Last sighting of Goldman Sachs banker found dead after night out

02 August 2023 , 19:16

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A 27-year-old man who works for top investment banking firm Goldman Sachs disappeared on Saturday after leaving the Brooklyn Mirage nightclub, and his body was found and pulled from a nearby river bank on Tuesday after a search.

Now, investigators are putting together the pieces of John Castic's sudden death as they reveal surveillance footage captured some of his last moments. In the video, he's seen walking past a pizza-vending vehicle wearing a light-colored floral shirt and khaki pants.

Castic was a Lower Manhattan resident. He disappeared around 3 a.m. after a performance by electronic music group Zeds Dead, according to police and his pal Sara Kostecka. He texted his friends to let them know he was going to call an Uber home - but they never heard from Castic again.

This is the second time in a few months that a man has gone missing in the area. The area near Brooklyn Mirage is a desolate place at night with tons of warehouses and trucks moving in and out, though hundreds flock to the block-sized nightclub most weekends.

His body was recovered less than a mile from where he went missing after a man noticed a bloated, shirtless body floating in the English Kills, a branch of the East River tributary, near 1100 Grand St, according to the New York Post. Authorities said the body showed no signs of violence or contusions, though there will be a forthcoming autopsy report.

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Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO David Solomon mourned the loss of the “dedicated, driven member” of the investment bank’s controllers team. “We are all shocked and saddened to learn of John’s tragic passing,” he said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with his mother Dawn, his father Jeff, and his entire family at this very difficult time. John will be deeply missed by his Goldman Sachs family,” Solomon added.

The group he went to see also posted a statement on their Twitter acknowledging the fan: "We are saddened to hear about the tragic loss of John Castic after our Brooklyn show this weekend. Our thoughts are with his friends and family."

CCTV of the last time Goldman Sachs analyst Jon Castic was seen before his death (Pix11)

Speculations surrounding his disappearance point to the possibility that he might have chosen to ride in an unlicensed cab in an attempt to reach home, but now that his body has been located and police are searching for more evidence and surveillance videos, it's a different story. Authorities aren't sure if there was any foul play.

With Castic missing by Sunday morning, his friends and family immediately alerted authorities. With no trace of him and his phone being off since that fateful night, worries have engulfed his friends who have had no contact with him whatsoever, and a frantic search has sparked to determine his whereabouts.

Sara Kostecka, a friend of John's, wrote on Facebook: "One of my best friends, John Castic, went missing after the Zeds Dead show Friday night in NY. Any information would be greatly appreciated, as well as sharing this with anyone in NYC that might have seen him."

A still of John Castic from the night he went out and never came home - the man's body was found floating in a nearby riverbank two days later (5TH PRECINCT)

Kostecka noted that she had heard rumours about patrons being asked to "hop in a taxi/cab from some creepy people" near the music venue. She said she has known Castic for seven years and that he has never been unreachable. She said she is fearing the worst, and added: "I’m supposed to walk with him to my brother's wedding next week … we just want to find John."

"I know there’s been a series of young adult males, mid 20s, going missing and ending up in bodies of water in Chicago recently," Kostecka said, referencing the Smiley Face Killer theory. "I’m praying this isn’t related, but I fear it is."

Citizen sleuths have speculated online that a serial killer is responsible for nearly a dozen bodies pulled out of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan in 2022. Another of Castic's concerned friends, Jonah Shales, told Fox News that his phone died at some point after he left the venue and hasn't been on since.

"We’re absolutely very worried about him," Shales said. "No one has had any contact with him.