District Attorney: Massachusetts man reported missing over a year ago, found deceased

A Massachusetts man who was reported missing over a year and a half ago, has been found dead.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, 63-year-old Gary Belder was reported missing to the Springfield Police Department on July 8, 2021, after having been unaccounted for since July 5, 2021. He reportedly left his home that morning but never returned. The Springfield Police Department and numerous other agencies investigated dozens of tips and potential locations for Belder over the past 21 months, though they were ultimately unsuccessful.

On March 23, 2023, officers from the Chicopee Police Department received information about potential human remains in the woods off of Memorial Drive. What police discovered appeared to have been there for quite some time. The body was recovered, and an unattended death investigation was initiated by the Chicopee Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office.

During the course of the investigation, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was able to positively identify the deceased as Belder. The investigation has revealed that foul play is not suspected in Belder’s death.

This is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Chicopee Police Department and Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office.