STAFFORD – A 19-year-old from Stafford Township was found dead Saturday at a recycling facility in Pennsylvania after authorities found video surveillance of him climbing into a dumpster earlier that morning.
Kellen J. Bischoff, 19, of Manahawkin, had climbed into a dumpster at the back of a Dollar Tree in Kutztown, PA, after leaving an off-campus house party. Bischoff had been visiting a family member in Kutztown, and was subsequently reported missing after not returning from the party, police said.
Around 8:40 a.m. November 12, his body was found among recyclables that had been dropped off by a recycling truck at Total Recycling Facility in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania.
According to Exeter Township Police, a trash hauler emptied and compressed the contents of this dumpster into the rear of the recycling truck and brought it to the recycling facility where his body was later discovered.
On November 14, an autopsy was performed on Bischoff. Authorities found no signs of foul play. Toxicology results are pending.
Bischoff was a 2022 graduate of Southern Regional High School where he was a member of the National Honor Society and the Southern Regional Rams wrestling team.
Bischoff’s obituary said that “his fun-loving personality was infectious and left an impression on all who knew him.”
Bischoff was pursuing an interest in music with Full Sail University, “and the sound of his drums could be heard echoing across the winds of Ocean Acres,” his obituary states.
He is survived by his parents Patty and Mike Bischoff of Manahawkin, twin brother Nathaniel and little sister Raegan, as well as his dogs Sullivan and Finnegan.
A memorial gathering will take place on November 20 from 2 to 6 p.m., with a blessing service at 6 p.m. at Maxwell-Tobie Funeral Home, 573 Mill Creek Road, Manahawkin.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in his memory to one of the following organizations: PointerRescue.org, HappyPawsRescue.org or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at StJude.org.
