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BUTLER - Body of Stacey Walek found near Regency House
BUTLER - The case of a missing borough wife and mother came to a tragic end last week when authorities confirmed that her body was found in woods near the Pompton Plains hotel where she was last seen alive nearly two months ago.
Still unresolved, however, is what killed Stacey Walek, 45, a mother of eight.
Walek’s body was found on May 4 in a wooded area off of Farmingdale Road in Wayne. She was found near the Regency House Hotel in Pompton Plains, which she checked in on March 19, the last day her family saw her.
Authorities announced on Wednesday that the medical examiner had verified that the deceased was Walek. She was found with personal effects, including her purse, which contained Walek’s identification, but police waited on the medical examiner’s confirmation based on dental records to announce that the body was Walek’s.
The autopsy revealed no signs of trauma, Wayne Police Deputy Chief John Reardon said. Though police may not have many clues on the cause of death, investigators so far do not suspect wrongdoing.
“There are no signs of foul play at this time,” Reardon said.
Further clues on the cause of Walek’s death likely depend on the results of a toxicology test, which usually take between six and 10 weeks to complete, Reardon said.
Walek was reported missing on March 20. Her family last saw her March 19 before she left for work at Alure Hair Designs in Pompton Plains.
After work, Walek checked into the Regency House Hotel. Hotel staff last saw her on March 20. At the time of her disappearance, authorities said that Walek was without necessary medication.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on whether or not the area where Walek’s body was eventually found had been searched earlier with the help of a trained K-9 unit. Spokesperson Robyn D’Onofrio said the detectives handling the case would not get into the specifics of the investigation.
In the weeks following her disappearance, police and volunteers canvassed North Jersey – from Pompton Plains and Wayne, up through Bloomingdale, Butler and West Milford – to get the word out that Walek was missing. Though she lived in Butler at the time of her disappearance, she was well-known in West Milford and Bloomingdale as a former resident of those towns.
West Milford resident Harry Clark recalled Walek as an excellent mother who devoted her time to her children and those of the community.
Clark said he had known Walek for several years when she served as president of a parent group at Our Lady Queen of Peace School in Hewitt.
“She was responsible for raising about $80,000 a year,” Clark said, adding that she put on some of the largest fundraisers in the school’s recent history.
“She was a wonderful person,” he said. “She was always a loving, caring person.”
Clark said Walek was a staple at township sporting events, always supporting her kids in their activities.
“I feel horrible for her kids,” he said. “She was a devoted mother. And I feel so horrible for her husband Vince.”
Born in Teaneck, Walek lived in Bloomingdale and West Milford before moving to Butler two years ago. She was president of Our Lady Queen of Peace School Parent Teacher Association in West Milford. She taught CCD at St. Joseph’s Church in West Milford and St. Anthony’s Church in Butler. She also coached basketball and soccer in West Milford.
Walek is survived by her husband, Vincent; her children, Clarissa, Taylor, Candida, Olivia, Cameron, Liam, Isabelle and Christiana; her parents, Thomas and Harriette Wall; and her brother, Thomas Wall.
Services were May 9 at St. Anthony’s R.C. Church in Butler, followed by interment at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Butler. M. John Scanlan Funeral Home in Pompton Plains handled the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to a fund that will be set up for her children.
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