Delaware man 1 of 3 charged with murder of man whose remains were found by camp counselor

A Delaware man has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping and killing of a Pennsylvania man whose remains were found by a camp counselor on the bank of the Conowingo Creek in Maryland, the Cecil County Sheriff's Office announced Friday.

Officials said they were called to the bank of the Conowingo Creek near the camping ground on Camp Shadow Brook Road on Aug. 8 by a camp counselor on a nature hike. Investigators with the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania State Police, Cecil County Department of Emergency Services, North East Fire Company, Water Witch Fire Company, Chesapeake Search Dogs, and Delaware and Maryland Search Dogs were called in to search the area, according to police, and found "another portion of skeletal remains" on Aug. 14.

The remains were sent to a Pennsylvania State Police laboratory for DNA testing and found to belong to 25-year-old Matthew Whisman of East Drumore Township, Pennsylvania on Oct. 11. Whisman was seen being taken from a residence against his will on April 3, according to police, and had been categorized as a "critically missing person."

Three people were subsequently named as persons of interest in Whisman's kidnapping and murder: 25-year-old Jeremy Wayne Absher of Bear, 27-year-old Steven Scott Gaddis of Nottingham, Pennsylvania, and a 17-year-old juvenile from Pennsylvania.

Whisman was related to Absher, according to the sheriff's office, and known by all three suspects. Police said they believed that Whisman assisted law enforcement with an investigation into Absher and Gaddis, which "led to Whisman’s kidnapping and ultimate murder."

Investigators and attorneys decided to charge the three suspects in Pennsylvania, where they will be prosecuted.

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Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on X at @h_edelman .

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware man 1 of 3 charged with murder of man whose remains were found by camp counselor