Body in Hudson river identified as missing student, Connor Trapatsos aka ‘Trapper’
After five weeks, the search for Connor Trapatsos has ended in tragedy as police on Thursday identifed the body found in the Hudson River Wednesday as the teenage freshman from The College of Saint Rose.
Trapatsos, aka “Trapper, age 17, was last seen on Oct. 15 in the Selkirk area and police say that the injuries imply that the teen fell from a railroad bridge near the Thruway connection to the Berk shire Spur.
Connor Trapatsos
“We have no reason to suspect foul play,” Coeymans Police Chief P.J. McKenna said. “The bridge is probably 40 feet above the tree canopy and then it’s a severe 45-degree drop, so you’re talking another 40 feet to the ground.”
The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the legs, pelvis and left arm, McKenna said. He said it did not appear that Trapatsos was struck by a train, but noted that the investigation is continuing.
Saint Rose officials said grief counselors would be available for students, faculty, staff and administrators.
A Facebook page titled “Find Trapper” showed photos Connor, describing him as an animal lover, happily posing with a pet dog and cat and even with a chicken last Halloween, and seated on a couch with his family.
“My husband and daughter talked to him the night before, and he was talking about things he wanted us to bring for him…so it was a complete shock when we found a out a few days later that he went missing the next day,” said his mother, LouAnn Trapatsos after traveling from Buffalo to help find her son.
The confirmation of the student’s death prompted even a grreater outpouring of support for the Trapatsos family. “I am so sorry that this was the way it ended. My thoughts are with you and heart breaks for you,” wrote one woman on the Facebook page on Thursday afternoon.
“Words cannot express the feelings of losing a child,” wrote another woman.” My heart goes out to your family during this horrible time. May you find comfort in each other.”
