Vigil, $2K reward announced in case of missing Rutgers student

✅ A $2,000 reward is being offered

✅ The Rutgers student has been missing since November

✅ A vigil is planned at the site where the 22-year-old was last seen

JACKSON — A reward has been posted for information that leads to locating a resident and Rutgers student who has been missing since November.

Mortimer "Morty" Wortman was last seen in the parking lot of the Regional Day School on Route 571 in Jackson on Nov. 21, 2025, prompting searches in the wooded area near the school.

Jackson Mayor Jennifer Kuhn and Councilman Christopher Pollack are funding a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the "finding and safe location" of the 22-year-old.

"We desperately want this young man to return to his friends and loved ones. Together we hope this reward may convince someone who saw something or heard something, to come forward," Kuhn said in a statement.

Pollack told New Jersey 101.5 he was inspired by comments to the board by Nick Machio who said he is Wortman's best friend. After communicating online, Pollack invited him to attend the Jan. 6 council meeting and address the council. He criticized the council for not investing enough resources to find its own resident.

"Why is Councilman Chris Pollock the only person in this room, besides the friends and family of Mortimer Wortman, who has tried to do anything to raise awareness for his disappearance and to help bring him home," Machio said. "Mortimer's family deserves answers. Jackson Township residents need to be confident that this town will search when someone goes missing?"

ALSO READ: Family fears foul play after Rutgers student
vanishes in Jackson woods

Township officials defend coordination with police and prosecutors

Pollack echoed Machio's sentiment and believes more could have been done when Wortman was first reported as missing.

"I just think we should have been more on top of it from the beginning. I think we should have put out a reward earlier. We should have been sharing it more. We should have been talking about it more," Pollack said. "It's nothing negative against anybody. It's just sometimes you realize, 'Hey, we should have done more.' And you can't be afraid to say that."

During the Jan. 6 council meeting, Kuhn said she was present at the search for Wortman on the weekend of Dec. 20 and spoke with his parents. She assured Machio that the council had discussed Wortman's disappearance with the township officer of emergency management.

Council President Mordechai Burnstein said that he and Kunh spoke about the search at the last Office of Emergency Management meeting. However, they cannot tell Jackson police, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and Sheriff's Office how to conduct a search.

"The role of council and the mayor is to have the communication with the police department, and we do not interfere. We do not dictate what our chief, what our police department does. We completely back our men and women in blue," Burnstein said.

ALSO READ: Family says ICE hurt 18-year-old high school student during raid

Vigil planned as search continues

Ironically, Pollack said he and the mayor do not get along.

"When something like this happens, I'm glad we can come together. We're both personally putting up our money for it, because we don't want to go to the taxpayers for this, and we want to hopefully spur some people, hopefully getting involved, speaking up, saying something, because we need answers," Pollack said.

Pollack said a vigil is planned for Sunday at the Regional Day School starting at 4:30 p.m.

Wortman is 5 feet 10 inches and 200 pounds with light skin, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He has a nose piercing and several earrings in both ears. Anyone with information is asked to contact Jackson police at 732-928-1111.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom