband Disappeared, Manchester Police Still Searching)

Jean Schmidbauer died in 2014, according to her obituary, not knowing her husband's fate. The couple, who had been married for 41 years, had two children and six grandchildren. The family members have remained in touch with Manchester police through the years, hoping for a discovery.

And Manchester Township police have reviewed the case and conducted extensive searches of the woods in the area on multiple occasions in the interceding years, including last summer, Malland said. Tracking and cadaver dogs, police quads, off-road vehicles, kayaks and thermal imaging cameras were used in searches, he said.

Schmidbauer, was a U.S. Army veteran who had served in Vietnam, was a Purple Heart recipient, according to one website dedicated to cold cases. He retired after a 20-year career in the military, and he and Jean moved to Cedar Glen West in 2006. Family members believe he may have become disoriented and wandered away from home.

Malland said that when Schmidbauer disappeared, he left behind his medications, his COPD inhaler, his car and keys, clothes, and money. He left no note before leaving home that day, Sept. 23, 2007, and investigators have found nothing suspicious about his disappearance.

Schmidbauer was believed to be wearing a brown T-shirt, blue shorts, black sandals and a Timex Indiglo watch with a silver armband at the time of his disappearance, Malland said in 2015, following a search requested by his family.

Authorities do not believe there was foul play involved in Schmidbauer's death, but his remains will be further examined by a New Jersey State Police forensic anthropologist, Malland said.

Patrolman Jason Wiener responded to the call, Malland said.

Photos provided by the Manchester Township Police Department; map via Google Maps