Jersey City native and Clifton resident Martin Espaillat disappeared on his way to his job in Jersey City some time during the ice storm on Valentine’s Day.
His family searched for him for almost three weeks, taping posters around Jersey City and Hoboken, sending information to websites, and asking friends and fellow musicians to spread the word.
But on Mar. 3, they received bad news.
Espaillat’s body was found that day at Garret Mountain in West Paterson, over a mile away from the train station in Clifton where he was headed, said Espaillat’s sister, Mildred, in a brief interview on Monday.
The family had begged police to search such sites as the “Gates of Hell,” a series of storm drains near a distillery in Clifton that have become home to many urban legends.
According to his cousin Edgar Sanchez, the viewing of his body took place on Wednesday and his funeral was held on Thursday at the Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington.
Sanchez said that he and Martin grew up with each other “all the way through high school.”
“We were so close, I would have done anything for him,” said Sanchez.
But the questions remain as to what exactly happened to Martin.Who was Martin Espaillat?
What is known is that Espaillat touched the lives of many people. A North Jersey band promotion collective, Optic Productions, offered, along with his family, a $850 reward to anyone with information while he was missing.
A website (www.happyviper.com/martin) set up to post information on Espaillat describes a Dominican man who was 26 6-foot-1, weighing 185 pounds, with dark brown hair and brown eyes – and sadly a 26th birthday that he would have celebrated five days after his disappearance.
In a newspaper article last month on Espaillat’s disappearance, it was reported that “Martin Espaillat never went far without his laptop” as well as with a number of other items he normally take whenever he left his house. But the day he was last seen, he did not take his laptop.
Posting on various internet bulletin boards by his sister described Espaillat on the day of his disappearance as “heading to work in Jersey City, New Jersey…Martin was wearing a black Northface coat with a hoodie”.
The article also pointed out Espaillat “loved music and drummed for many local bands.”
On a website (www.livejournal.com), Rene Rosa, the leader of one of the bands that Espaillat played in, Evil Adam, posted a long, touching dedication to him on Monday.
An excerpt reads, “We all love and miss Martin. The hell that has [been] the past 2.5 weeks is evident of what we think about the man. The lengths that we’d have gone through in an effort to bring him back to us safely would know no bounds but unfortunately we did not have that opportunity and Martin is gone and there is nothing that any of us can do about it now. It’s so damn tragic and hurtful, and I don’t think any of us are going to be able to go through life without constant reminders of this.”
Another of his friends, known as Yarely, posted on her MySpace account on Sunday the following, “This was probably the most difficult situation of all to deal with. You were missing and I hoped for your safe return, any thoughts to get any negativity off my chest, I told myself everything; I called half our friends because it was hard to sleep, just like everyone wondering what could be. We all wanted closure but not like this Martin. It doesn’t even seem real; it’s hard for this to sink in right now…” ‘Not a homicide’
How did Martin Espaillat meet his death? What led to him not making his train in Clifton to reach his job? There may be some clues about his death at such an early age.
Det. Allen Berkenbush of the Clifton Police Department said on Friday that the investigation into Espaillat’s death found that it was “not a homicide” and that the case was closed.
Berkenbush also said Garret Mountain was not considered a location where Espaillat would have frequented. Berkenbush did not offer further details on the case.
In a Herald News article from last month, it was also reported that “while Clifton detectives are treating the matter as they would any other missing persons’ case, they do not suspect foul play.”
There may also be a clue from Rene Rosa’s posting.
An excerpt reads, “We are all worth so much to those who love us and who care about us; however, sometimes we just seem worthless to ourselves. Everyone goes through this from time to time, but usually we allow those around us to pick us back up and set us right and ready.”
Did Martin Espaillat take his own life? And if so, why?
That is but mere speculation until others close to him and other authorities involved open up just as friends have done. Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com