Found Deceased NJ - Gary Parker, 67 & Lorraine, 60, riding ATV in Pine Barrens, Warren Grove, Stafford, 22 Nov 2021

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Stafford couple found dead in 'thickest part of the Pine Barrens,' police say (yahoo.com)

STAFFORD — Gary and Lorraine Parker were found lying together some distance from their all-terrain vehicle, their bodies heavily injured from sharp vegetation in the underbrush.

Stafford police Capt. James Vaughn said it is unknown why the pair left the ATV and how they ended up in that dense area.

"I don't think we're ever going to know," Vaughn said. "I mean, there wasn't an ATV crash per se, but why they got off and why they ended up in the thicket the way they did far from their house, we're never going to know."

Investigators have speculated that when the couple ventured into the woods one of them may have suffered a medical emergency during their outing — leaving the other unable or unwilling to leave their spouse behind.

"The only way we were able to find them was by using a drone," Vaughn said, describing the density of the woods in that area. "We did have people in that area, but I can tell you, it's the thickest part of the Pine Barrens you're going to find."
 
There was a meth bust very close to their home the other day. Authorities are saying it's unrelated but in this article it says there was meth found on the Parker property. Confusing and strange.

Stafford NJ couple found dead in 'thickest part of the Pine Barrens'

"Online, amateur sleuths played professional detectives. On Sunday night, a law enforcement raid on a suspected meth lab two miles away from the Parker home fueled conspiracy theories, especially after a small amount of methamphetamine had been found on the Parker property the week before."
 
Angelcat13 said:
I am from South Jersey and familiar with the Pines and surrounding rural areas. The Pines are a very unique place - both from a nature standpoint and a cultural standpoint. The Pines are not what people think of when the think of New Jersey, but North Jersey and South Jersey (where the Pines are) are pretty much two completely different worlds and North Jersey is more like what people think of New Jersey. South Jersey is much more rural and suburban, with the Pines occupying a huge part of South Jersey. The Pines sits overtop of a HUGE aquifier so there are many restrictions about building and use of the land there, and this is overseen by the Pinelands Commission. It has long been both known and a running joke that if you want to hide a body, the Pines is the place to do it. Many rumors even have Jimmy Hoffa (as well as other organized crime figures) to have been buried here. There are many ghost towns throughout the Pines, where all that is left are the remnants of foundations. Iron, glass, cranberries and blueberries are probably the biggest industries currently and historically linked to the Pines. Unfortunately, forest fires can destroy areas of the Pines - both a curse and a blessing - for it is the fires that heat the pine cones enough to allow them to seed new pines, otherwise the area would eventually turn into more of an oak forest. But the fires often destroyed the little towns that developed in areas where iron ore was found and people got tired of rebuilding. Then, during World War I and II, scrappers were known to take what hadn't burned, leaving little other than crumbling stone foundations and depressions where houses, etc once stood.

This area is a HUGE draw to people who like to explore - in 4-wheelers, ATVs and on horseback. It is VERY easy to get lost in the Pines and there are many lakes and old quarry areas that can be quite dangerous. One could easily get lost and die of exposure if the temperatures were to fall. However, it seems that the Parker's were very familiar with the area and I would assume they likely knew the areas well enough to avoid falling victim to hazardous areas. But just like other wilderness areas in the country/world, there are people that like to venture into the Pines in order to escape more populated areas - some just because they like the peaceful privacy and others because they may have criminal intent, such as manufacturing meth, etc.

Even though NJ does have some of the strictest gun laws in the country, it is not uncommon for people in more rural areas to ignore these rules and there is often not much police presence to oversee this. Most of the Pinelands is covered by State Police and Forest Rangers and they are more concerned with more serious crimes than someone playing around with a shotgun.

All of this being said, I just wanted to give people a glimpse of the area. I'll try to add some pictures/video next. I love the area - the history, the culture, the beauty, the remoteness, etc. My daughter and her friends spend a lot of time in the Pines going on "woods runs" swimming and red-neck water-skiing (a truck, a rope and a board). But there can be a darkness to the Pines that can be very spooky - not to mention the Jersey Devil.

So, as far as the Parkers: I find it very odd that the police stated that "only one ATV was involved". What do they mean "involved"? Involved in what? ATVs are big in Phila as well as many other cities in the country, with groups recklessly driving through the city with no regards to laws and the safety of others. If caught, these ATVs are confiscated by police and are often stolen and/or illegal. It would be important to see if the Parker's had listed any of their ATVs for sale and been targeted by someone pretending to be a buyer, as someone mentioned earlier in this thread.

Although I pray for their safe return and hope, I am concerned that the shotgun was left behind, as were their cell phones, etc. Even though it can often be difficult, if not impossible, to get reception in the Pines, I can't see anyone going out without their cell phone. I, too, don't think it has anything to do with wildlife. Even if there were a bear attack (which would be EXTREMELY rare!), I doubt a bear would have been able to disable or kill both of them.
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@Angelcat13 thank you so much for this fantastic and informative synopsis
I really enjoyed reading about how the pines are affected by the fires and promote new growth and sadly, the people migrating away. Appreciate it x
 
JillyNJ said:
There was a meth bust very close to their home the other day. Authorities are saying it's unrelated but in this article it says there was meth found on the Parker property. Confusing and strange.

Stafford NJ couple found dead in 'thickest part of the Pine Barrens'

"Online, amateur sleuths played professional detectives. On Sunday night, a law enforcement raid on a suspected meth lab two miles away from the Parker home fueled conspiracy theories, especially after a small amount of methamphetamine had been found on the Parker property the week before."
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RIP Gary and Lorraine. Such a sad story. Sending positive thoughts to all that loved them.

This case really hits my heart and I hope the family gets some answers about what happened. I’m from NJ and my husband and I are in our 60’s. We now live in a very rural area of NC. Almost every day we are out in the woods on our ATV. And yes, we always carry a gun.

This info about meth being found on their property is really concerning. Did they find someone’s stash and report it? Could this be why they ended up where they did?
 
ClaireNC said:
RIP Gary and Lorraine. Such a sad story. Sending positive thoughts to all that loved them.

This case really hits my heart and I hope the family gets some answers about what happened. I’m from NJ and my husband and I are in our 60’s. We now live in a very rural area of NC. Almost every day we are out in the woods on our ATV. And yes, we always carry a gun.

This info about meth being found on their property is really concerning. Did they find someone’s stash and report it? Could this be why they ended up where they did?
Click to expand...

I had a thought that maybe they ran and hid from Something/Someone and injured themselves in the process. Hmmm.
 
Do we know if one of them had any signs of early dementia?
My Mom has Alzheimer's, and the fact that they were found so close to home in thick brush reminds me of the sad endings of many "Silver Alert" missing cases.
Except there was 2 of them...maybe she got lost and he was trying to get her back on trail?

Strange that both the family and LE were not doing regular updates...
 
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