By Tom Sofield and Josh Popichak
The search for a local man who disappeared from his home in Allentown in late December came to a sad end Tuesday, when authorities in Bucks County identified a body found in the Delaware River as that of the missing man, 40-year-old Adam Zimpfer.
Adam Zimpfer, 40, was last seen in Allentown on Dec. 27, 2022. Authorities say a body recovered from the Delaware River has been identified as his. (File Photo)
According to the New Hope Free Press, Zimpfer’s body was discovered Saturday along the Delaware in Solebury Township.
Solebury Township Police said they were alerted to the discovery by a passerby who reported seeing a body possibly lodged on river rocks near Virginia Forest Park, which is located along River Road (Rt. 32) in the township. Upon their arrival in that area, officers said they found a deceased man wearing a hooded jacket, a T-shirt, pants and boots.
Due to the location of the body, police requested assistance with the recovery process from the New Hope Eagle and Point Pleasant Fire companies’ marine units.
After investigators from the Solebury Township Police Department and the Bucks County Coroner’s Office were unable to identify the remains, an autopsy was conducted by the coroner’s office. With toxicology tests still pending, Zimpfer’s manner and cause of death remain undetermined, but authorities said the autopsy revealed no signs of foul play.
Zimpfer was last seen in Allentown on Dec. 27, and a family member publicized his disappearance to local media in mid-January.
A DNA sample from a family member was compared with his DNA in order to make a positive identification, authorities said.
“Testing of the DNA from the deceased and a biological family member of the reported missing subject was conducted with results showing the deceased was an immediate relative of the biological relative listed in the missing person report,” police said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Solebury Township Police Department is continuing its investigation into the circumstances surrounding Zimpfer’s death.
Although he was living in Allentown at the time of his disappearance, Zimpfer was from Hellertown and maintained strong ties to the local area.
Saucon Source extends our condolences to his family and friends.
Above, a rescue team works to recover a body that was discovered Saturday along the Delaware River in Solebury Township, Bucks County. Authorities subsequently identified it as being that of 40-year-old Adam Zimpfer, who disappeared from Allentown in late December 2022. (Credit: New Hope Free Press)
