Morrisville man ID'd as person found dead in Lower Makefield car fire

Lower Makefield police now know the name of the dead man inside a burning car earlier this month.  But they’ll need to wait to find out what killed him.

A forensic dental exam revealed that the body of John Motyka, 74, of Morrisville, was found in the driver’s seat of the car found parked at the St. Ignatius Cemetery on April 3, Bucks County Coroner’s Patti Campi confirmed.

Lower Makefield police are calling the car fire and death suspicious, though a cause of death for Motyka is pending, Campsi said on Friday.

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Previously, Lower Makefield police confirmed that they have identified the owner of the car found on fire at the River Road cemetery. The car is registered locally and it was not reported stolen; the owner is also not Motyka, police said.

Police and firefighters responded to the cemetery near Macclesfield Park shortly before 11 a.m. for a report of a brush fire, but it turned out to be a vehicle fire near the rear of the property, according to a police press release.

The Yardley-Makefield Fire Co. extinguished the fire, and firefighters discovered human remains in the driver’s seat. The body was removed and taken to the coroner’s office for further examination and an autopsy, police said.

The condition of the body made it impossible to immediately identify Motyka and a cause of death.

Anyone with information or video footage from home security systems relevant to the investigation should contact the Lower Makefield Township Detective Division at 215 493-4055.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates

Reporter Jo Ciavaglia can be reached at jciavaglia@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Coroner ID's man found dead in car fire in Lower Makefield cemetery