In April 1982, Charles Murphy, 25, of Maywood went missing near Ridgefield Park.
In early May, 42 years after his initial disappearance, a private, nonprofit organization called the United Search Corps found Murphy's remains in Overpeck Creek in Ridgefield Park.
After "extensive forensic testing" the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office stated that it was able to confirm the found remains as Murphy, but the circumstances surrounding his disappearance are still under investigation.
Nevertheless, through the work of the United Search Corps, decades of wondering for Murphy's family members, friends, and many more finally came to an end.
The United Search Corps
The United Search Corps was founded by search specialist Doug Bishop. It is a nonprofit organization that specializes in advocating for families, searching for missing loved ones and advanced technology in searching nationwide.
According to the organization's website, its mission is to address the "distressing issue of murdered and missing individuals."
Bishop's passion for the USC's work is clear and he says that it is hard to put into words the feeling of solving cases and ending years-long nightmares for families.
"It's real powerful stuff, it's heavy stuff," said Bishop. "We're not meant to lose somebody and not know anything. We're just not meant to go through that, it's one of the worst things that we can go through. It's a constant everyday torture."
He continued: "Simply knowing, no matter how horrific a death can be, if we know you can then process it and grieve and move on. It's never closure, a lot of people use the word closure, but I don't provide closure. There is no such thing as closure. You never get over losing somebody that you love, it will never go away, but answers, that's what it is. We are providing answers for families and those answers allow decades of grief and not knowing to instantly melt away."
The United Search Corps does not charge families to conduct its missions.
The group strives to bring answers to families through collaborative partnerships, advocacy, advanced techniques, public awareness, victim support, and data sharing. In addition, it provides law enforcement training as well as search tactic consultation to agencies and tribal confederations.
In 2023 alone, according to the USC website, the organization located over 200 missing vehicles in waterways nationwide and helped reunite two missing children with their families.
Obtaining and solving cases
There are a few ways that the USC gets cases including through online followers and supporters, online databases, detectives, or other agencies. The case of Charles Murphy was suggested by one of the organization's supporters, according to Bishop.
When a case shows up on its radar, the organization starts by vetting it, looking into it further to make sure that it is legitimate, and that the person is still missing.
After the case is verified, a decision is made regarding whether the USC is an appropriate resource, and a search is scheduled.
In the case of Murphy, the USC knew that the last known sighting of him was in Ridgefield Park. With that information, they conducted their search near the waterways closest to Ridgefield Park, which includes Overpeck Creek, the Hackensack River, and any neighboring tributaries that are deep enough to conceal a vehicle.
Less than an hour into their search the USC was able to find the remains of Charles "Chip" Murphy, according to Bishop.
Advanced search technology
The United Search Corps uses three types of sonar to conduct underwater searches including side-scan sonar, multi-beam sonar, and sub-bottom profilers. By combining and manipulating these three types of sonar, group members are able to obtain advanced imaging of whatever lies on the bottom of the waterway.
"For cold cases, sonar technology is indispensable," says the USC website. "Often, vehicles or other evidence related to long-term missing person cases are submerged underwater for years, making them challenging to locate. Sonar allows us to survey lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water efficiently and thoroughly, increasing the chances of finding critical evidence that can solve these cases."
In addition to sonar technology, the USC is made up of a team of divers who can enter the water and take a look for themselves when the sonar detects barrels, vehicles, or other items.
This type of searching allowed Bishop and his team to find Murphy and numerous other missing people and is described by Bishop as a "gray area within law enforcement."
"This was a case that officers worked really hard on, they did a lot of work. I have seen the case file. It's just the technology that I utilize to discover this vehicle did not exist," said Bishop. "It's not a knock to law enforcement. The type of searching that I do law enforcement on average is not capable of even doing. It's a gray area within law enforcement with the utilization of this technology and the way we do it, which is why we offer law enforcement training on this stuff."
Donations and volunteers
As a nonprofit organization, the United Search Corps is heavily dependent on donations and volunteers.
"I am simply a vessel," said Bishop. "Even though I am really good at what I do, and our team is very efficient at the results that we produce, we're not able to do this without donations. None of us get paid for doing this so we're at the mercy of the community and it is with the community's support that we are able to do this. It is so much more than me."
If you are interested in donating you can go to the USC website at unitedsearchcorps.org/donate.
In addition to donations, USC accepts volunteers including pilots, boat captains, active or former military/law enforcement, transportation services, security services, food services, or fuel services. Those interested can send an email to info@unitedsearchcorps.org to see how you can be a part of USC.
"Logistically, to perform searches like this is extremely daunting. Thankfully, we have had some support that enables us to travel and do this and it's critical," Bishop said. "We're a vessel for the community. We're not law enforcement, and we don't have government funding, but we can produce results that very few can and it's all simply because of donations."
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