Yeda 'Dede' Sharon Rosenthal, a 32-year-old behavioral management specialist, was last seen on Friday, February 22, 1991, after leaving her job at the Elwyn Institute in Media, Pennsylvania. A Canadian national who had moved to New Jersey for her work, she resided at the Somerset Towers apartment complex on Cooper Landing Road in Cherry Hill. When she failed to report to work the following Monday, concerned colleagues alerted the police.
Upon their arrival at her apartment, they found the front door unlocked and the Sunday newspaper untouched outside. Inside, there were no signs of a struggle or disturbance. However, her purse, keys, credit cards, identification, and work briefcase had all been left behind. Her white Honda Prelude was found in the complex's parking lot. The discovery that her cat had been left alone on the apartment balcony in the cold winter weather was particularly uncharacteristic of her, raising immediate concerns among her family and friends.
Initially, investigators considered the possibility that Rosenthal had left on her own, as she was reportedly experiencing financial difficulties and was facing eviction. However, the items she left behind and her concern for her pet made this seem unlikely to her loved ones. The investigation shifted when a neighbor reported hearing a scream and bumping noises from Rosenthal's apartment around 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, February 24. About five hours later, the same neighbor heard the sliding glass door to Rosenthal's apartment open and close. This information led authorities to suspect that she had been the victim of foul play, likely an abduction and murder. The case remained cold for several years, leaving her family with no answers about her fate.
The case took a significant turn in 1995 when Charles E. Reddish Jr., a former maintenance worker at Rosenthal's apartment complex, was arrested for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, Rebecca Wertz, and the assault of her teenage daughter. While in custody for those crimes, Reddish confessed to killing Rosenthal. He provided a detailed account, stating that he broke into her apartment to burglarize it while she was asleep. When she woke up and saw him, he beat her and smothered her with a pillow to prevent her from identifying him. After stealing $80 from her purse, he left her body in the apartment. He claimed he returned a few days later, wrapped her body in a bedspread, placed it in a shopping cart, and transported it to the trunk of his girlfriend's car. He then disposed of her body in a remote area in Salem County. Reddish was charged with Rosenthal's murder in 1997. Despite his confession and a plea deal that was contingent on him leading police to her remains, he later refused to cooperate, and her body has never been found. He was convicted of her murder and sentenced to a lengthy prison term, which he is still serving. Yeda Rosenthal's family had her legally declared dead in September 1996, though the absence of her remains leaves a painful void for her loved ones.Last Seen: Feb 22, 1991
