'It was in his DNA': Prosecutor, veteran found dead in preserve was known for service

JUPITER FARMS — Robert Jaegers had a passion for public service, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg recalled. Harry Malecki remembered Jaegers' leadership as past commander of two local American Legion posts.

Jaegers, a longtime Palm Beach County prosecutor and an Air Force veteran, was identified as the man found dead this week in a wildlife and environmental area west of Interstate 95, near the Palm Beach County and Martin County border. He was 71.

His body was found Tuesday, March 26, following an extensive search by Palm Beach and Martin County sheriff's deputies that began Monday night after Jaegers' family reported him missing from his Jupiter Farms-area home.

Family members told investigators it was typical of Jaegers to walk in the Hungryland Wildlife and Environmental Area. He was found about noon Tuesday in the 16,600-acre area, which lies east of Pratt Whitney Road just inside Martin County.

Jaegers' cause of death is unknown. The Martin County Sheriff's Office, which is leading the investigation, said there were no visible signs of trauma.

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Prosecutor oversaw cases in the Palm Beach County Veterans Court

Jaegers was born in 1952 and graduated from Penn State and was active in the university's Palm Beach County alumni club. The Florida Bar said he became an attorney in 1978 after graduating from Ohio Northern University-Claude W. Pettit College of Law in 1977. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1978 to 2005, the American Legion said.

His survivors include his wife, Denise, their daughters Heidi and Kathryn, and their sons Robert and Charles.

Reflecting on Jaegers' time as an assistant state attorney, Aronberg described him as a prosecutor inspired by a life of service.

“He was someone who believed strongly in public service," Aronberg said. "It was in his DNA. He had strong character, a love of country, and he cared deeply about other people. His entire reason for being was to help others, especially if it was a veteran. He had a soft spot in his heart for those who served his country as he did."

During Jaegers' 31 years as assistant state attorney, one of his roles was overseeing cases in the Palm Beach County Veterans Court, which provides treatment and rehabilitation services for combat and non-combat veterans referred to the court. He oversaw veterans cases for seven years before retiring from the office in November 2019.

Air Force vet Robert Jaegers was an American Legion leader in Florida

In addition to being a prosecutor, Jaegers was past commander of American Legion Post 12 in West Palm Beach and American Legion Rood-Williams Post 271 in Tequesta.

"Bob was a very good man, good veteran." Post 271 commander Harry Malecki said. "(He was a) good dad, good husband. Everything we did, we did together and we all enjoyed being around each other, being around Bob. "

Malecki said Jaegers was active in many facets of the American Legion, including leading the honor guard. He was a past judge advocate for the Legion's Florida department and a judge advocate in District 11, which encompasses Martin, Palm Beach and Okeechobee counties.

"He did a lot a good things for our post," Malecki said. "He was very involved in the American Legion as a whole. He’s going to be missed at our post."

Information on funeral services was not immediately available.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Prosecutor, veteran found dead near Jupiter known for public service