A $10,000 reward is being offered for information after a Rutgers University senior vanished in Jackson Township, sparking outrage from his family.
Jackson Township, NJ – This case will be filed in our “Only in New Jersey” drawer because things are about to get bizarre and frustrating.
The disappearance of a Rutgers University student has drawn growing public attention as the last person known to have seen him has not been charged in connection with the case. Mortimer “Morty” Mekhai Wortman, a 22-year-old landscape architecture senior at Rutgers University, has been missing since November 21 after he was last seen in Jackson Township, Ocean County.
Key Points
• Rutgers student Morty Wortman has been missing since November 21
• Surveillance video shows him getting into a car with a man later charged in a separate case
• A $10,000 reward is being offered for information about his whereabouts
Disappearance followed meeting in Jackson Township
Authorities say Wortman was last seen getting into a car in the parking lot of the Regional Day School in Jackson Township.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured him entering a vehicle driven by Adam Zalouk, a 33-year-old man from Staten Island, New York. According to investigators, Zalouk later reported Wortman missing roughly 16 to 18 hours after the meeting. He told authorities the two had driven to the wooded Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, where he said they argued and Wortman ran off into the woods.
Extensive searches conducted in wooded area
Law enforcement and volunteers have conducted extensive searches in the heavily wooded wildlife management area, where Wortman’s vehicle was later found.
Despite the search efforts, investigators have not located Wortman and the case remains active.
Authorities have not filed criminal charges related to the disappearance, though investigators have continued reviewing evidence and conducting interviews.
Prior incident between the two men
Court records show Zalouk previously faced charges stemming from a July 2025 confrontation involving Wortman. According to reports from the family, Zalouk allegedly threatened Wortman with a knife after his romantic advances were rejected and damaged the student’s car during the incident.
In early March, Zalouk pleaded guilty to third-degree terroristic threats connected to that earlier incident and was accepted into a pre-trial intervention program.
Prosecutors said the plea agreement was reached in part because Wortman, the alleged victim in that case, was unavailable to testify.
Family continues search for answers
Wortman’s family has said they believe the man last seen with him may know more about what happened. They have continued organizing searches and distributing missing person posters as they seek information about his disappearance. A reward of $10,000 is currently being offered for information that leads to Wortman’s location or helps investigators determine what happened to him. Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact law enforcement.
