9ebe7b0aba427e8f602537fd19e09131.jpg

EAST WINDSOR: Community mourns after teenager’s body found by train tracks

By Jen Samuel, Managing Editor
   EAST WINDSOR — A young man’s family is in mourning after he committed suicide last week.
   The body of Riley Branstrom, 18, was found on train tracks two miles from the Princeton Junction train station in West Windsor at 11 a.m. May 10.
   Today, May 17, visitation for relatives and friends of Mr. Branstrom will be held from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Glackin-Saul Funeral Home, 136 Morrison Ave., Hightstown.
   A 2012 graduate of Hightstown High School, he was also an alumnus of Team Mercury — a school robotics group,
   ”Riley is one of those people that brings life and happiness into the room when he walks in,” Team Mercury 1089 said last week in an online message when he was still missing. “He’s a great designer, a wonderful collaborator, and was a huge asset to our FIRST Robotics team for many years.”
   The son of Arthur and Mary Branstrom, he was born in Rockville, Maryland. In addition to his parents he is survived by his sisters, Rachel, 22, and Hayley, 15. An obituary appears on Page 7A.
   The teenager went missing May 6.
   ”He was reported missing by his mother at approximately 8:12 p.m.,” said Lt. Richard Bernstein of the East Windsor Police Department.
   East Windsor Chief of Police James Monahan told The Herald on May 9 that the department was “actively pursuing any leads locating Riley Branstrom.”
   Last Monday, initial reports on social media said Mr. Branstrom was last seen in Freehold. However, East Windsor police said he last seen at 2:30 p.m. around Hightstown High School May 6.
   Principal Alix Arvizu told the Herald she notified staff on May 9 that a recent graduate had gone missing.
   That afternoon, Mr. Branstrom’s 2013 Chevy S10 pick-up truck was found on Wallace Road in the parking lot of the Princeton Junction train station.
   West Windsor police said the last known coordinates of his cell phone were also determined to be in the area of the train station.
   Lt. Patrick O’Brien said May 10 that the body was found near the intersection between Meadow Road and Clarksville Road.
   ”It’s very tragic, this was a loss of a very young life,” Lt. O’Brien said.
   Lt. Brian Melnick of the West Windsor Township Police Department, described Mr. Branstrom as a “young kid,” while adding it was a tough case and especially hard on the family.
   Lt. Melnick confirmed that the teen had committed suicide by train.
   He said West Windsor served as a local assisting agency, noting that the Amtrak Police Department is lead investigating agency.
   The Herald was unable to reach the Amtrak Police Department as of press time.
   In a press release, Lynn Kovich, assistant commissioner in the state Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said “suicide is often called a permanent ‘solution’ to a temporary problem. People struggling with depression or hopelessness often cannot imagine a brighter future. Sometimes suicidal behaviors are triggered by events or challenges that overwhelm a person.”
   Seeing a need to continue supporting New Jerseyans who are facing these challenges, she said, the Christie Administration has launched its first statewide, suicide prevention hotline.
   NJHOPELINE (855-654-6735) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and provides live, trained, New Jersey based professionals to assist callers with confidential counseling and referrals to appropriate life-saving treatment.
   She said in just one week after starting, the hotline received nearly 300 calls.
   Lt. Melnick said that after Mr. Branstrom’s vehicle was discovered at 3 p.m. May 9, East Windsor police went out at 7 a.m. May 10 to search the Princeton Junction station for the township teenager.
   That is when the East Windsor police located Mr. Branstrom’s personal effects.
   The West Windsor police joined those efforts at 8 a.m.
   Police from East Windsor, West Windsor, and K9 teams from both the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Corrections continued to then systematically search the area.
   That search ended at 11 a.m. when police said the teen’s remains.Lt. Melnick said Mr. Branstrom’s sneakers were found on the side of the tracks — which propelled the field search.
   With Amtrak police and West Windsor Detective Jason Jones investigating, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the Medical Examiner’s Office and New Jersey Transit Police Department also responded during the search for Mr. Branstrom.
   The Mercer County Medical Examiner’s office provided the positive identification on Tuesday morning, Lt. Melnick said after an autopsy was completed.
Charley Falkenburg, Packet Media Group, contributed to this report.