In a quiet corner of southern New Jersey, a chilling discovery has renewed hope in the search for a missing woman. Danielle Lopez, a 37-year-old from Willingboro, has been missing since April 2024, when she went camping in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest with her boyfriend.
Lopez’s disappearance has puzzled authorities and devastated her family, but recent video footage may provide a new lead in the case.
A YouTuber who runs the @FireandTrails channel, known for documenting camping and hiking trips, recently revisited footage from a ride through the state forest in April 2024. He had recorded the area for his viewers, pedaling through the various camping loops to showcase the serenity of the forest.
Nearly two years later, while reviewing the video in connection with Lopez’s disappearance, he noticed something that stopped him in his tracks. In one brief clip, two people appeared at a campsite that he now believes may have belonged to Lopez.
“While scrubbing through the footage, I noticed two campsites were occupied. And for a few seconds, you can see two people at her campsite,” the creator said in a new video. “As I pedaled past, the realization that I might have captured her on camera without knowing it stopped me in my tracks.”
Lopez’s mother, Sue Quackenbush, has viewed the video and believes it shows her daughter’s campsite, citing recognizable vehicles, including Lopez’s car and her boyfriend’s motorcycle.
However, she said it is not certain whether the figures seen in the footage are her daughter or her boyfriend. One figure, dressed in pink pants, appears to be hanging something on a makeshift clothesline, while a second person is less clearly visible.
The new video has prompted Quackenbush to continue her own investigation, reaching out to outdoor clubs and encouraging others who may have been in the area to share footage or photographs from that time. “Danielle is loved and missed by many each and every minute of every day,” she said.
She hopes that by bringing more attention to the video, others who might have seen Lopez or captured images of her will come forward with helpful information.
The last confirmed sighting of Lopez was on April 13, 2024, when she was seen leaving a Wawa on Route 72 in the Vincentown section of Southampton Township. Later that day, she was spotted walking alone on Lost Lane in Penn State Forest, roughly 12 miles from the campground.
A couple driving in the area recorded the encounter on their GoPro and shared the footage with police. Lopez’s boyfriend, who is now in state prison on unrelated charges, and several people who were around her in the days prior were interviewed by investigators.
Lopez is described as white, 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 125 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She has a slight scar on her upper lip. Her family has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to her location or safe recovery.
Authorities continue to treat the case as active, and anyone with information is urged to contact the New Jersey State Police.
The YouTuber hopes his video, along with potential digital evidence from others in the area, will help generate new leads. “The Pine Barrens are vast, but digital footprints can be found anywhere,” he said. “I am asking anyone who was in this area between April 7 and April 13, 2024, to check their phones, dash cams, and cameras.”
As the search for Danielle Lopez continues, her family remains vigilant, determined to piece together the final days of her disappearance and bring her home safely.
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