The family of Jennifer Panek, a 38-year-old Middlesex mother of two who was found dead in Haverstick Park on Saturday, has organized a fundraiser for her funeral expenses.
The Middlesex Police Department reported Panek missing on Friday. The department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said they began searching for Panek on Friday afternoon and evening without success.
A resident found “suspicious items” at the park at 2:23 p.m. Saturday and called 911.
That call led to discovery of Panek’s body.
Panek was last seen at Cooke Avenue and Marlborough Avenue in Middlesex, which is less than a half mile from the park, according to an online post Friday.
The cause of her death is undetermined pending an autopsy by the Middlesex County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, authorities said.
A GoFundMe, created by Panek’s sister-in-law, Angelique Martinez, had raised more than $30,000 of a $37,000 goal as of Sunday afternoon.
“Recently my family has suffered a great loss with the passing of Jennifer,” Martinez wrote on the GoFundMe page. “She is survived by my brother Justin Panek and two beautiful children and well as an extended amount of family and dear friends who are left brokenhearted of the news of her tragic loss.”
Martinez did not immediately respond Sunday to a request for comment.
The prosecutor’s office did not immediately return a request for comment on Sunday.
Anyone with information on the matter or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call Paul Cerreto, a detective with the Middlesex Police Department, at 732-356-1900, ext. 366, or Ryan Kirsh, a detective with the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, at 732-745-3711.
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Stephanie Loder may be reached at [email protected].
