Police Confirm Body Found in Park is Missing Armonk Man

Police are awaiting the results of an autopsy for a 21-year-old Armonk man who was reported missing by his family on Monday after leaving home that morning.

North Castle Police Chief Peter Simonsen confirmed Friday morning that Miles Applebaum was discovered in a remote area of Glazier Preserve in the Town of New Castle by a forest ranger about 5 p.m. on Thursday, a little more than 24 hours after a massive multiagency search was undertaken throughout the nearly 50-acre town park.

The search was launched following a citizen’s report of the green 1999 Volvo that Applebaum had left his house with on Monday was parked near the preserve’s entrance off of Whippoorwill Road on Wednesday afternoon, police said.

“It was a place that he was familiar with,” North Castle Police Chief Peter Simonsen said on why Applebaum was likely at the preserve. “That was where he liked to go and enjoy the outdoors.”

The discovery was made at about the same time that close to 100 family members, friends and community members were congregating late Thursday for a candlelight vigil at Wampus Brook Park in Armonk praying for his return.

The Westchester County Medical Examiner conducted the autopsy on Friday. Police are waiting for the medical examiner’s report before they comment on a cause of death.

“We’ll have an understanding once they have their official report, we’ll know an official cause of death,” said New Castle Detective Sgt. James Wilson.

Wilson said the medical examiner’s report may not be available to investigators until sometime next week.

Simonsen, whose department initially investigated the missing person’s report, said foul play is not suspected in Applebaum’s death.

Applebaum, listed by Temple University in Philadelphia as a student in the Boyer College of Music and Dance, was reported missing about 9:40 p.m. Monday, Simonsen said. His parents had called North Castle police, telling law enforcement authorities that he had left the family’s house about 12 hours earlier.

North Castle Detective Sgt. Dennis Murray, also involved in the investigation, said that Applebaum’s parents told police that they unsuccessfully tried to reach him by cell phone before they contacted the department.

Several media reports stated that he was home from college on medical leave but New Castle and North Castle police declined to comment on any medical condition.

Murray said that Applebaum was supposed to be headed to the Greenburgh Nature Center on Monday where he was a volunteer. He also worked at the Lagond Music School in Elmsford, he said.

North Castle and New Castle police said the area where Applebaum’s body was discovered had extremely treacherous terrain, with steep slopes, marshes, a small pond and heavy brush.

“It’s very, very difficult terrain once you get off the trails,” Simonsen said.

Wilson said that the body was found by the ranger as law enforcement officials were marking off sections  of the expansive preserve in a grid to help them organize the search for Friday. He said Applebaum was discovered about 200 feet off the trail, which is used by the public, including many dog walkers.

Lagond Music School Executive Director Roseanne Lana said that they had last seen Applebaum when he was leaving work at the school late Sunday night. He was scheduled to return to work Monday evening. Applebaum first enrolled in the school in 2009 after his sophomore year in high school and loved playing and interacting with the other students and musicians.

School owner Charlie Lagond said that Applebaum served as a teacher, a teacher’s assistant and musician during performances.

“Miles was really one of the most passionate and dedicated young musicians that I had the honor to work with,” said Lagond, who added that Applebaum was a jazz major at Temple but enjoyed all types of music.

Although he does not know the family well, Simonsen said Applebaum’s loss leaves a tremendous void.

“It’s a significant loss to the community and that pales in comparison to the loss of the family,” he said.

Joining the two local police departments in the search were the county police and its K-9 and aviation units, the state police and state park police.