Gina Schickling's Body Found; Boyfriend Confesses to Stabbing Missing Woman, Say Police
NEW YORK (CBS) The body of Gina Schickling, a 22-year-old college student who had been reported missing on June 30, was found in a wooded area behind a home in Northern New Jersey, according to authorities.
PICTURES: Gina Schickling Murdered
Her boyfriend, Stephen Benford, was charged Tuesday with her murder after allegedly confessing to police, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.
Police say Benford, a 23-year-old ex-con, stabbed Schickling multiple times after an argument at the couple's apartment in Kensington, a Philadelphia neighborhood.
According to FOX affiliate WTXF, police say Benford confessed to murdering Schickling in Philadelphia, then driving her body to New Jersey and dumping it behind a home near Newark where his parents used to reside.
Her father, Tom Schickling, broke the news to his friends and family on his Facebook page around 6 p.m. on Monday.
"Friends and family - Gina is dead," Tom Schickling's post read. "This is an unspeakable tragedy for our family. We deeply appreciate all of the prayers and all of the help with our efforts to find her. Please allow us time to grieve."
WTXF reports that Schickling and Benford met on okcupid.com, a free online dating site, and had been dating since April.
Schickling's family told the local station that Gina, who studied in San Diego, was "a vegetarian who did not do drugs, took really good care of herself and had a lot of friends."
A group, "Missing: Please help us find Gina!" had previously been set up on Facebook asking for information on Gina's disappearance. It has now been flooded with remembrances and prayers for the murder victim.
