The body of Sarah Townsend, the teen from NJ that has been missing since Monday, was found earlier today. The body of the 18 year old high school student was pulled from Sherman’s Pond in the Green Acres Park in Burlington Township after four search teams with dogs began an search of the park. Her body was found where her boyfriend found her car with a note about Sarah’s intentions. Townsend called her boyfriend asking her to meet him at the park on Monday, but by the time he arrived she was already missing.  Read more info after the jump.

@Julie1205

The body of 18-year-old Sarah Townsend, who had been missing since Monday morning, has been found.

The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that the body pulled from Sherman’s Pond in the Green Acres Park in Burlington Township on Friday afternoon is that of the Allentown (NJ) High School senior.

Officials say the body was found around 1:15 p.m. by the New Jersey State Police Canine Unit. Chopper 6 HD was over the park around 2:00 p.m. when the search team brought the body to shore.

The discovery came just a few hours after four search teams, including dogs, began an intense search of the 28-acre section of the park.

Those search crews believed that they could conduct a more thorough search since there were fewer people there today than earlier this week.

The family has been notified of the discovery, Burlington Township Burlignton Township Police Director Walt Corter told Action News.

The area where the body was discovered was also where Sarah’s car was found by her boyfriend, Matt Welsh, after Sarah went missing on Monday morning.

The car was still running while parked near Sherman’s Pond.

Police say Sarah called her boyfriend to meet her there but she was gone when he arrived.

Authorities on Thursday said what we reported earlier this week – that a note in the car raised concerns about Sarah’s intentions.

“There’s an indication… that she might want to harm herself,” Corter said at the time.

Sarah’s mother said on Thursday that it makes no sense.

“She’s going to the Florence and the Allentown (NJ) prom. She’s talking about how she was going to wear her hair, what shoes she was going to wear,” said Laurie Townsend, who added those aren’t the actions of a teen thinking about hurting herself.

Townsend’s family had put up a billboard that could be seen Friday on Route 206 in Columbus, New Jersey with Sarah’s picture.

A $10,000 reward had been offered by her family for her safe return.

Police had said earlier that there was no evidence of foul play in Townsend’s disappearance.
ABC