Police Ask Public's Help in Search for Missing Long Hill Man

As the search for missing David Bird of Long Hill Road in Millington stretches into a fifth day, Long Hill Township police are asking those with access to the department's Facebook page to post Bird's photos and other relevant information on their own Facebook pages to widen the search.

"Some great leads have been generated by your commitment to sharing this information with family and friends," police said on the department's page, which has been devoted to updates on the search for Bird since he left his home at 4 p.m. on Saturday, telling his wife he was going to take a walk at the nearby Hicks tract.

A post on the page on Wednesday by CBS News says that Bird is a reporter for Dow Jones. 

"The search for Mr. Bird enters its 5th day and 89th hour today," the Facebook page said earlier on Wednesday. "Search and investigative teams continue their efforts into today. We have personnel from the Morris County Prosecutors Office and the New Jersey State Police helping with both search and investigative efforts."

Police Chief Michael Mazzeo held a comprehensive search and investigative meeting on Wednesday morning with his investigative team.

"We want to assure the public that everything related to a missing person investigation that can be done is being done with assets from local, county, state resources. We appreciate all the offers of help but at this time we do not have a specific need for this. If this changes we will post information on this Facebook page," the police said.

On Tuesday, a diving team from Morris County plumbed the Passaic River looking for Bird, and found no trace, Police Lt. Ahmed Naga said early Tuesday evening. The team out of Morris County was headed up by Parsippany search and rescue squad, one of the many organizations that have been part of the search.

Continuing updates on the township police Facebook page says that foot searches, the k-9 dog units, mounted patrol, helicopter, airplane water and dive teams have all been out in recent days. 

On Monday, the helicopter and other searches, many volunteers, were at Pond Hill Road in Bernards Township, on the Long Hill border, for about two hours.

Because Bird had a liver transplant nine years ago, all hospitals in the tri-state area have been contacted, the lieutenant said. So have police organizations and jails, since the effect of not taking medication may have been disorientation, Naga said. But he said there really is no guarantee how the sudden halt of the medication may have affected Bird, he noted.

Bird's description also is on a national police database, he added.

But none of those efforts have turned up a trace of Bird, Naga said on Tuesday afternoon.

"We really have nothing other than the last direction of travel, which was toward the Hicks Tract," Naga said. He said that property had been searched, and re-searched on foot, by helicopter and had turned up nothing.

Naga said none of the financial cards in Bird's wallet apparently had been used, either. 

Bird is described as 55 years old, 200 pounds, and 6 feet, 1-inch tall, and was wearing a red jacket, blue jeans, sneakers and glasses when he reportedly left his home in the Millington section at 4 p.m. on Saturday to take a walk. The description said he often walks the Hicks Tract in Millington.

The entrance to the Hicks tract is at the end of Knollandale Road, in Long Hill. Bird's address is 1839 Long Hill Road, Millington section of Long Hill, police said.

The Long Hill Township Police Department is investigating the missing person reports, and asks that anyone has any information please contact the Incident Command Post at 908-647-1800, option 1, extension 236 until further information is posted.