The man found dead in Penn Forest Township this week was allegedly killed by another man who was in a relationship with his ex-wife.

The body of Samuel Vacante, 52, was found Sunday near the Towamensing Trails community.On Wednesday police charged Eleazar Yisrael, 29, of Hazleton, with homicide and related charges, in connection with Vacante's death.It is believed that Yisrael shot Vacante at Vacante's Butler Township home, stole his car to transport his body, and then abandoned the car near his home in Hazleton.Vacante was reported missing by his ex-wife on Aug. 31. Police say that Yisrael and Lisa Vacante were in a relationship, but there is no indication that she knew of his plans to kill her ex-husband.Yisrael would have been familiar with the Penn Forest area because he once lived about a half-mile from where Vacante's body was found.Police searched Yisrael's home on Sept. 3 and arrested him on weapon and drug charges. On Wednesday, he was arraigned on one count of criminal homicide, and related charges.According to a criminal complaint:Around 1 a.m. the night before Vacante was reported missing, two Butler Township police officers observed Yisrael walking along a remote stretch of road not far from Vacante's home. He was wearing full camouflage. They observed that his behavior was suspicious, and spoke with him, but had no reason to take him into custody. When they drove by again about 15 minutes later, Yisrael was gone.About 18 hours later, around 9 p.m. on Aug. 31, Vacante's ex-wife, Lisa, reported her ex-husband missing. His vehicle, a 2014 Kia Cadenza, was also missing.Police searched Vacante's home that night and found blood on the garage floor. There was evidence that someone tried to clean up the blood. There were firearms, knives, watches and other personal belongings missing from the residence.A search of Vacante's cellphone records revealed that the phone's last activity was in the area of East Side Borough. Before that, there was activity at multiple locations in Penn Forest Township.On Sept. 2, police found Vacante's vehicle parked on Eighth Street in Hazleton.The license plate had been removed and placed in the trunk, and someone tried to obscure the Vehicle Identification Numbers on the vehicle. A search of the vehicle turned up evidence of blood on the interior and exterior of the vehicle. It also turned up finger prints that were matched to Yisrael.Police met with an acquaintance of Yisrael's who said that on Sept. 1, he saw Yisrael driving a vehicle which matched the description of Vacante's.The acquaintance said that Yisrael left a comforter containing various items in his garage. The items included knives and watches belonging to Vacante, as well as a spent .22 caliber shell casing, the same as was found at the crime scene.The items were recovered. Vacante's family confirmed that the valuables had belonged to Samuel Vacante.Vacante's body was discovered on Sunday near Petrarch Trail in Penn Forest Township. Because of the advanced decomposition of the body, he had to be identified by dental records.A forensic pathologist determined that Vacante had died of a gunshot wound to the back. The death was ruled a homicide.Yisrael previously lived at 170 Lipo Way in Penn Forest Township, about a half mile from where the body was found.Lisa Vacante told police that Yisrael told her he was at a club in Manhattan, called the Karma Lounge, with another acquaintance during the time that the alleged murder occurred. Police interviewed that man, who denied Yisrael's story.Vacante's cellphone was found destroyed along Interstate 80, leading police to believe that it was thrown from Vacante's vehicle as Yisrael returned from disposing of the body.