Missing N.J. college freshman's body found

New Jersey authorities on Wednesday said a body found at a Pennsylvania landfill is that of a college student missing for more than a month, and said no foul play is suspected in the death.

John Fiocco Jr., a freshman at The College of New Jersey, was last seen in the early morning of March 25 after returning to his dormitory from an off-campus party. The body was found Tuesday and identified through dental records, authorities said Wednesday.

“Our sincere condolences go out to his parents, John and Susan Fiocco, and the entire Fiocco family and to the administration and students of The College of New Jersey,” state police Superintendent Rick Fuentes said.

Authorities said there is no evidence Fiocco was stabbed or shot, and classified his death as “suspicious,” but not as a homicide at this point in their investigation.

Fuentes said that, after contacting 1,000 students and school workers, and interviewing more than 150 friends and family members, foul play is not suspected.

Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph Bocchini Jr. said it is possible authorities will never learn exactly what happened to Fiocco. He said the investigation is continuing and a final report will be due in coming weeks.

The search for Fiocco started 36 hours after he was last seen, when his roommate reported his missing.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

The next day, investigators found blood and blood-soaked material in and around a trash bin behind Fiocco’s dorm. After a laboratory confirmed the blood was Fiocco’s, investigators started sifting through a 1-acre, 20-foot deep area at the landfill in nearby Tullytown, Pa.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

Authorities have said the Mantua Township native may have slid down a trash chute into the bin, although a camera used to scan the chute found no traces of blood.

The injuries that Fiocco’s body had sustained were consistent with being processed by a trash disposal system, but the body was largely intact, authorities said. They would not say whether the injuries had been sustained before or after Fiocco died.

An arts major, Fiocco in an online profile described himself as a fan of Philadelphia sports teams, professional wrestling and Batman. He graduated from Clearview Regional High School in Harrison Township, where he played football and was track team captain.