Outrage as man who 'stalked and threatened' missing Rutgers student walks free

Mortimer 'Morty' Wortman IV has been missing since November, and his family believes the last person seen with him, Adam Zalouk, knows what happened.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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The family of a missing Rutgers student Mortimer 'Morty' Wortman IV is outraged that the man he was last seen with, Adam Zalouk, remains free despite pleading guilty to threatening Wortman in a separate incident. Wortman has been missing since November, and his car was found three months later in the same parking lot where he was last seen getting into Zalouk's car. Zalouk has not been charged in connection with Wortman's disappearance, and prosecutors say they were hamstrung because Wortman was not there to testify against Zalouk in the threat case, which resulted in a plea deal with no jail time.

Why it matters

This case highlights the frustration of Wortman's family, who believe Zalouk knows what happened to their loved one but has not been held accountable. The lack of charges against Zalouk in Wortman's disappearance, despite his history of stalking and threatening the student, has led to outrage and renewed calls for justice.

The details

Wortman, a 22-year-old landscape architecture student, was last seen on November 21 getting into a car with Zalouk in a parking lot near Rutgers University. Wortman's car was found in the same lot three months later, but he has not been seen since. Zalouk reported Wortman missing 18 hours after he was last seen, claiming they got into a fight and Wortman wandered into nearby woods. In a separate incident in July, Zalouk pleaded guilty to threatening Wortman with a knife and vandalizing his car, but received a plea deal with no jail time. Prosecutors say they were unable to fully pursue the case against Zalouk because Wortman was not there to testify.

  • Wortman was last seen on November 21, 2025.
  • Wortman's car was found in the same parking lot three months later.
  • In July 2025, Zalouk threatened Wortman with a knife and vandalized his car.

The players

Mortimer 'Morty' Wortman IV

A 22-year-old Rutgers University student who has been missing since November 2025.

Adam Zalouk

The last person seen with Wortman, who has a history of stalking and threatening the missing student.

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What they’re saying

“I truly believe Adam knows where my son is at. He's been stalking him.”

— Mortimer Wortman III, Wortman's father (News 12)

“The only person that could tell us where he is Adam and he's still free and he's still not telling the truth.”

— Nick Moccio, Wortman's close friend (The New York Post)

“Morty's the best person I know. He didn't deserve this and this was not supposed to happen to Morty.”

— Nick Moccio, Wortman's close friend (The New York Post)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Adam Zalouk out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights the frustration of Wortman's family, who believe the person last seen with their loved one knows what happened but has not been held accountable. It raises questions about the criminal justice system's ability to pursue justice when a key witness is missing.