Aaron Sofer Found: Body Of American Student Reportedly Found In Jerusalem Forest
Aaron Sofer may be found, after authorities in Israel say they located a body in the Jerusalem Forest close to where the American student went missing.
Aaron Sofer disappeared around noon Friday when he and a friend were hiking in the Jerusalem Forest. Now authorities may have found the body of the 23-year-old student from Lakewood, New Jersey.
Sofer was last seen on a steep hiking trail Friday. A friend who was hiking with Sofer later reported him missing, and in the days since police increased efforts to find the haredi Orthodox yeshiva student.
Israeli media reported that some of Sofer’s belongings were found by police dogs.
On Thursday, authorities reported that they found a body in the Jerusalem Forest, but there was no immediate confirmation whether the body found belonged to Aaron Sofer.
CNN reporting body has been found in Israel Forest. No word yet if it’s that of missing hiker and US citizen Aaron Sofer.
— Angela King (@angelaking89) August 28, 2014
But some Israeli media sources indicated that it was indeed the body of Aaron Sofer that was found.
U/D: BD”E – The 23 y/o Bucher Aaron Sofer from Lakewood NJ, missing for 7 days has been found dead r”l by Hatzalah EMTs in Ein Kerem forest
— Jerusalem HQ (@JerusalemHQ) August 28, 2014
Hebrew media reporting that the body of Aaron Sofer, missing NJ yeshiva student, was found in Jerusalem Forest. Baruch dayan haemet.
— Amy Spiro (@AmySpiro) August 28, 2014
The family of Aaron Sofer had called for the Israel Defense Forces to join the search, and the FBI has reportedly become involved as well. There were fears that Sofer had been kidnapped.
“It’s scary to think what possibly could be the ramifications,” Sofer’s neighbor Tzvi Meth told CBS New York. “Great fear is that he was accosted; he was taken away, kidnapped.”
In June, a Palestinian teen was abducted and taken to Jerusalem Forest where he was killed.
There was still no confirmation if the body of Aaron Sofer was the one found in the Jerusalem Forest. The Inquisitr will update as new details emerge.
