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    Body of missing New Jersey wrestling coach Ed Piccola found

    The body of Ed Piccola, former New Jersey wrestler and long-time coach who had been missing for nearly three weeks, has been discovered at a campsite in northwest Virginia.

    Piccola's body was found Sunday in Clarke County, Virginia, after officials launched a search for the 36-year-old by air and ground near the Shenandoah River. News of his discovery was first posted at his sister's Facebook page late Tuesday morning, and in New Jersey news media later that day.

    Holly Piccola, who had been updating friends on her brother's status on her Facebook page, posted this message at approximately 11 a.m. Tuesday:

    "My beautiful baby brother has joined our mom and older brother in Heaven. We are so thankful for all of the love and support we have received in the last 20 days. I wish the outcome had been different. I know Ed was loved by so many and that will bring my family and I something to hold onto in the difficult time. We ask that you please respect our privacy in this extremely difficult time. At some point we will plan a celebration of his life in NJ but for the moment we need to grieve his loss."

    Ed Piccola (Photo/Twitter)
    Ed Piccola, described as a "standout wrestler" in New Jersey who had been coaching for more than a decade at the Buxton Athletic Training Center in Randolph, N.J., run by Jeff Buxton, long-time head wrestling coach at the nationally-ranked Blair Academy in New Jersey, had last been seen in New Jersey at a bar-and-restaurant not far from his home on Wednesday, May 30. Family members filed a missing person's report after Piccola did not show up for work the next day.

    Piccola's car was later found on Sunday, June 3 near Luray, Va. in the Shenandoah River Valley west of Washington, D.C. and approximately five hours from where he was last seen in New Jersey. In recent days, a Virginia TV station had reported that Piccola was seen inside a Wal-Mart in that part of Virginia purchasing a kayak and camping supplies.

    Local authorities had postponed a search for Piccola for a time because of flooding in the area.

    Virginia authorities did not provide a cause of death nor any other details on where Piccola's body was found, according to NJ.com, website for a number of New Jersey newspapers, including the Newark Star-Ledger.

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