Woman Found Dead Behind Lowe's Identified

A woman who was found dead behind the Hackettstown Lowe’s hardware store Thursday night has been identified by police and her cause of death has been revealed. 

Ellen Whitenack, 56, of Hackettstown, was found lying in the roadway when a Hackettstown patrolman was driving through the area at 10:06 p.m., Sgt. Darren Tynan said.

Whitenack’s body was found near the River’s Edge Apartment Complex tree line behind the store, Tynan said. The Hackettstown resident died of natural causes and there was no foul play involved.

The investigation was conducted by the Hackettstown Detective Bureau, Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Warren County Prosecutor’s Office. The Hackettstown Rescue Squad and St. Clare’s Medic Unit assisted at the scene.

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