Police Await Autopsy of Body Found on St. John

The V.I. Police Department is waiting for the results of an autopsy before making a final determination about a body found on St. John that might be the remains of Mark Moroney, the man in his early 70s who has been missing since Feb. 12.

Moroney went missing during the evening of Sunday, Feb. 12, when he told his wife he was going out to his car for a flashlight. In the days that followed, police and rescue personnel scoured the island and after a week pronounced themselves baffled.

“I’ve been doing this for 50 years, and I’ve never seen a case like this,” said Bob Malacarne, training officer for St. John Rescue. “It’s absolutely like he disappeared.”

According to police, a body was found at about 3:55 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, in a steep, heavily wooded area. Eyeglasses were found, and the pants the body was clad in were the same type Moroney was wearing when he disappeared. The body wore no shirt.

“Foul play has not been ruled out,” said police spokesman Glen Dratte. “Full confirmation cannot be made until the completion of the autopsy.”

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