Car of missing Paterson woman found with body in backseat, cops say

PATERSON — The car belonging to a woman missing since December was located on Sunday morning, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

The charcoal gray Nissan Altima, which is registered to Shanaya Coley, 24, of Paterson, was spotted in the parking lot of a local garden apartment complex located on Marion Street, according to Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes.

The prosecutor said the car was noticed by a local resident. Officers who responded to the scene noticed what appeared to be a body in the back seat as they approached, according to Valedes, who said medical examiner had not made a positive identification.

Coley was reported missing in December. Saturday was the five-month anniversary of her disappearance.

The apartment building where her car was found is less than a 5 minute drive from Colonial Avenue, where her glasses were found near where police say she normally parked.

Her father, Willie Coley, told NBC 4 New York at the time that she had a three-year-old son, and had taken out a restraining order on someone but did not know who.

Passaic County chief assistant prosecutor Jason Statuto told New Jersey 101.5 it had been a difficult case but investigators were "exhausting every investigative lead possible."