UPDATE: A multiday search for missing Kingsway Regional High School football coach Steve Ianotti, aged 72, has ended in tragedy as authorities confirm he has been found deceased. The Logan Township Police Department announced this heartbreaking news earlier today.
Intensive search efforts involving two helicopters, Automated License Plate Reader data, and extensive surveillance video were employed to locate Ianotti, who had not been seen since Friday, December 23, 2022. Police Chief Joseph V. Flatley shared the devastating update on the department’s Facebook page, stating, “It is with a heavy heart that we must advise that Mr. Ianotti has been located, and tragically, he is deceased.”
Eyewitness accounts revealed that Ianotti’s 1997 Jeep Wrangler, license plate RUNT 61, was last captured on surveillance video leaving his home in Logan Township at 12:45 PM on Friday. The vehicle was later found towed from a remote field in Lawrence Township (Cumberland) and raised concerns of foul play, although authorities previously stated there was no indication of any wrongdoing.
Ianotti’s family reported that his cell phone was left on the couch at home, a common practice for him, and there had been no transactions in his bank account since December 25, 2022. He did not typically use credit or debit cards, complicating the search further.
Local officials revealed that Ianotti was entered into the National Crime Information Center database as a missing person, but the circumstances did not meet the criteria for a Silver Alert, as there were no indications of cognitive impairment.
Gloucester County Commissioner Christopher Konawel Jr. emphasized the community’s deep concern for Ianotti, stating that the outpouring of support reflected how beloved he was. “The intense search by police shows how admired he was here,” he said.
As this developing story unfolds, the community mourns the loss of a cherished figure in local sports and education. Authorities have indicated that no further updates will be provided out of respect for Ianotti’s family.
Readers are urged to share this tragic news as it impacts many in the community who held Ianotti in high regard.
