Human Remains, Camaro In Creek In Bergen County ID'd As Those Of Man Who Vanished In 1982

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Human remains and a Camaro discovered in a tributary of the Hackensack River in early May have been identified of those of a young man who disappeared 42 years ago.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office announced Tuesday night that human remains and "artifacts" discovered on May 3 were those of Charles Murphy, 26, a Maywood resident who disappeared in the early morning hours of April 28, 1982.

The remains and submerged car were discovered in Overpeck Creek in Ridgefield Park, a waterway that contains several bridges and is not far from I-95.

A non-profit organization called the United Search Corps said that Murphy had spent the day before he disappeared at a Yankee game. Early in the morning, he dropped off a friend in the town of Ridgefield Park in his girlfriend's 1974 Camaro.

Both he and the car were never seen again.

"The specific circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain under investigation by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Ridgefield Park Police Department," the prosecutor's office said in a release on Tuesday.

The artifacts, with traces of remains, were positively identified by forensic testing on Monday.

His missing persons file says that Charles Stanton Murphy, sometimes known as "Chip" or "Charlie," was wearing blue jeans, a short-sleeved jersey, a crucifix necklace, and a green windbreaker when he disappeared.

The file also says that at one point, he had suffered a skull injury.

Old news stories say Murphy was driving a silver 1974 Camaro coupe that belonged to his girlfriend when he dropped off the friend.

The United Search Corps said Tuesday that his submerged car was found not far from where the friend was dropped off.

United Search Corps is a nonprofit organization that helps locate missing persons in order to solve cold cases.