Authorities on Saturday intensified their search for missing Rutgers University student Morty Wortman, who has not been seen in two weeks. The investigation has centered on the vast Colliers Mill Wildlife Management Area, a dense, 12,000-acre preserve that stretches through parts of Jackson and Plumsted Townships.
Multiple law enforcement agencies descended on the area, including the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office—now leading the investigation—as well as the New Jersey State Police, Jackson Police Department, and Manchester Police. The Jackson Police Department warned residents of “heavy law enforcement activity in the area of Toms River Road” as the search continued.
Wortman, 22, a senior at Rutgers, reportedly commuted to campus for classes. According to News 12, his brother Ivan Marks said the family became alarmed when Morty’s car was discovered abandoned on November 21 in the parking lot of the Regional Day School in Jackson.
Marks said surveillance footage from that night—around 10:30 p.m.—captured Morty getting into a vehicle with a friend in the same parking lot. That friend, who has not been publicly identified by police, is now the focus of mounting concerns.
Authorities have not released additional information about the companion or whether that person has been questioned.
This search also included roughly 3 dozen members of NJ Search and Rescue. NJSAR is highly trained team of volunteers who serve throughout the state and deserve recognition for their efforts and professionalism.