Missing Newtown Square man found dead in Va.

NEWTOWN SQUARE A Newtown Square man who disappeared last month under suspicious circumstances has been found dead in Virginia, authorities said Monday.

Yaron Bernstein, 22, was last seen at 6 p.m. Nov. 13 as he left a friend's apartment on the 1100 block of North Third Street in Northern Liberties.

At the time, authorities labeled his disappearance suspicious. Police said Bernstein, a music production artist, might have been a party in alleged criminal behavior involving drugs.

Bernstein's body was discovered on a beach in Norfolk on Dec. 7. A person walking spotted his body and called police, authorities said.

It is unclear whether Bernstein knew anyone in Norfolk and what happened between his disappearance and death.

His father, Jeffrey Bernstein, said this month that his son was last seen getting into a car in Northern Liberties. Bernstein told friends he would be back in 30 minutes, but never returned, his father said.

Police in Norfolk said Monday that the cause of death had not been determined and that investigators were awaiting a ruling by the medical examiner.

Newtown Township police said last week that the cause of death was drowning and that the death was considered suspicious.

A Philadelphia police spokesman did not comment on the case.

Jeffrey Bernstein said his son left college at the University at Buffalo to start Good Looks New York Inc., described as a "cultural and entertainment collective that specializes in events planning, promotions, photography, and clothing."

He enjoyed electronic dance music, his father said, and traveled to concerts and festivals often, spending weeks at a time on the road. He kept in touch with his family through text messages and Facebook.

In April, he was arrested in Buffalo on drug charges with intent to deliver, according to police.

In November, Yaron Bernstein came home after a stay in Pittsburgh, his mother, Janet, said this month.

Nothing seemed amiss, she said. He visited with family members for a weekend in early November - taking his younger siblings out for breakfast - and sent his mother a text message the day before he disappeared, asking her to set up a dentist's appointment for him.

The family offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his safe return and regularly asked friends to spread the word on his Facebook page.

"It's the worst. It's like a nightmare that you feel you never will ever have - but it's not a dream, it's reality," Jeffrey Bernstein said in December.

Bernstein's funeral was Monday afternoon. A representative for his family did not return a call for comment.

On Bernstein's Facebook page, friends posted condolences and memories.

"I'll always remember that big welcoming smile," one wrote.