The following specific records regarding the missing person investigation of Mortimer Wortman
Dear Jackson Township,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
1) Police Incident Report: The initial 'Face Sheet' or Incident Report for the investigation into the disappearance of Mortimer Wortman.
2) CCTV/Surveillance: Any surveillance footage obtained by the Jackson Police Department from the SureStay Plus Hotel (Jackson) on November 20th, 2025, and Jackson Vocational Technical School showing Mortimer Wortman and Adam Zalouk on November 21st, 2025.
3) Lab Reports: Copies of any final laboratory analysis results for DNA evidence submitted (specifically a sheathed knife and rags).
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
John Smith
Good Day Requestor,
Thank you for your email. Please be advised that requests for Police
Records must be received and processed by the Jackson Township Police
Department for fulfillment. I have attached a resolution for your
reference and explanation.
I will forward your request to the appropriate official within the Police
Department for completion. Should you have any questions regarding your
Police OPRA request, please feel free to reach out directly to Chief Kunz.
Have a great day, and thank you.
Thank you,
Hayley Santoro
Clerk I
Office of the Municipal Clerk
Jackson Township
95 W. Veterans Highway
Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: 732-928-1200 Ext. 1204
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic message contains information from
the Jackson Township Clerks office. This e-mail and any files attached may
contain confidential information that is legally privileged. If you are
not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it, you
are hereby notified that any DISCLOSURE, COPYING, DISTRIBUTION or use of
any of the information contained in or attached to this transmission is
STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error,
please forward same to sender and destroy the original transmission and
its attachments without reading or saving in any manner.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: John Smith <[OPRA #84409 email]>
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2025 1:08 AM
To: OPRA <[Jackson Township request email]>
Subject: OPRA request - The following specific records regarding the
missing person investigation of Mortimer Wortman
[Some people who received this message don't often get email from
[OPRA #84409 email]. Learn why this is
important at [1]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]
CAUTION:This message has originated from an External Source. Please use
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responding to this email.
Dear Jackson Township,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA
and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an
official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request
per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including
all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place
of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New
Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
1) Police Incident Report: The initial 'Face Sheet' or Incident Report for
the investigation into the disappearance of Mortimer Wortman.
2) CCTV/Surveillance: Any surveillance footage obtained by the Jackson
Police Department from the SureStay Plus Hotel (Jackson) on November 20th,
2025, and Jackson Vocational Technical School showing Mortimer Wortman and
Adam Zalouk on November 21st, 2025.
3) Lab Reports: Copies of any final laboratory analysis results for DNA
evidence submitted (specifically a sheathed knife and rags).
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail
as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you
are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person
and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
John Smith
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please deliver records electronically via email to the below UNIQUE
address for all replies to this request:
[OPRA #84409 email]
Is [Jackson Township request email] the wrong address for OPRA requests to Jackson
Township? If so, please contact us using this form:
[2]https://opramachine.com/change_request/n...
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
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View this OPRA request & responses online:
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If you find this service useful as an OPRA custodian, please ask your web
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Found in spam 12/18/25, 12:57 pm. The response below which was sent to satisfy the request retrieved from spam from 12/17/25 also satisfies this request.
To: BB <[email address]>
From: Edith L. Merkel, Township Clerk, Township of Clark
Re: OPRA request - Mediation Agreement - Affordable Housing
Date: December 18, 2025
The Township of Clark received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 3:37 PM (spam folder). The official Records Custodian, Edith Merkel, received your OPRA request on December 18, 2025. This response to your request is being provided to you on the same business day as the custodian’s receipt of said request.
Your OPRA request sought access to:
" The current agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center ratified at the 12/15/25 Township Council meeting."
Response:
The attached record(s) is/are responsive to your request and is/are provided in their entirety.
If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the decision by the Township of Clark to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (GRC) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The GRC can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
Requestor,
We are in receipt of you OPRA and Common Law request dated December 18,
2025.
Your OPRA request in its entirety is denied in accordance with N.J.S.A.
47:1A-3(a). The records you have requested pertain to an ongoing
investigation, and their release at this time would be detrimental to the
public interest and/or interfere with the investigation. Once the
investigation has concluded and the records become available for public
release, you may submit a new request for review at that time.
Your Common Law request is denied. Following the qualitative requirements
of Keddie v. Rutgers, your request fails to establish a personal interest
in the subject matter of the material. In addition, evaluating the
citizen's right to access balanced against the township's interest in
preventing disclosure, the township's interest in confidentiality
outweighs the public's interest in the records at this time.
Captain Sean Greenberger #228
Support Services Division Commander
Jackson Twp Police Department
102 Jackson Drive
Jackson, NJ 08527
Office: 732-833-3004
Email: [email address]
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic message contains information from
the Jackson Township Police Department. This e-mail and any files attached
may contain confidential information that is legally privileged. If you
are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it,
you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use
of any of the information contained in or attached to this transmission is
STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error,
please forward same to sender and destroy the original transmission and
its attachments without reading or saving in any manner.
Dear Jackson Township,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Open Public Records Act reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Jackson Township's handling of my OPRA request 'The following specific records regarding the missing person investigation of Mortimer Wortman'.
Statement of Interest (Common Law Right of Access)
I am submitting this Statement of Interest to support my request for records under the Common Law Right of Access. As established in N. Jersey Media Grp., Inc. v. Twp. of Lyndhurst, 229 N.J. 541 (2017) and Loigman v. Kimmelman, 102 N.J. 98 (1986), I am asserting a cognizable interest in the following records that outweighs the agency’s claim of confidentiality:
1 Nature of the Interest: My interest is rooted in the safety and welfare of a missing citizen, Mortimer Wortman. There is a high degree of public concern regarding the disappearance of individuals, and transparency in the initial steps of such investigations is vital to public trust.
2 Specific Need for Disclosure: The requested records—specifically the 911 audio from Adam Zaluk, the school/hotel surveillance, and the DNA analysis of submitted evidence (knife/rags)—are essential to establishing a timeline of Mortimer Wortman’s last known movements. Access to these records is necessary to ensure that all leads are being followed and to facilitate community assistance in locating a missing person.
3 Public Interest vs. Confidentiality: While the agency may cite an ongoing investigation, the 'criminal investigatory' exemption of OPRA does not apply to the Common Law. Given that the individuals involved are already known to the public and the family, the risk of 'chilling' the investigation is minimal compared to the urgent need for transparency in a missing person case.
4 Request for Redaction over Denial: If specific portions of these records are truly sensitive, I request that the custodian perform a manual redaction of those portions rather than a blanket denial of the entire record, as required under Common Law standards.
A full history of my OPRA request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://opramachine.com/request/the_foll...
Yours faithfully,
John Smith
Subject: REBUTE TO DENIAL: OPRA/Common Law Request - Mortimer Wortman Investigation
Dear Captain Greenberger,
I am in receipt of your denial dated December 26, 2025. I am formally contesting this denial on the following legal grounds:
1. Mandatory Disclosure under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-3(b)
While you cited the "ongoing investigation" exemption under section 3(a), you failed to address the mandatory disclosures required under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-3(b). This statute states that "where a crime has been reported but no person has been arrested," the following information shall be available to the public within 24 hours:
- The type of crime/incident.
- The time and location of the incident.
- The identity and age of the victim.
- Information as to the circumstances of the incident (including time and nature of police response).
Your blanket denial of the Police Incident Report (Face Sheet) violates this specific provision of OPRA. I demand the immediate release of the redacted Face Sheet containing the information mandated by section 3(b).
2. Clarification of Common Law "Personal Interest"
You cited Keddie v. Rutgers to claim I lack personal interest. Please be advised that in New Jersey, a "citizen’s shared interest in the proper administration of justice" is often sufficient to establish standing. Furthermore, the interest here pertains to the safety of a missing individual, Mortimer Wortman.
If the Department maintains that its interest in confidentiality "outweighs" the public interest, I request a specific explanation as to how the release of a 911 call recording or a description of CCTV footage would "interfere" with an investigation that has been active since November.
3. Request for Vaughn Index
If you continue to deny these records in their entirety, I request that you provide a Vaughn Index (as established in Vaughn v. Rosen) listing each withheld document and providing a specific factual justification for why that individual document’s release would be "detrimental to the public interest." A blanket statement is insufficient under the law.
Please reconsider the release of the 911 audio and the Incident Face Sheet immediately to avoid further challenge via the Government Records Council (GRC) or the Superior Court of New Jersey.
Respectfully,
John Smith
Good Day Requestor,
Thank you for your email. Please be advised that requests for Police
Records must be received and processed by the Jackson Township Police
Department for fulfillment. I have attached a resolution for your
reference and explanation.
I will forward your request to the appropriate official within the Police
Department for completion. Should you have any questions regarding your
Police OPRA request, please feel free to reach out directly to Chief Kunz.
Have a great day, and thank you.
Thank you,
Hayley Santoro
Clerk I
Office of the Municipal Clerk
Jackson Township
95 W. Veterans Highway
Jackson, NJ 08527
Phone: 732-928-1200 Ext. 1204
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic message contains information from
the Jackson Township Clerks office. This e-mail and any files attached may
contain confidential information that is legally privileged. If you are
not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it, you
are hereby notified that any DISCLOSURE, COPYING, DISTRIBUTION or use of
any of the information contained in or attached to this transmission is
STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error,
please forward same to sender and destroy the original transmission and
its attachments without reading or saving in any manner.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: John Smith <[OPRA #84409 email]>
Sent: Friday, December 26, 2025 4:27 PM
To: OPRA <[Jackson Township request email]>
Subject: Internal review of OPRA request - The following specific records
regarding the missing person investigation of Mortimer Wortman
CAUTION:This message has originated from an External Source. Please use
proper judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or
responding to this email.
Dear Jackson Township,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Open Public Records Act
reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Jackson Township's handling
of my OPRA request 'The following specific records regarding the missing
person investigation of Mortimer Wortman'.
Statement of Interest (Common Law Right of Access)
I am submitting this Statement of Interest to support my request for
records under the Common Law Right of Access. As established in N. Jersey
Media Grp., Inc. v. Twp. of Lyndhurst, 229 N.J. 541 (2017) and Loigman v.
Kimmelman, 102 N.J. 98 (1986), I am asserting a cognizable interest in the
following records that outweighs the agency’s claim of confidentiality:
1 Nature of the Interest: My interest is rooted in the safety and
welfare of a missing citizen, Mortimer Wortman. There is a high degree of
public concern regarding the disappearance of individuals, and
transparency in the initial steps of such investigations is vital to
public trust.
2 Specific Need for Disclosure: The requested records—specifically
the 911 audio from Adam Zaluk, the school/hotel surveillance, and the DNA
analysis of submitted evidence (knife/rags)—are essential to establishing
a timeline of Mortimer Wortman’s last known movements. Access to these
records is necessary to ensure that all leads are being followed and to
facilitate community assistance in locating a missing person.
3 Public Interest vs. Confidentiality: While the agency may cite an
ongoing investigation, the 'criminal investigatory' exemption of OPRA does
not apply to the Common Law. Given that the individuals involved are
already known to the public and the family, the risk of 'chilling' the
investigation is minimal compared to the urgent need for transparency in a
missing person case.
4 Request for Redaction over Denial: If specific portions of these
records are truly sensitive, I request that the custodian perform a manual
redaction of those portions rather than a blanket denial of the entire
record, as required under Common Law standards.
A full history of my OPRA request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[1]https://opramachine.com/request/the_foll...
Yours faithfully,
John Smith
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this UNIQUE email address for all replies to this request and
no other:
[OPRA #84409 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[2]https://opramachine.com/help/officers
View this OPRA request & responses online:
[3]https://opramachine.com/request/the_foll...
Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will
be delayed.
If you find this service useful as an OPRA custodian, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's website.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
References
Visible links
1. https://opramachine.com/request/the_foll...
2. https://opramachine.com/help/officers
3. https://opramachine.com/request/the_foll...
Dear Requestor,
A review of your request and our response was conducted which included our
township attorney. Our initial response to your OPRA and Common Law
requests have been deemed legal and proper.
Captain Sean Greenberger #228
Support Services Division Commander
Jackson Twp Police Department
102 Jackson Drive
Jackson, NJ 08527
Office: 732-833-3004
Email: [email address]
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic message contains information from
the Jackson Township Police Department. This e-mail and any files attached
may contain confidential information that is legally privileged. If you
are not the intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it,
you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use
of any of the information contained in or attached to this transmission is
STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this transmission in error,
please forward same to sender and destroy the original transmission and
its attachments without reading or saving in any manner.