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Kellen J. Bischoff, 19, of Manahawkin, NJ, was found dead at the Total Recycling Facility on Lincoln Road in Birdsboro just after 8:30 a.m., said District Attorney John T. Adams in a release Monday, Nov. 14.
Investigators were able to identify Bischoff by his "unique" tattoos, and eventually learned that he was visiting a family member in Kutztown, the DA said.
Loved ones had last seen the teen in the early morning hours on Saturday as he was leaving an off-campus house party, authorities wrote.
Police later uncovered security footage that showed Bischoff walking alone before climbing into a dumpster behind the Dollar Tree on Constitution Boulevard, they said.
Within a few hours, a garbage truck had emptied the dumpster, compacted its contents, and headed for Total Recycling, the DA said.
An autopsy on Monday ruled Bischoff's injuries and manner of death consistent with investigators' findings, authorities said. A toxicology report is pending results.
On Monday, Bischoff's friends and bandmates launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist his family with funeral costs.
"Kellen was the drummer in our band Hellfire and was a dear friend of all of ours," they wrote. "He was very dedicated and passionate about music and our band."
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