September 10, 2021
Courtesy/Middle Township Police
A body found in a wooded area of Whitesboro on Wednesday is believed to be Leila Bellamy, who went missing on July 14, 2021, Middle Township police said.
A body found in a densely wooded area of Middle Township appears to be the remains of 18-year-old Leila Bellamy, the Whitesboro woman whose disappearance in July prompted an extensive law enforcement search.
Authorities in Middle Township and the New Jersey State Police K-9 Unit found the body Wednesday along the 200 block of East Lena Street in Whitesboro while they were conducting a follow-up investigation into Bellamy's case, officials said.
"The human remains cannot be positively identified at this time, however, evidence found at the scene leads detectives to believe the individual is 18-year-old Leila Bellamy of Whitesboro," investigators said.
Bellamy was last seen July 14 and was reported missing a day later. She had been wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants and pink and green Nike Air Force One sneakers at the time of her disappearance.
During the course of the investigation, Middle Township police received assistance from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Philadelphia police, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the Florence County Sheriff's Department in South Carolina and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department in Florida.
The Southern Regional Medical Office will conduct a thorough examination of the remains found in Whitesboro to confirm the identity of the individual.
A candlelight vigil for Bellamy will be held Friday night at the MLK Center in Whitesboro.
