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An intense search for Maria Ferrigno of Pompton Lakes began after her car was found abandoned on Farmingdale Road, next to a wooded area along the Pompton River, on Monday, July 17, Wayne Police Chief Jack McNiff said.
A concerned resident told police the vehicle had been there for several days without being moved, McNiff said Friday in a detailed first public announcement about Ferrigno's disappearance and the subsequent horrifying discovery.
Pompton Lakes police searched her home with no sign of Ferrigno, the chief said.
Wayne police spoke with family members and entered her as a high-risk missing person in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), McNiff said.
They also canvassed the area where the vehicle was found, interviewing residents and asking around for surveillance footage, he said.
There was no public notice aside from social media posts by her daughter.
Danielle Kornitzer said authorities were able to determine that her mom was last seen parking her car on Farmingdale Road at 7:23 p.m. Friday, July 14.
She was wearing leggings, a T-shirt and sneakers and didn’t have a phone or identification with her, her daughter said.
An alert was sent through Ring for the surrounding neighborhoods, she added.
Police conducted a search of the area “but were hampered by the dense, wooded brush,” McNiff said. “Additionally, recent heavy rainfall and the opening of the Pompton Lake Dam, to relieve flooding upstream, created swamp-like conditions.”
A police K-9 had no luck, either.
Detectives also searched virtually, combing through phone and banking records and making inquiries, hoping to retrace Ferrigno’s steps, the chief said.
Extra patrols were added to assist in the search and fill in for those officers and detectives working the case, McNiff said. Tuesday went by without any success, however.
It was around 8 a.m. Wednesday when someone or something sent Wayne Police Officer Trevor Costabile toward a heavily wooded area along the west side of Farmingdale Road – although the chief didn’t say what it was.
Detective Lt. Vincent Ricciardelli and Detective Michael Polifrone entered the dense woods and eventually located human remains, McNiff said.
These “cannot be positively identified” at the moment, the chief said. However, he said, “some ancillary descriptive factors may be consistent with that of Maria Ferrigno.”
Police cordoned off the area and summoned the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit to collect evidence and the Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office to gather the remains.
An autopsy was being conducted to hopefully identify the remains, along with the cause and manner of death.
“There are no indications of foul play at this time,” McNiff said Friday.
The chief emphasized that parallel investigations will continue into Ferrigno’s disappearance and the gruesome discovery until a direct link can be proven, the chief said.
McNiff then added:
“As Chief of Police, I would like to reinforce my steadfast and unwavering commitment to the family of Maria Ferrigno, as well as the residents of Wayne. The Wayne Police Department is committed to you and your family during this very difficult and unsettling time. We will leave no stone unturned to accomplish our mission and to swiftly and compassionately bring you peace, justice, and closure.
“Anyone with information into the disappearance of Maria Ferrigno or the recent recovery of human remains on Farmingdale Rd. is asked to contact Wayne Police Detective Tomasz Cydzik at 973-633-3538 or by email at cydzikt@waynetownship.com.”
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