According to reports, Andy Neiman, an actor, dramatist, and Andy Cohen’s childhood buddy who vanished last month, has been found dead. He was 48.
Stephanie Saur, a friend of Neiman’s, confirmed the news of his passing on the GoFundMe page she set up to aid in his search after he vanished from the MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York, on May 21. She commented, “We are devastated to share that Andy’s body has been located in Poughkeepsie. THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed so much to the search effort.
The funeral expenses will be covered by the money already contributed, and Saur said, “We’re raising our aim to gather more funds to support Andy’s 8-year-old daughter. Thank you to everyone who helped in this effort.
A public Facebook group was created after Neiman went missing to aid in the hunt, and Emily Asher Abramson also posted the terrible news there. She stated that the identification of the body discovered on the Hudson River beach in Poughkeepsie on Wednesday was made official yesterday.
As in the past, when we were trying to find a way to bring him home, Abramson continued, “Your words of love, prayer, and encouragement provide me much comfort at this time. “Do not be frightened to speak incorrectly. I appreciate you being the web I can get tangled up in.”
About two weeks after Neiman vanished, Cohen, 53, published a flier for a missing individual earlier this month on Facebook. The leaflet described Neiman as a “lost, vulnerable adult with schizophrenia” who was last seen wearing green scrubs and was thought to be in the area.
Andy Cohen told Page Six, “Andy is younger than me, but we went to the same camp – Nebagamon in Wisconsin — and the same high school.” Neiman was bipolar and had recently experienced a psychotic break, according to Page Six. “I and many others in St. Louis are praying for his safe return.”
A Cohen representative did not immediately answer the request for comment from PEOPLE.