The Murdered Joseph Hoopengardner

The Murdered
Joseph L. Hoopengardner
NJ Cold Case
Ocean County

   Joseph Hoopengarder was a 44 year old plumbing business owner from Dover township New Jersey in 1981. On Saturday, January 26, he was found dead in the woods of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area. Joseph was found with blows to the head and 3 gunshot wounds. His truck was found the next day, January 27, parked in the Playdrome bowling lanes parking lot at Route 37 and Conifer Street, Toms River. The truck appeared to be wiped clean, no fingerprints were found.
The Ocean County medical examiner’s office states that Joseph had been dead only a few hours before the body was found at 2:30pm by a hunter near the intersection of Route 539 and Mule Road. His cause of death was a laceration and hemorrhage of the brain. He was shot three times in the head and body but the police have not determined the type of weapon used.
His wife’s name is Helen Hoopengardner, (maiden name Hamm then Parsons before marrying Joseph.)I was unable to find a picture of Joseph, other than the one attached. 
No motive has ever been suggested. Unfortunately, this is all the information that was available.

Sources: 

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29326154/asbury-park-press/

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/1083933532:61253

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/588923578:61843

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/78418985/joseph-l-hoopengardner

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/399556%3A61260

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2610437%3A61632