Police: Body found in Salem River was woman missing since 2014
New Jersey State Police have identified the human remains of a woman who went missing in 2014.
News 12 Staff
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Jan 17, 2020, 10:21 PM
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Updated 1,553 days ago
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New Jersey State Police have identified the human remains of a woman who went missing in 2014.
Police say that divers from Walker Diving Underwater Construction Company were removing debris from the base of the Salem River in Salem City on Thursday afternoon when they found the submerged car near West Broadway Road. The divers saw human remains inside the car.
The medical examiner performed an autopsy and identified the remains as Vanessa Smallwood of Maple Shade. The cause of death is still pending.
According to the FBI, Smallwood went missing on Jan. 21, 2014. She was last seen at Any Garment Cleaners in Cherry Hill and was driving a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country van.
It was not clear if the vehicle where the remains were found was the same vehicle that Smallwood was last seen driving. Authorities said that there is little identifiable information from the vehicle because of the “badly mangled” condition it was found in.
The Salem County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.
