Body of 33-Year-Old Kortney Staples Found in Delaware River After Nearly 1 Month

Q: With no foul play suspected, what tragic sequence of events led Kortney Staples’ vehicle into the Delaware River?

Investigators believe Staples’ car likely went off the Chester waterfront and into the Delaware River in what appears to have been a crash, not a crime. That working theory is based on the physical evidence recovered at the scene. Police said the gray Nissan Altima found in the river matched the car Staples had been driving when she disappeared. The vehicle reportedly had front-end damage, and investigators also found damage to a fence along the waterfront near Norris and Front streets. That has led police to examine whether the car broke through the barrier and entered the river. Authorities said boaters searching for Staples located the submerged vehicle. A body found inside was believed to be Staples based on identifying tattoos, though formal identification and the cause of death were still pending with the medical examiner at the time of the reports. So, the tragic sequence investigators are piecing together is that Staples, missing since July 11, may have driven to the riverfront, struck or breached the fence, and ended up in the Delaware River, where her car remained until it was discovered. Police have stressed that the circumstances are still under investigation, but they have said there is no indication of foul play at this time.

3 articles · Updated · WGR550 · Aug 10

Kortney Staples, 33, was recovered from the Delaware River after the Chester woman had been missing since July 11.
Sunday crews carried out a water operation near Front and Norris streets in Philadelphia, where a car was also seen being towed from the river.
Police have not yet confirmed whether the vehicle was Staples' or said how her body ended up in the water.
Staples and her car were last seen on Ulrich Street in Chester, and police reported her missing about a week after she disappeared.