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Prosecutors: Dennis Adler Hid Remains Of Daughter In Keansburg Home

KEANSBURG, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Prosecutors say a New Jersey man concealed his daughter's skeletal remains in a small cottage in Keansburg.

Dennis Adler, 57, was charged with second-degree disturbing of human remains. He made an appearance in court Thursday but offered little information about the charges, reports CBS 2's Christine Sloan.

A cleaning crew discovered Kimberly Adler's remains in a crawl space under Dennis Adler's former residence. Police responded to 45A Campview Place on Tuesday and confirmed the discovery.

Police said the remains were hidden about four years ago. An autopsy and dental record comparison conducted on April 4 confirmed her identity.

Neighbors said she went missing four years ago at the age of 23 and that Dennis Adler sold the cottage, along with two other properties next to it, back in 2008.

Kimberly Adler was never reported missing. Police were unaware of her death until the discovery of her remains.

"She had her problems. She was running for a while. I know she was hiding out for a while," neighbor Lisa Keelen told Sloan.

"She was fun to hang out with. She was a cheerleader. Basically we just had fun growing up," another neighbor said.

Investigators returned to the scene Thursday, looking for more clues.

Friends said Dennis Adler appeared successful, driving around fancy cars, but lost it when his wife died of cancer.

"He was different after his wife passed away. He was a different person," said Keelen. "He lost the houses, or sold the houses, and now you just see him walking around."

Adler appeared just fine in court, choosing his words carefully, Sloan reported.

"It's a tragedy. It's very said. Just pray for the man. Apparently something's not right with him," neighbor Joan Franken said.

Adler's bail was set at $100,000.

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