‘Peter was always kind’

Remains believed to be those of missing man found

The body of a Middletown man missing since October was found Sunday in the woods in Wallingford, authorities said Tuesday.

The whereabouts of Peter Recchia, 59, who went missing Oct. 3, were unknown until his body was found by a hunter.

“Middletown police detectives spoke with Peter’s family yesterday and let them know that Peter’s body was located. We have been working closely with Peter’s family since his disappearance. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Peter’s family as they process the loss of their family member,” Lt. Heather Desmond said in a release Tuesday.

Desmond said personal property around the body, found in the woods on South Cherry Street, belonged to Recchia.

“The items were conclusive enough to determine that it was Peter Recchia who was found,” Desmond said.

The Medical Examiner’s

Office will conduct an autopsy to confirm that identity of the body found is Peter Recchia.

Recchia was seen after he was reported missing.

On Oct. 4, a Hamden woman called police in that town after Recchia entered her home through an unlocked door in the early morning. The woman found Recchia sitting at her kitchen table and convinced him to leave the home, according to Hamden police .

At a noon press conference in Bridgeport, Frank Recchia, a News 12 reporter, also said that after a fivemonth search the body of his brother was found in the woods in Wallingford.

He said Peter Recchia’s remains were in “an advance state of decomposition” because of the elements and wildlife, and that his brother’s cause of death is unknown, but investigators don’t suspect foul play.

Peter Recchia’s backpack and wallet were found near the remains.

“Peter was always kind, but Peter was always different,” Frank Recchia said. “And I so wish that we had known when we were growing (up) back in the 70s , I wish there was a culture of openness about mental illness because Peter was wonderful, and different, and kind. He was such a kind and amazing soul who never wanted to hurt anyone. And later in life, he turned this kindness into a little crusade for Jesus. He would go around in his word, saving souls.”

The family had maintained throughout the ordeal that Recchia, who suffered from medical and mental health challenges, clearly was in need of medical attention after walking from Middletown to Hamden over a 15-hour period, according to his daughter, Bunny Rodriguez.

Peter Recchia was described as 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing around 150 pounds, with gray hair, green eyes, and was wearing rectangular eyeglasses when he disappeared on foot that day. He was wearing a royal blue short-sleeved shirt, jeans, black belt and black sneakers, authorities said.

He was last seen by his daughter shortly before he disappeared. They texted at 7 a.m. that day, after the Hamden incident, Rodriguez said.

Police told Rodriguez her father indicated he was “trying to save souls” at the Hamden house he entered. It was his habit to walk around Middletown, talking to people about the Bible, Rodriguez said.

While the family was still holding out hope, his daughter and brother had come to grips with the possibility he may never be found.

“I know in my heart something happened,” Rodriguez has said. “I think it was an accident.”

“It’s unlikely he’s still alive,” Frank Recchia told the press late last month.

“We want to thank everyone who assisted the Middletown Police Department in searching for Peter Recchia, officers and civilians put in many hours trying to locate Peter, thank you for your efforts,” Desmond said.

The Hamden police officer who briefly detained Peter Recchia after he entered the State Street home the morning after he disappeared was issued a 20-day unpaid suspension from his job on March 5.

The disciplinary action against Officer Stephen Phipps was the result of an internal affairs probe launched in October by the Hamden Police Department into possible mishandling of the case.

Frank Recchia, said, at the time the news of the suspension was released, “Bunny and I are proud supporters of police. We thank every local, state and federal law enforcement official who has stood by us during this difficult time, and worked hard to help bring Peter home.”

Middletown Press Managing Editor Cassandra Day contributed to this article.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Supported by her uncle, Frank Recchia, right, Bunny Rodriguez, of North Branford, addresses the media during a press conference at the Margaret Morton Government Center in Bridgeport on Tuesday. The body of Rodriguez’s missing father, Peter Recchia, a Middletown resident, was discovered Sunday in a wooded area in Wallingford.