Search Ends For Missing Toms River Man, Family Says

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The family of a Toms River man whose car was found at Shelter Cove in early January says the search for him has ended, after his body was found on Sunday.

Brooke Spurlock, the sister of Deane LaBranche, posted the update shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday on Facebook.

"It is with great sadness that I announce my brother Dino’s body was found today deceased," she wrote. "Thank you to everyone who assisted in searching for him. I only wish he knew how many people cared and how his community pulled together in the search for him."

Details of where his body was found were not released. Authorities had not released any information about LaBranche, who was 52, or the search as of Sunday evening.

Police notified Spurlock that a car belonging to LaBranche had been found at Shelter Cove on Jan. 4, with no sign of her brother, she wrote in the original post seeking the public's help in finding him.

There were personal items in the car including his guitar, she said, adding that it was out of character for him to have left the items behind, and that the last time anyone had spoken with LaBranche, whose nickname is Dino, was a phone call on Christmas Day.

On Sunday morning, Spurlock updated the post with information that police said LaBranche had last been seen Jan. 3 at Motel 6 with a woman whose identity was not known.

"Deane never returned to his car," she wrote. Police were working to track down the woman and the car she left in, Spurlock said.