Former student Joshua Hupperterz was arrested this morning for murder, abuse of corpse and other charges.

UPDATE at 11:47 p.m.

The body of Jenna Burleigh, a junior film and media arts major who was killed, was transported in a storage bin more than 100 miles from an apartment near Main Campus, NBC10 reported.

Burleigh’s remains were transported after she was likely killed in the 16th Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue apartment to Jenkintown, where the suspect and former student Joshua Hupperterz’s mother resides and it remained there overnight.

The next day Burleigh’s body was taken via Lyft car service to Hupperterz’s grandmother’s property in Wayne County.

Burleigh’s body was found in the same storage bin by investigators on Saturday afternoon in a shed on the Wayne County property.

Hupperterz was arraigned Sunday morning and ordered held without bail on charges of murder, abuse of corpse and other charges.



UPDATE at 5:20 p.m.

Jenna Burleigh died from blunt force trauma and strangulation, according to NBC10.

Burleigh, a 22-year-old junior film and media arts major, was killed at former student Joshua Hupperterz’s home at 1708 N. 16th Street near Main Campus. Her remains were later transported more than 100 miles away to Hupperterz’s grandmother’s property in Wayne County.

Police found her remains on Saturday afternoon, two days after she was reported missing by her family.

Hupperterz was charged and arrested on Sunday morning with murder, abuse of corpse, tampering with evidence and other drug-related charges.

UPDATE at 8:40 p.m.

Philadelphia Police Capt. John Ryan confirmed that student Jenna Burleigh’s body was found in Wayne County, Pa. on Saturday afternoon.

Burleigh had been missing since 2 a.m. on Thursday morning. Her body was found on the former student Joshua Hupperterz’s grandmother’s property. Police would not yet disclose where and how her body was found, but did say they believe she was killed in an apartment at 1708 N. 16th Street near Main Campus.

Police said at a press conference Saturday evening that they have processed two crime scenes: one scene at 1708 N. 16th Street where Burnleigh was killed and another scene on Shore Drive in Hawley, Pa.

Hupperterz, 29, is in custody by Philadelphia Police. No charges have been filed.

Police said they could not comment on a weapon at this time. They added they are unsure if sexual assault was involved.

“It’s a totally heartbreaking case,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said. “It really strikes home for you.”

Police said the investigation is still in its very early stages, so some information is not known or not yet available for release.

UPDATE at 6:14 p.m.

Ed Burleigh, the father of Jenna Burleigh, posted a photo of his daughter on Facebook Saturday evening, along with the text: “Jenna is now in Heaven … RIP honey.”

Police have not yet confirmed that Jenna has died.

A former Temple student has been brought in for questioning after the disappearance of student Jenna Burleigh when police found blood, large amounts of drugs and cash in his home.

Joshua Hupperterz, 29, who last took classes in Spring 2017, was identified on local surveillance cameras walking with Burleigh to her house Thursday morning, the Inquirer reported.

Police searched Hupperterz’s home on 16th Street near Cecil B. Moore Avenue under a warrant Friday night. Inside the home, they found blood near the kitchen sink, back door and on a trash can lid, the Inquirer report said. Police also found 10 to 15 “pillow-case size bags” of marijuana and $20,000 in cash.

Burleigh, a junior commuter student majoring in film and media arts, her last known location was around 2 a.m. near Pub Webb on Cecil B. Moore Avenue close to 16th Street on Thursday. Her family reported her missing later that evening. Temple Police, Philadelphia Police and Lower Salford Police have been investigating her disappearance ever since.

A neighbor told the Inquirer that they heard screams coming from Hupperterz’s house on 16th Street around 4 a.m.

Hupperterz was taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police at a family member’s home in Lackawanna County, according to the Inquirer’s report. He has not yet been charged.

When Hupperterz was questioned by police, he had scratches on his face and a cut on his hand that he told detectives was from hurting his hand on a broken bowl he had in his house.

More than a dozen Philadelphia and Jenkintown officers and police dogs spent Saturday morning searching a home that Hupperterz’s mother and stepfather own on Cloverly Lane in Jenkintown, Montgomery County. Police spent part of the morning looking at a garage in the back of the house, the Inquirer reported.

Anyone with information about Burleigh’s whereabouts are encouraged to call Temple Police at 2215-204-1234 or the confidential tip line at 215-204-6493.

This story is developing. Check back at The Temple News for more information.