Middletown Police Confirm Body In Shadow Lake Is Missing Woman

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown police have now confirmed the body pulled from Shadow Lake Thursday is indeed missing local woman, Mary Silengo, a resident of the Shadow Lake 55+ retirement community.

"Mary spent her life surrounded by the company of her loving and supportive family and will be dearly missed by them all," read her obituary.

At 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Middletown Police responded to a report of a body floating in the water at Shadow Lake. However, police were unable to make a positive identification until the Medical Examiner could investigate.

On Saturday, results came back that it was indeed Silengo, 62.

She had been missing for more than a week, and is believed to have wandered away from her Shadow Lake home at 5:43 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24. She was first found by two men fishing on the lake Thursday, who said they saw the body floating near the water's edge on the south side of the lake.

Prior to that, Shadow Lake residents and homeowners had been searching for her for days, joining Middletown police, firefighters and State Police in combing the area. A helicopter, drones and tracking dogs were brought in to search the 138-acre Shadow Lake complex and nearby woods.

Divers were even brought in to search the Navesink River.

The Search and Rescue Council of New Jersey and the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office also joined in the search.

“Obviously this is not the outcome we were hoping for," said Middletown Chief of Police R. Craig Weber. "We are grateful for the assistance from the various agencies and organizations as well as the numerous volunteers from the Shadow Lake Village community that participated in the search for Ms. Silengo."

"While we are saddened and disappointed by this development, we are hopeful that it provides a sense of closure for the family. On behalf of the Middletown Police, I extend our heartfelt condolences to Ms. Silengo’s family.”

Prior coverage: Middletown Police Pull Body From Shadow Lake Thursday

Missing Middletown Woman, 62, Has Still Not Been Found

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