A family is finally getting closure after 10 years. Remains found near a New Jersey trail have been identified as a missing college student who disappeared in 2015.
The family confirmed that the teen was finally found. It comes after a decade of searching. Back in December 2015, 23-year-old John Paul Fernandez disappeared from his house in Middletown. He was last seen at Natco Lake. Then he disappeared off the face of the earth. Fast forward to November 2024, and investigators found human remains in Middletown. It was near a bike trail called the Henry Hudson Bike Trail.
At the time, authorities noted that the body did not "appear to be anything suspicious in nature." In a Facebook post on Nov. 1, 2025, John Paul's mother, Ninia Fernandez, confirmed the remains to be her missing son. She wrote that the college student had finally been found.
Missing College Student
"After 3,258 days of searching and praying, our beloved son John Paul Fernandez, who had been missing since December 13, 2015, was found on November 14, 2024 — after nearly nine long years. His identity was confirmed through DNA testing on October 14, 2025. There are no words to describe the pain and the countless tears we have cried for him — every single day, for every year he was gone," Ninia wrote on Facebook. "While this brings heartbreaking closure, it also brings peace to finally bring our son home."
She also shared a tribute to the deceased college student, describing him as full of life.
"JP had a gentle and giving heart. He always stepped up when needed. He was quirky, funny, and full of life — the kind of person who could make anyone laugh with his animated stories and contagious energy. That was who he was: dependable, kind, and never afraid to be himself," she wrote.
The grieving mom thanked all those who finally gave her closure after all of these years.
She wrote, "We are forever grateful to everyone who helped us look for JP, prayed with us, and never stopped hoping alongside our family. Our deepest thanks to the Middletown Police Department detectives, the Monmouth County detectives, and the New Jersey State forensic team for their compassion, dedication, and persistence in helping us bring JP home."
