Homeless man, 58, lived and died in Brick woods

BRICK TOWNSHIP - Authorities still don't know how a homeless man died in the woods off Mantoloking Road recently, but his death does not appear to be suspicious.

"We don't have the autopsy results," said Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Martin Anton on Monday. "But we are not looking at it from the perspective of a homicide at this point."

The body of Richard Conklin, 58, was found by Diane Connett, who lives nearby and often checked on him. Conklin had apparently lived in the woods for several years, authorities said.

The woods are located in the area of Adamston and Mantoloking roads, Anton said.

The autopsy results are expected in a few days. Until then, the matter is under investigation, he said.

"It's always under investigation until we get the autopsy results and we close the file," he said. "We are not anticipating we have anything here. It appears it was natural causes."

The matter is being investigated by Brick Detective Dan Waleski, Sgt. John Stutski of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and Detective Scott Frey of the Ocean County Sheriff's Department Criminalistics Investigation Unit.

- Patricia A. Miller