Body found in Wissahickon Creek Saturday ID’d by family as David Taundi of Roxborough

After months of searching, the body of a missing Roxborough man has been found.

On Saturday, police recovered a body from the Wissahickon Creek near Ridge Avenue, subsequently identified by family members as David Taundi. The Medical Examiner’s Office, which has not officially confirmed the body to be that of Taundi, said on Tuesday morning that the identification of manner and cause is still pending.

The discovery is the final step in a search that began on Saturday, Dec. 15, when Taundi’s car was found at the scene of an accident at 4:15 a.m. that day along Henry Avenue, only a few blocks away from his Roxborough home, where he lived with his father.

Police quickly identified the car as belonging to the 33 year old, Taundi, but no evidence in the vehicle pointed to his whereabouts.

He was last seen by his father, Elimon Josiya Taundi, on the evening of Friday, Dec. 14 at their home on Dupont Street. Taundi told NewsWorks shortly after his son’s disappearance that he’s been searching for his son ever since.

“He left Friday evening to go meet friends. I was going to work at the airport,” said Taundi, back in December. “I didn’t see him when I came back. It was very, very strange of David. I started calling people, but nobody knew where he was and his phone went to voicemail.”

Taundi said he immediately started calling the local police department, as well as the police departments and hospitals in New Jersey and Delaware to try to locate his son.

A month later, he told NewsWorks that nothing had come of the search. He said he requested detection dogs and a helicopter to aide search efforts.

“I wanted the whole wilderness combed,” he said. 

Reached at his home, Taundi said that given the volume of press requests, the family would postpone speaking to the media until the conclusion of funeral arrangements.

Wendy L. Campbell, President & CEO of the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and Taundi’s former employer said in a statement that her staff is “devastated” by the news of Taundi’s death.

“David was more than just an employee to the Association,” she recalled. “He was an honorable, considerate gentleman with an easy smile who believed deeply in our mission. David volunteered with several of our committees, including Chocolate Symphony and Junior Committees, outside of his working hours at the Association and Bank of America.” 

“Our hearts are heavy and we extend our sincerest condolences to his loved ones,” she continued. “David will be deeply missed by many.”