READING, Pa. – Toxicology results are pending in the death investigation of a 19-year-old from Stafford, who appears to have died hours after he climbed into a dumpster following an off-campus college party near Kutztown University, according to investigators.
Kellen J. Bischoff, a 2022 graduate of Southern Regional High School where he was a standout wrestler and a member of the National Honor Society, suffered injuries that were consistent with having been dumped into and later compressed by a trash truck, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
There were no signs of foul play or any unexplained injuries, the statement from Chief County Detective Michael J. Gombar said. A toxicology analysis identifies any chemical substances in a body that may have been a contributing factor in a death, and the results typically take weeks to process.
Bischoff was visiting a family member in Kutztown and last was seen early Saturday morning, after leaving the house party. He was subsequently reported missing to Kutztown police, according to the statement.
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At 8:41 a.m. Saturday, officers from the Exeter Township Police Department were called to the Total Recycling Facility in Birdsboro, where the remains of a male were found among the recyclables that had been dropped off by a trash hauler that morning, the statement said.
Bischoff was later identified by his tattoos. Detectives retraced his movements and recovered video surveillance footage that showed Bischoff, who was alone, climbing into a dumpster behind a Dollar Tree store on Constitution Boulevard in Kutztown, according to the district attorney’s office.
The video showed that several hours later, the trash hauler arrived to empty the contents of the dumpster into the rear of the truck, which were then compressed and taken to the recycling facility, where the victim’s body was later discovered, the statement said.
“The investigation is continuing,” the statement said. “To date, no evidence of foul play has been uncovered and the victim’s death appears to be accidental.” The autopsy was performed Monday.
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Bischoff’s obituary said that “his fun-loving personality was infectious and left an impression on all who knew him.” He was a lifelong Stafford resident.
The teen was pursuing an interest in music with Full Sail University “and the sound of his drums could be heard echoing across the winds of Ocean Acres,” the Stafford neighborhood where he lived.
Surviving are his parents, Patty and Mike Bischoff of Stafford; twin brother Nathaniel and a sister Raegan. The obituary also noted his two dogs, Sullivan and Finnegan.
Mourners will gather from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Maxwell-Tobie Funeral Home, 573 Mill Creek Road in the Manahawkin section of Stafford, with a blessing service to follow at 6 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made in Bischoff’s memory to one of the following organizations: www.PointerRescue.org, www.HappyPawsRescue.org or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.StJude.org.
Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at [email protected].
