LEE, Mass — The Berkshire County medical examiner positively identified the remains found near Fox Drive are that of missing Shaker High English teacher Meghan Marohn.
At this time, the circumstances are still under investigation and the district attorney, Andrea Harrington, is not releasing any other details such as how long the body was there or cause of death, according to a spokesman.
Marohn was last seen on March 27, and her family reported her missing two days later. It sparked a massive search involving authorities from two states in and around Longcope Park. A civilian discovered the body on Thursday, Sept. 1, near Fox Drive in Lee.
The 42-year-old who was living in Delmar while taking care of her father had been on leave from her position at Shaker High and had gone to Longcope for some hiking and a quiet get away. Her car was found near the trailhead to the park the day she was reported missing.
In May, there was a vigil held at Shaker High School and her family had offered a $50,000 reward for any information leading to her whereabouts. Her brother, Peter Naple, said not knowing what happened to his sister was the hardest part.
Her colleagues and students remembered her as being passionate about social justice issues and climate change and one willing to look out for those who didn’t always fit in with the mainstream crowd. She also started the Troy Poetry Project and was often seen at the farmer’s market typing poetry on demand on an old, manual typewriter.
The area where she disappeared is densely wooded and the Lee Police Chief Craig DeSantis told the Times Union late last month that it could be while if that is in fact where she is. Recently, he said, a person died of a medical condition in those same woods and it took nine months to find the body.
Currently, Lee Police, the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office and Bethlehem police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Marohn’s disappearance.
