Officials in New Jersey have identified a body recovered from the Hackensack River last week as that of a 20-year-old man who vanished from his Weehawken home more than four months ago.
Secaucus police discovered the body in the river on April 17, 2026, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. Five days later, on Wednesday, April 22, investigators confirmed the remains were those of Emilio Acosta-Gutierrez, who had been missing since mid-December. The prosecutor’s office has not released any further details about the circumstances of his death.
Acosta-Gutierrez left his family’s Weehawken home around midnight on December 18, 2025. His family believed he was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time, and his disappearance triggered a months-long search involving multiple police agencies, drone operations and urgent appeals from loved ones.
Cellphone data provided investigators with their only solid lead. The final ping from his device was detected near the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford later that same day. Police spent days and weeks searching the area around the massive entertainment and retail complex, deploying drones to scan from above, but found no trace of him as winter set in.
Idelfonso Acosta, Emilio’s father, spoke with News 12 in January during an emotional plea for public assistance. He revealed that his son had been living with bipolar disorder and had left home without his medication.
“Our son has been living with bipolar disorder…he is under proper care, but has, since he left the house, he has not had his medication,” Acosta told News 12 at the time.
The abrupt separation from medication during the cold, dark months heightened the family’s fear. They distributed photos, worked with law enforcement and mobilized community networks, clinging to the hope that Emilio would be found safe. That hope ended Wednesday when the medical examiner’s findings confirmed his identity.
News 12’s Matt Trapani reported the discovery Wednesday evening, sparking an outpouring of sorrow from neighbors and supporters who had spent months sharing flyers and keeping the search alive on social media.
Authorities have not disclosed how or when Acosta-Gutierrez ended up in the river. The Hackensack River flows through Bergen and Hudson County before emptying into Newark Bay, a tidal waterway where currents can carry bodies over considerable distances. As NBC New York reported, the county prosecutor’s office declined to provide any additional information beyond the identification itself. No cause of death has been made public, and it remains unclear whether foul play is suspected or whether investigators believe his death is linked to the mental health crisis his family described in January.
For Idelfonso Acosta and his family, the months-long wait for answers is over, replaced by the far longer and harder work of mourning a son whose struggle ended too soon.
