WILLOWBROOK — The body of young pregnant woman who had been missing for about a week was discovered near a pond in Willowbrook Park on Thursday, police said.
Cops said they identified the body of Megan Marotte, 20, of Sommer Avenue, in a wooded area near the pond near Morani Street and Victory Boulevard around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the Staten Island Advance originally reported. She had been missing since Aug. 7.
"It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I announce the passing of my niece, Megan Marotte," her uncle Sean Lichota posted on Facebook. "I will not go into details, but we brought her home."
There were no obvious signs of trauma to the body, police said, and city medical examiner did not determine cause of death yet. Missing persons flyers that her family posted around the neighborhood and on Facebook noted that she was pregnant.
Marotte was last seen at 6 a.m. on Aug. 4 near Port Richmond and Forest avenues wearing a light blue tank top and a grey hooded sweatshirts, police said.
Witnesses told the Advance that the body was discovered by two women walking their dogs in the park who noticed a stench.
"It's not an everyday smell, it's a really bad smell — and one I will never forget,” Yerica Sanchez, 22, told the paper.
On Friday afternoon, police closed off the section of Willowbrook Park near Morani Street, and detectives searched the park.