Search Ends For Missing Morris County Teacher After 3 Months

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Despite the fact that her whereabouts remain unknown, the official search into the disappearance of a Morris County teacher has concluded.

In late June, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll and Roxbury Police Chief Dean Adone released new information about the investigation, stating that they no longer believed that Lara Emanuele's disappearance was suspicious in nature.

Emanuele, who has been missing since June 7, was captured on surveillance footage exiting her car "alone and of her own free will" in a Mount Arlington hotel parking lot, according to authorities.

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, Emanuele abandoned her vehicle with all of her personal possessions, including her cell phone. She was last spotted leaving her vehicle and walking into the woods behind the hotel at around 5:30 p.m. on the day she went missing.

In the nearly four months since her disappearance, law enforcement has spent countless hours canvassing the woods of Berkshire Valley State Wildlife Management Area, which borders the Mount Arlington Holiday Inn Express

Meghan Knab, a spokesperson for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, indicated in late July that further coordinated searches in the Berkshire Valley State Wildlife Management Area had been done and other leads had been investigated.

However, those searches have officially stopped, Knab told Patch this month.

"Search operations for Emanuele coordinated by the MCPO at the Berkshire Valley State Wildlife Management Area and surrounding areas have ceased. The missing persons case remains open as she has not been located. Emanuele’s disappearance is still not considered suspicious, and there is still a concern for her wellbeing," Knab said.

The Missing Persons Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office conducts joint investigations into people who have gone missing under suspicious circumstances, missing juveniles, interference with custody cases, mentally and physically disabled people, and reported missing and unidentified living victims.

Knab also stated that cases could be re-examined by the prosecutor's office if fresh information becomes available or credible leads are uncovered.

“Law enforcement has been carrying out an exhaustive investigation to find Ms. Emanuele, which includes extensive work behind the scenes that the public may not be aware of. Our hearts go out to the family of Ms. Emanuele, and the community that misses her,” Carroll said.

For months, police have asked hunters who have installed trail cameras in the Berkshire Valley to review all footage captured since June 7 and contact Det. Tom Gaboda directly at tgaboda@roxburypd.com if they see anyone on their recordings.

Knab told Patch that submitting trail camera footage is still one of the main ways that the community could assist in the investigation.

Community Reaction

Emanuele was a third-grade teacher at Morristown's Alexander Hamilton Elementary School, and Morris School District Superintendent of Schools Anne Mucci addressed her disappearance, saying that the whole school district is still praying for her safe return.

While the investigation was still in its early stages, the public was first advised to refrain from accessing the Berkshire Valley State Wildlife Management Area so that cops and K9s could conduct their search.

Community members, on the other hand, have taken it upon themselves to undertake individual searches of the surrounding property for any relevant clues.

Members of the community have also created Facebook sites dedicated to Emanuele's memory in the hopes of reuniting her with her family and community.

Knab stated that sharing information about the case was a crucial step in keeping the investigation in the public's awareness and supporting law enforcement.