Married father-of-three, 44, who seemed to have it all 'cut his own throat' in woods after going out for morning run

PUBLISHED: 17:06 EST, 10 September 2012 | UPDATED: 17:18 EST, 10 September 2012

A married father-of-three who sparked a massive search when he failed to come home from his morning run has been found dead in a wooded area after apparently cutting his own throat.

David Riek, 44, was reported missing from his Ridgefield, Connecticut home by his wife Naomi, who last saw him when he left at 7 a.m. on Saturday for a run.

She raised the alarm at around 9.30 a.m., aware that her husband was a skilled long-distance runner, a seasoned triathlete and not known to wander off.

Tragic: David Riek, pictured with his wife Naomi and their three children, disappeared after going for a run on Saturday - and was found the following day after apparently slicing his own throat

She feared he had fallen during his jog in a nearby wooded area and, without a mobile phone or identification, had no way of calling or signalling for help.

Hundreds of friends and neighbours gave their time to search for the missing dad, but severe weather curtailed the search on Saturday evening.

More...

More than 500 people, some of who traveled from out of the state, resumed the search on Sunday morning and the body of a man matching David's description was found on Sunday afternoon.

A group of volunteers found his body in a rocky area about 50 feet away from the road near the Florida Hill Refuge, police Captain Tom Comstock said, adding foul play had not been suspected.

Loved: Friends and family say they are baffled about the death of the popular and apparently happy husband

Shock: Riek was planning to move to Singapore with his wife and children after lining up a job there. His wife Naomi, left, is from Australia and they were looking forward to being closer to her family

His suicide spot was less than a quarter of a mile from his home.

The medical examiner's office said Riek died of an incised wound of the neck and ruled his death a suicide, the Hartford Courant reported.

Friends said they were stunned by his apparent suicide. The couple's Facebook photos show a man adored by his three young children and beautiful wife.

Stephen Wasdick, a spokesman for insurance company Ace Group, said Riek worked as senior vice president at one of the units based in Stamford.

He quit in January after eight years with the company, Wasdick added.

Fears: David's disappearance on Saturday morning sparked a search involving as many as 500 volunteers

Grisly: A group of volunteers found the body in a wooded area near his home, pictured, on Sunday

Riek and his wife, a Zumba instructor, were planning to move to Singapore later this year where he had a job lined up.

Naomi is from Australia, and the family looked forward to being closer to her relatives, friends told the Courant.

'Our whole community is heartbroken by this tragic news and we will do everything we can to help them,' First Selectman Rudy Marconi told the Courant.

'It’s just very very sad - a young guy, bright future, wonderful family - that his life would end this way is tragic.'

Missing Ridgefield Runner David Riek Committed Suicide, Officials Say

Add your comments

Comments (9)

The comments below have not been moderated.

Dave was a good man that I had the pleasure of knowing and working with over the years. Having just seen him recently, this is baffling. Everyone that I knew respected him and looked up to him as a guy who had it all. We are deeply saddened by this news and are praying for peace and grace for his family-especially his wife and children God Bless the Rieks and I am sad that Dave's life has ended so tragically. He will be missed by all that had the pleasure of knowing him. May God rest his soul.

- bruinlith , lake in the hills, United States, 11/9/2012 05:20

Click to rate Rating 1

Be kind with the comments for the children's sake, They lost a parent and will always have questions that may never get answered. May they find peace.

- michelle , belize, 11/9/2012 05:15

Click to rate Rating 2

Amen...I worked with Dave over the years. A very cool guy, smart, beautiful family, respected and admired professionally and personally. He will be missed greatly. Losing someone like that makes you take pause. I am baffled. God Bless that family. Prayers to all in this very difficult time.

- bruinlith , lake in the hills, United States, 11/9/2012 05:08

Click to rate Rating 3

the father must have been broken to leave behind such a beautiful wife and kids. I wish them all the strength in the world and I hope that one day the sun can bring back their smile again !

- Dutchy , Windy city, 11/9/2012 04:51

Click to rate Rating 4

Please, keep your assumptions to yourself. Allow the family to grieve. Offer your condolences and thoughts, but keep the speculations to yourself. No matter what information you are given, it does not make this any less of a tragedy. My heart breaks for his wife, my friend.

- ashleyhoef , Danbury, United States, 11/9/2012 03:44

Click to rate Rating 17

Men can be fragile creatures. I'm getting that this guy had some major issues that he did not want to face. His fancy wife, with her fancy free zumba class probably didn't help to alleviate the stress.

- JANE , usa, 11/9/2012 03:39

Click to rate Rating 29

Maybe he didn't really have that job lined up, had no way to continue to support the family and hteir lifestyle and was afraid to tell his family and it finally got to be too much. Just a shot in t he dark..

- dwg52378 , Redondo Beach, 11/9/2012 01:44

Click to rate Rating 33

It's a personal tragedy. You're not entitled to every detail. Rather ghoulish.

- Fatman , Houston, 11/9/2012 01:29

Click to rate Rating 24

He quit his job in January[eight months ago] but had a job lined up in Singapore? There's a lot NOT being told about this incident.

- snakemeister , Birmingham-America, 10/9/2012 23:46

Click to rate Rating 62

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.