Hikers find body at Eagle Rock Reservation; officials investigating fatal shooting

David M. Zimmer, NorthJersey.com
·1 min read

A man found dead at Eagle Rock Reservation on Friday was the victim of a fatal shooting, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said Saturday.

The man, who remains unidentified, was pronounced dead at about 2:15 p.m. He was discovered by a group of hikers on a trail near the border of West Orange and Montclair, according to a press release from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. On Saturday afternoon, broken sheriff’s yellow tape could be seen tied to trees on a path less than a half-mile from a rear parking area on Crest Drive on the reservation.

The office's homicide and major crimes units are investigating the shooting, officials said.

Saturday afternoon broken sheriff’s yellow tape could be seen still tied to trees on a path less half mile from a rear parking area on Crest Drive on the reservation.
Saturday afternoon broken sheriff’s yellow tape could be seen still tied to trees on a path less half mile from a rear parking area on Crest Drive on the reservation.

The nearly 410-acre reserve stretches across the towns of West Orange, Montclair and Verona. Owned and maintained by the Essex County government, it covers dense forest on and around the Watchung Mountains. It is also home to The Highlawn restaurant and Essex County’s 9/11 memorial.

The park is where authorities in 2016 found the body of Sarah Butler, one of the victims of convicted serial killer Khalil Wheeler-Weaver.

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Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. Calls will be kept confidential, officials said.

David Zimmer is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Body found at Eagle Rock Reservation declared homicide