BODY OF MICHAEL GELFAND, found in Mississippi River

 

NEW ORLEANS – A New Jersey father who vanished during a business trip in New Orleans in January was found dead in the Mississippi River over the weekend.

The body of 33-year-old Michael Gelfand, of Lakewood, was discovered in the Mississippi River near Third Street in New Orleans Friday, the New Orleans Coroner said. His cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

Gelfand, a father of four, told his wife and children he was flying to New Orleans on Jan. 5 for a one-night business trip. His wife last heard from him on Jan. 6 when he texted her he was getting a flight home that night. But he never made it home.

Officials did not release any other information on the circumstances surrounding his death.