Fundraiser For Widow Of Man Whose Body Washed Up On Marblehead Beach

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The family of a woman whose husband's body washed up on a beach in Marblehead Thursday is seeking donations to help support the grieving widow.

A GoFundMe campaign was organized by the mother of Julie LoRusso, whose husband Michael Gray, 31, was found dead after he had been missing for seven weeks. It has raised over $18,000 for LoRusso, whose mother describes her as "the kindest, most gentle, loving soul."

"As you may have heard, Mike's body has washed up on a beach in Marblehead," LoRusso's mother wrote in a post under the fundraiser. "This has now been confirmed by the Medical Examiner. This is a tragic loss for Mike's family, and all who know and love him."

Gray and LoRusso married in 2022 after a 13-year friendship, LoRusso's mother wrote, adding that "Julie has not only lost her husband, but she lost her best friend."

LoRusso's mother wrote that "due to the tremendous toll and burden this has taken on Julie, emotionally and unfortunately financially, she is in a difficult spot for the unforeseen future," thanking the community and asking for the continued support of her daughter.

Gray went missing on Dec. 10. On Jan. 4, the car he was driving was found on a small beach in the Salem Willows area, according to the GoFundMe's description. Later, a set of clothing was found on Juniper Beach which LoRusso was able to confirm was Gray's, the fundraiser continued.

Weeks later, on Thursday afternoon, a body was found washed up on a Marblehead beach, police wrote in a Facebook post Thursday evening.

The sighting was reported to police around 4 p.m. at the end of Edgemere Road, Marblehead police said.

Police said they believe that the body had been in the water "for a significant amount of time." An investigation is underway.

Editor's Note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.