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Thank You for the article --and good to see you , Stilla...Casey’s story has been shared thousands of times on posters, billboards and on social media since she went missing on July 10, and those who joined in the effort to bring Casey home finally have some answers.
“It appears to match her description,” Lower Southampton Chief of Police Ted Krimmel said.
More than three weeks since anyone last saw Cassandra “Casey” Johnston, police announced they found a body and officials have confirmed exclusively to CBS3 that it is the body of the missing Bucks County woman.
“During the search this afternoon, members of the Philadelphia Police Marine Unit located the body on the 1200 block of Townsend Road in Philadelphia,” Krimmel said.
Krimmel says the body was about half a mile from the car’s location. Officials taped off a wooded area, near the intersection of Townsend and Southampton Roads, after a body was located on Sunday afternoon.
A preliminary investigation shows Johnston, while driving on Woodhaven Road, crashed the car.
“It appears she didn’t negotiate the curve properly,” Chief Krimmel says, adding, “She went down to the culvert went airborne up and over the guardrail and she crashed into a tree about 30 feet into the air.”
Police believe she was ejected from the vehicle through the sunroof during the fall.
“When the call came out that there was a body found by the marine unit, we just shut all communication down,” Krimmel said.
Flooding on July 12 may have played a part in her body being moved into a nearby creek, the chief said.
“We had some flooding in the area we think that culvert filled with water and probably moved her into that creek,” Krimmel said.
Officials do not suspect any foul play. Casey’s family was notified immediately after the body was recovered.
They now begin the task of grieving, grateful for the support of the community in the search to find Casey.
Since Casey’s body was found just over the city line, Bucks County officials have turned over the case to Philadelphia police and medical examiner.
CBS3 spoke with the Johnston family after the discovery. They are asking for privacy at this time but thanked everyone who shared photos and information about Johnston during the search.
EXCLUSIVE: Body Of Missing 26-Year-Old Casey Johnston Recovered, Believed To Have Been Killed In Crash, Authorities Say
It is certainly odd that there were no witnesses to this accident. It sounds horrendous. And Woodhaven Rd is well traveled enough to make it even more odd. I suppose the early hour on a Saturday could be behind that.HOW on Earth did this happen completely unseen/unheard by any other human? A car being airborne 20-30 ft. (before crashing and ejecting the passenger) would catch the eye, and the eventual crash-landing would be noisy, wouldn't it?
I'm not sure how the family feels about the efforts of local law enforcement to find Casey, but I would be pretty angry knowing that my loved one was only located through of the efforts of a search team led by a PI that the family had to pay for.
At 6:00 AM on a Saturday on a major highway like Woodhaven Rd in a densely populated area like the Northeast, I would have expected there to be at least one witness as well, but I guess not (at 6:00 AM on a weekday, for sure there would be early commuters on that road). From the description given by the Southampton police, it doesn't sound like a witness would have been able to save Casey, just get closure quicker.It is certainly odd that there were no witnesses to this accident. It sounds horrendous. And Woodhaven Rd is well traveled enough to make it even more odd. I suppose the early hour on a Saturday could be behind that.
Also such a unique set of circumstances after the crash, with the severe flooding from torrential rain and then more recently a tornado outbreak. I'm sad she didn't make it, but solaced a bit that she has at least been found.
RIP Casey
I wonder if they are going to process the car to look for paint transfer from another vehicle. Wondering if someone could have run her off the road.
HOW on Earth did this happen completely unseen/unheard by any other human? A car being airborne 20-30 ft. (before crashing and ejecting the passenger) would catch the eye, and the eventual crash-landing would be noisy, wouldn't it?
I'm not sure how the family feels about the efforts of local law enforcement to find Casey, but I would be pretty angry knowing that my loved one was only located through of the efforts of a search team led by a PI that the family had to pay for.
I sure hope so. It's very odd that nobody witnessed this in broad daylight on a heavily traveled road.
True. But hard to imagine someone witnessing something that horrendous and not calling it in. Unless there was another vehicle involved that left the scene.the whole thing could’ve happened in like 20 seconds. wish someone would’ve witnessed it & spared her family all this extra trauma
I was wondering the same, she could have been hit by a trash or tractor trailer and lost control of her car. Cars don’t just go airborne like that?I wonder if they are going to process the car to look for paint transfer from another vehicle. Wondering if someone could have run her off the road.
RSBMCars don’t just go airborne like that?
I was wondering the same, she could have been hit by a trash or tractor trailer and lost control of her car. Cars don’t just go airborne like that?