Bucks DA Joins Search For Silverdale Co-Workers, Suspects 'Something Happened'

North Penn Now Staff•

Matthew Branning, 50, left, and Michael Allen Stark, 47.

The search for two area missing men has taken another unexpected turn.

Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub called a news conference Wednesday to ask for the public’s help in locating Matthew James Branning, 50, of Sellersville, and Michael Allen Stark, 47, of Royersford.

Weintraub said that the co-workers at Enchelor, Inc., in Silverdale, have been missing for more than two months. He said investigators now believe something has happened to Branning and that Stark is somehow involved.

Originally, Perkasie Borough Police asked the public’s help on Oct. 20 in locating Branning, who they said was last seen leaving work Oct. 15 and had been reported missing by his family. Police also asked the public to keep a lookout for Branning's 2002 Lexus SUV, with Pennsylvania license KWS-5619.

Then, on Nov. 1, Perkasie Police added coworker Stark in a second missing person alert. He had had been missing since Oct. 15, police said, and might be operating Branning’s Lexus.

Officials said Wednesday that Branning was seen on surveillance video Oct. 15 driving up to an ATM in Sellersville; a person is partially visible in the back seat, but not identifiable, they said. Toll and cellphone data then show Branning’s Lexus traveled into Central New Jersey around 5 p.m., then south into Cape May, they said.

Investigators said they tracked Branning’s cellphone to the area of a Wawa in Cape May shortly after 9 p.m. that night. Surveillance video shows Stark making a purchase at 9:24, but Branning is not seen in the video, they said. After that, toll information shows Branning’s Lexus heading north and then west on the Atlantic City Expressway, they added.

Since that date, there has been no activity on Branning’s cellphone or bank account, nor has he had any contact with his family, and efforts to locate the vehicle have proved fruitless, they said. According to his family, there is no explanation for Branning to travel unexpectedly to New Jersey and it is out of character for him to not contact his family or miss work, where he had been employed for nine years, Weintraub said.

Meanwhile, Stark was positively identified on video at a pawn shop in Garden City, Mich., on Nov. 13, Weintraub said.

Anyone who has information regarding Branning or Stark or the Lexus SUV is asked to contact Bucks County Detectives at (215) 348-6056, or at www.Bucksda.org, or the Perkasie Police Department at (215) 257-6876. Anyone with information can also anonymously contact the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers toll-free number (800) 4PA-TIPS (8477) or online at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=107.

Callers to Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers could be eligible for a cash reward.