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REGION: Cranbury businesswoman found dead in her car

A 62-year-old Hightstown woman and business owner who had been missing for more than two weeks was found dead in her car Last Thursday afternoon, police said.

by Charles W. Kim, Packet Media Group
EAST WINDSOR — A 62-year-old Hightstown woman and business owner who had been missing for more than two weeks was found dead in her car Last Thursday afternoon, police said.
   Police received a report at 1:25 p.m. last Thursday that there was an unresponsive woman in a vehicle parked in the lot of C Building of the Hampton Arms Apartments on North Main Street, police said.
   Officers discovered a deceased female inside the vehicle and later identified her as Joann Palma, 62, of Hightstown.
   Ms. Palma had been missing since Nov. 20.
   The vehicle was locked and there did not appear to be signs of violence or foul play, police said.
   Before the discovery of the body Thursday, officials said they were coming up empty following leads since her disappearance.
   ”We don’t have any new information,” Hightstown Police Director James Le Tellier said Thursday morning. “All of our leads have led to dead ends.”
   Police said Ms. Palma was in contact with her family at 7:15 p.m. on Nov. 20, and was last seen at a friend’s home in Monroe Township, police have said.
   Police concentratyed the search on places she was known to have visited in the past including the Palmer Square area of Princeton and the Freehold Raceway Mall.
   She was last seen wearing a white sweater, black pants and a silver jacket, according to police.
   Police also said she was operating a 2006 Toyota Highlander with the license plate number of YZT66K.
   Ms. Palma was the co-owner of Cranbury Pizza, located at 63 North Main Street in that town.
   ”We haven’t found her and hope she is okay,” co-owner Robert Hugel said Thursday morning.
   Mr. Hugel said that he bought into the business in 2003, but Ms. Palma and her husband, both of whom have been in business for about 40 years, started it in 2000.
   He said that he has known the couple since the 1970s and that she had just returned from a vacation two days before going missing.
   He also said he did not know of any personal or medical problems that might have led to the disappearance.
   Mr. Hugel said Ms. Palma had never gone off like this before to his knowledge.
   The business was using its Facebook page to spread the word to help locate Ms. Palma.
   Friends of the page, some as far away as North Carolina, commented that they were sharing the information.
   ”She is a person I am proud to call a friend. Always there to help out, lend a hand and have a great laugh with. I have been sick since I heard the news,” Kathy Stolz Maher wrote on the page. “Please everyone, keep this going. We must find her.”
   Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Hightstown police Sgt. Benjamin Miller or Detective Frank Jiminez at 609-448-1234.
   Special Writer Nicole M. Wells contributed to this report.