Logan Township, NJ – Authorities have confirmed that 72-year-old Stephen Iannotti, reported missing last week, has been found deceased, bringing a tragic end to a multi-agency search that spanned several days across Gloucester County.
The Logan Township Police Department announced the discovery Wednesday, expressing condolences to Iannotti’s family and stating that, out of respect for their privacy, no further details about the circumstances of his death would be released. “It is with a heavy heart that we must advise that Mr. Iannotti has been located, and tragically, he is deceased,” the department said in a statement.
Iannotti, a well-known local coach and resident, was first reported missing on December 28 after family members were unable to reach him since the evening of December 25. When officers conducted a welfare check at his home, they found his cell phone inside but his vehicle—a black 1997 Jeep Wrangler with New Jersey registration “RUNT 61”—was missing.
Investigators reviewed neighborhood surveillance footage showing Iannotti’s Jeep leaving his driveway around 12:45 p.m. on December 26. Automated license plate data last placed the vehicle near Center Square Road and Heron Drive shortly after, with no bridge crossings or subsequent sightings detected. Despite extensive aerial searches by the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit and local emergency agencies, no trace of the vehicle or Iannotti was found until the discovery.
Police emphasized that there is no indication of foul play at this time, and the investigation remains ongoing.