William Maerov, aged 22 at the time, was last seen on **June 2, 2018**, when he boarded a **Piper PA‑31 Navajo** aircraft in Rhode Island, bound for East Hampton, New York. The flight included his grandparents—Bernard and Bonnie Krupinski, both aged 70—and pilot Jon Dollard, 47 years old. The group was returning from a short trip to Newport, Rhode Island, after picking up William’s sister, Charlotte Maerov.
During the afternoon of June 2 around **3:20 p.m.**, the aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Amagansett, Long Island—approximately one mile off Indian Wells or Atlantic Avenue Beach. Severe thunderstorms were passing through the region at the time of the accident. The **FAA lost contact** with the plane around 2:37 p.m. shortly before the crash.
Search and recovery efforts were extensive. Initially, the bodies of Bernard and Bonnie Krupinski were recovered from the ocean soon after the crash. The body of pilot Jon Dollard was located about 40–45 feet underwater roughly a mile offshore after about five days of searching. However, Maerov’s body was not recovered during these operations. Eleven days after the crash, the East Hampton Town Police, led by Chief Michael Sarlo, officially suspended the search for him due to challenging sea conditions, though officials maintained hope that he might eventually be found.
Tragically, partial **skeletal remains** believed to be Maerov’s washed ashore in early 2019 at a beach near Indian Wells Highway, not far from the crash site. These remains were submitted for DNA testing to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s office. By March 2019, the medical examiner had **positively identified** the remains as belonging to William Maerov. At that time, East Hampton Town Police expressed that the identification could offer some measure of closure to the family, and grief from the community was widely shared.
Public records from the NamUs database list Maerov under case number **MP53305**, documenting his details: a white male, 5 ft 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 170 lb, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Although the NamUs page does not yet report recovery of his full remains, it continues to maintain his case as open pending any further findings.
At the time of his disappearance, William Maerov was a student at **Georgetown University**, having graduated from St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware, in 2015, where he was engaged in athletics and student‑leadership activities. His family described him as someone who connected easily with people of all ages—his father remarked that William “could connect with 80‑year‑olds, he could connect with 8‑month‑olds.” A memorial service for Maerov and his grandparents was held on June 8, 2018.Last Seen: Jun 2, 2018
