02/13/16: Zachary Marr, 22, Boston, MA

Zachary Marr.
Photo credit: Boston police

Our thoughts go out to Zachary Marr and his loved ones.

Zachary Marr, 22, was last seen on Saturday, February 13, 2016 at the Bell in Hand Tavern near Boston's Faneuil Hall. Marr, who lives in Harvard, MA, had taken the train to celebrate his birthday with his three cousins. The group, according to a family member, was from the Leominster area of central Massachusetts and not real familiar with Boston.

After being dropped off at the train station by his father, Matthew, and riding the train, Zachary's cousin, Amanda Marr, picked him up from North Station at about 6 p.m. According to the Boston Globe on February 16, "The two drove back to her apartment in South Boston, where she prepared dinner for him: chicken, chips, guacamole, and hummus. She said they had a drink before leaving to go to the Bell in Hand art about 10 p.m."

At around 1:30 am, Zachary sent Amanda a text that he was going out to smoke a cigarette, something he had done several times that night. He was seen on surveillance at 1:40 am, standing outside the Boston Public Market, across the street from the tavern. It was a weekend that saw record cold temperatures of 9 below, but Marr just had on a pullover sweatshirt. He had left his coat in the coat check.

"He sent me a Snapchat saying they're not letting me back in, let's leave," said his cousin Amanda, "I texted him and said where are you, and he said out front and that was at 1:41 am." It was apparently last call.

One of the released surveillance images does show Marr still in front of the Market as late as 1:44 am. But by about 1:51 am, after Amanda and her cousins grabbed their coats and got outside, he was gone.

"I was trying to stay calm," Amanda told the Globe. She hoped he'd just gone for a walk, run into a friend or met a woman, and she'd hear from him later that day. But he didn't turn up.

Photo credit: Boston Public Market / NECN.com.

     Photo credit: Boston Public Market / NECN.com.

Wide shot of Bell in Hand Tavern with Boston Public Market at left.
Google image search. Photo credit: Bill Mueller, June 2015.

The restaurant said in a statement that they provided video surveillance to the police, which shows Marr did not attempt to re-enter the Bell in Hand. Video shows other customers leaving and re-entering after 1:20 a.m. and they said Marr would not have been denied access. The restaurant said another video shows Marr in front of a garage, heading toward the Surface Artery.

The Boston Globe has reported that additional surveillance video shows Marr on a walkway, then walking on train tracks before disappearing into into the river underneath the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge. 

Search team near Zakim Bridge at Nashua Street.

Photo credit: Caitlin Fichtell, 

The Boston Globe, February 23, 2016

Two passerbys spotted Marr's body in the water about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Preliminary evidence indicates his death is consistent with a fall into very cold water.

Amanda Marr said Zachary had a few drinks that night, "but it was nothing out of the ordinary." 

Matthew Marr told the Boston Globe that he suspected Zachary might have tried to swim in the Charles River, or fell through the walkway.

Marr's paternal grandmother had passed away from breast cancer in January, and according to The Boston Globe, he was planning to help his father pack up her apartment that weekend. He had been very close to her, and while he was under some stress, nothing has been reported to indicate Marr was depressed. Marr, a graduate of Leominster High School, was a student at Mount Waschusett Community College. He was taking five classes and was doing well in school. In addition to being a full time student, he was also working full time at Quiet Logistics. The company provides shipping fulfillment for high-end retail fashion brands. Marr had just been promoted.

Marr's missing person's poster describes him as 5-feet-8, 175 pounds with blue eyes and short brown hair and beard. If you have additional information, call Boston Police at 617-343-4571 or Harvard, Massachusetts, Police Sgt. Coates at 978-456-1212.

A funeral Mass for Zachary Marr was held Wednesday, March 23 at St. Anne’s Church, 75 King St. Littleton with burial in Bellevue Cemetery in Harvard.  

Sources:

Dore, David. Father speaks after missing LHS graduate’s body found. March 18, 2016. Leominster Champion. Accessed April 4, 2016 from http://www.leominsterchamp.com/news/2016-03-18/Front_Page/Father_speaks_after_missing_LHS_graduates_body_fou.html

Ellement, John R. Investigators search Charles River for missing man. February 24, 2016. Boston Globe.com. Accessed April 4, 2016 from https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/02/24/divers-resume-search-for-zachary-marr-charles-river/JTO72xGL18zstqiM9rWA0H/story.html

Palumbo, Alysha and Flanigan, Kaitlin. New Images Released as Search for Missing 22-Year-Old Man Continues. February 15, 2016. NECN.com. Accessed April 4, 2016 from http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/New-Images-Boston-Search-22-Year-Old-Zachary-Marr-Harvard-Massachusetts-368845361.html

Ransom, Jan. Police search Charles River, harbor for missing Harvard man. Boston Globe.com. February 17, 2016. Accessed April 4, 2016 from https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/02/17/officials-search-boston-harbor-for-missing-harvard-man/IyN8vLWFejiQeuT7irMfJO/story.html

Ransom, Jan. Celebration in Boston turns into missing person search. February 16, 2016. Accessed April 4, 2016 from https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/02/15/amissing/6BE0O8J9YdUfZMkyit9OqM/story.html

Tavern says video shows missing Harvard man heading toward Surface Artery. February 15, 2016. Accessed April 4, 2016 from http://www.wcvb.com/news/tavern-says-video-shows-missing-harvard-man-heading-toward-surface-artery/38007938

05/01/2015: Robert Songtag, River Falls, WI

Update: Body of missing UW-River Falls student found

By Phil Pfuehler on May 4, 2015 at 7:38 p.m.

Day two of the search for 20-year-old Robert "Bobby" S. Sontag resulted in the discovery of his body on the Kinnickinnic River below the upper dam.

    

Sontag’s body was found around 1 p.m. Monday, May 4, a day after he had been reported missing and a search to find him had begun.

According to River Falls police, a wallet with a photo I.D. and other documentation was found on the body that helped identify Sontag.

An investigation into the circumstances of his death is ongoing.

River Falls police say Sontag, a UWRF student, was last seen in the area of the 400 block of South Main Street around 2 a.m. Friday.

He didn’t show up for college classes Friday and wasn’t seen or heard from since. His pickup truck wasn’t moved.

His disappearance was first reported to police Sunday at 3 p.m.

Sontag was last seen walking home from a bar with a friend. The two then went their separate ways.

Authorities believe alcohol was involved in Sontag’s disappearance.

Police and firefighters began searching for the young man later Sunday afternoon. Firefighters went out on Lake George in a boat to look.

Those efforts were interrupted by a thunderstorm but resumed before being called off because of darkness.

Monday morning they started again with help from Pierce County Sheriff deputies and the use of a quieter air boat.

Deputies in the boat peered into the waters of Lake George and the river, looking for a body. A sonar device was submerged as part of the search effort.

Other officers and firefighters were posted along the upper dam by the old power plant. A body below was finally spotted from a distance and a group descended the cliff to just below the dam.

Sontag was a junior majoring in dairy science at UWRF.

UWRF has counseling services available to students, located in Hagestad Hall.

Source: Pfuehler, Phil. 2015, May 4. River Falls Journal. http://www.riverfallsjournal.com/news/region/3737193-update-body-missing-uw-river-falls-student-found

03/21/13 (Update): Derick Higgins, 21, Smithfield, IL

Derick Higgins Missing since 3/21/13
from Smithfield, IL

I am thrilled to announce that Derick Higgins has been found safe. Derek turned up in San Diego in January 2015 and has since been reunited with his family.

"I don't even know how to explain it. There is not a way to explain it, there is not a word in the dictionary that can explain how we feel,” his parents Tim Higgins and Deb Corsaw told CBS8.com.
"When we first saw him, the first thing he did was stand up and gave us both a hug and it was....such a relief," said Higgins.

It was during a routine traffic stop that police noticed Higgins acting nervous. When his name came up in the police computer as endangered, police took him into protective custody and  brought him to the local hospital. Higgins had been living alone on the street for 22 months begging for money, fending off robbers, getting beaten and burned and eating out of trash cans. His father told the Journal Star that his son tested negative for drugs, was struggling with memory problems. CBS8.com reported that his parents believe, "prior accidents contributed to his disappearance and his memory loss."

“We are very nervous....we have a long road ahead," his father told CBS8.com. But we see light at the end of the road, we are very happy about everything.” 

His parents encourage parents of the missing to have hope. 

“Don't give up. Be persistent,” added Corsaw.


Sources:

Alford, Abbie.  Man missing for two years is found in San Diego. January 22, 2015. CBS8.com.
Accessed April 26, 2015 from http://www.cbs8.com/story/27910166/man-missing-for-two-years-is-found-in-san-diego.

Luciano, Phil. Luciano: Parents of Derick Higgins say he's looking forward to coming home. January 21, 2015. Journal Star.com. Accessed April 26, 2015 from http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150121/NEWS/150129783/?Start=1

03/26/15: William Hempy, 21, Rochester, MN

Police: Body Found Is Missing Rochester Man

April 27, 2015 3:56 PM

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Authorities said Monday a body found in the water on Sunday in the northeast area of Rochester is that of a college student who was reported missing last month.

Authorities found a body at about 7 p.m. Sunday floating in the water on the 4600 block of East River Road NE. The body was taken to the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office in Rochester for identification and an autopsy.

The body was identified as 21-year-old William “Harry” Harrison Hempy. Hempy had been reported missing to the Rochester Police Department on March 26 and was last heard from the day before. Hempy had spoken to his father via cell phone and told him he would not be home in time for a scheduled outing because he was going out for a run.

Authorities said the results of the autopsy are still pending, but foul play is not suspected.

Link: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/04/27/police-body-found-is-missing-rochester-

Previous story: http://bringmethenews.com/2015/04/16/missing-rochester-man-recently-rediscovered-his-religious-beliefs-family-says/

07/01/14: Josepf Zurnieden, 42, Minneapolis, MN

Joe Zurnieden
MISSING since 7/1/14

A Minneapolis father of two has been missing since early July.

Joe Zurnieden, 42, was last seen at his home in the Hiawatha neighborhood of south Minneapolis about 6 a.m. on July 1, 2014 when he left for work. A few hours later, his wife, Katy, spoke with him.

"I was talking to him. I was concerned that he didn't have a lunch with him that day, so I said, 'Let me know where you are and I'll bring you lunch. Me and the girls will bring you lunch,' and I didn't hear from him again," she recalled.

The van he was driving was located two days later near 26th Avenue and Marshall Street in northeast Minneapolis, but Joe has not returned home and hasn't been heard from since he was last seen. 

Joe's wife, Katy, told Fox 9 News that the disappearance is very out of character.

"It's not like him," Katy Zurnieden told Fox 9 News. "Not at all." She is worried that her husband may have fallen into the Mississippi River. 

"He goes for walks to clear his mind," she said. "He would say that he didn't want to do all of his work in his van. He liked to find beautiful spots to just think."

Searchers have looked for Zurnieden along the banks of the Missisippi River to no avail. 

Minneapolis police do not suspect follow play, but they are asking that anyone with information:

• send a text to 847 411 (tip 411), enter MPD and the tip  or 
• call the tipline at 612-692-TIPS (8477). All texts are anonymous.

Joe Zurnieden is white, 6 feet tall, 165 pounds with dark, receding hair.

If you would like to donate to the search effort, a trust account has been set up at Wells Fargo. Tax ID 47-6346506. You may stop in to any Wells Fargo location, transfer money from your Wells Fargo account, or mail a donation to:

Zurnieden Family Trust

P.O. Box 17112

Minneapolis, MN 55417

Sources:

Keller, Bill. (2014, July 8).  Missing: Joe Zurnieden last seen July 1, car found in NE Minneapolis. Myfoxtwincities.com. Accessed September 15, 2014 from:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/25967318/missing-joe-zurnieden-last-seen-july-1-car-found-in-ne-minneapolis

Kare 11 Staff, KARE. (2014, August 21). Benefit for family of missing Minneapolis man. Kare11.com. Accessed September 15, 2014 from: http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/08/21/benefit-for-family-of-missing-minneapolis-man/14421773/

McKinney, Matt. (2014, August 20). "Jam for Joe" benefit to help family of missing Minneapolis man. Accessed September 15, 2014 from http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/272077601.htm.

12/16/11 (Update): Matthew Huszar, 25, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Matthew Huszar
RECOVERED

Footprints has learned that the body of Matthew Huszar was found in January 2014 in False Creek. Our thoughts go out to Matthew and his friends and family.

Matthew Huszar, 25, was last seen December 16, 2011. The 25-year-old University of British Columbia geology grad was last seen outside the Lamplighter Pub at 92 Water Street in Gastown after celebrating with colleagues at a staff Christmas party. No one knows where Huszar went after that. Huszar failed to show up in Victoria the next day to meet his mom as planned, and he missed a post-Christmas visit from his girlfriend who came from the U.S.

Matthew's family stated to the media that his disappearance was out of character. Huszar is normally in frequent contact with his family, having sent his sister Rachael a text just two days before he disappeared. He was also always in touch with his mother, Danny. According to a website set up by the family at the time of his disappearance, Matthew had "no known mental-health or substance-abuse issues and has good relationships with family and friends." Additionally, friends said Huszar was not intoxicated on the night he was last seen, and he was in good spirits. He told his mother just that morning that he was excited about going to Vancouver Island to spend Christmas with his family.

There was no evidence that Huszar was a victim of criminal actions or suicide, or that he left town voluntarily. Despite been reported sightings of Matthew on SkyTrain and the SeaBus, his mother Danny told the Vancouver Sun  that no one had heard from her son.

“The hardest part is just not knowing,” Danny told the paper. “It just seems very bizarre that a person can disappear from a street in Vancouver and nobody has seen or heard anything."

The police said in January 2012 that they had no new leads.

“We’re very frustrated and frightened by the lack of any information whatsoever," said Danny. "We’re asking the public’s help for any information, no matter how insignificant.”

Huszar's mother, father and sister offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Matthew. They had hoped the reward would help trigger some information about what happened to Matthew. The family had been in constant contact with the police after Matthew's disappearance and with Huszar’s friends launched a poster and social media campaign, and a website to generate tips.


Recovery

In January 2014, two years after his disappearance, Vancouver Police announced that Matthew's body had been found in a marina in False Creek on Dec. 31. Vancouver Police divers collected evidence as part of their investigation. Police said there was no indication of anything suspicious in his death and foul play was not suspected.

According to the Canadian Press, "Coroner Barb McLintock says it appears Huszar died shortly after leaving a Gastown pub on Dec. 16, 2011. She says it's still unknown how and why Huszar reached the marina, two kilometres away, and in the opposite direction from his home. "

A cause of death has not been reported.


About Matthew Huszar

Matthew Huszar, a self-described "rock head," had graduated with an honors degree in geology from the University of British Columbia. Originally from Lethbridge, he had had moved to the Vancouver area to attend schoolto study at the University of British Columbia and was excited about moving up in his career as a geologist. An avid outdoorsman, Huszar loved climbing, hiking, camping and water sports. He was in the process of restoring a 49-foot sailboat in the hopes of cruising the Gulf Island. His dream was to sail around the world one day.



About This Case

Name/age: Matthew Huszar, 25
Last seen: 12/16/11, Lamplighter Pub, Gastown, BC, Canada
Residence: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Physical Description: 5'11", 175 pounds, shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes.
Last seen wearing: black dress pants, white and blue checkered shirt, black shoes, dark green tweed three-quarter length coat.
Investigating agency: Vancouver Police Department, 604-717-2530



Sources

McElroy, Justin. (2014, January 4). Matthew Huszar's body found in False Creek two years after his disappearance. Global News. Accessed July 22, 2014 from: http://globalnews.ca/news/1061669/matthew-huszars-body-found-in-false-creek-two-years-after-disappearing/

Staff report. (2014, January 7). Matthew Huszar dead: No sign of foul play, says coroner. Canadian Press. Accessed July 22, 2014 from: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/01/07/matthew-huszar-dead-no-foul-play_n_4556366.html.


Published 1/19/12. Updated 07/22/14.

01/02/14: Andrew Kanian, 41, Virginia, MN

By Kathy, Guest Contributor

Andrew Kanian

On Feb. 3, 2014 at 1:49 pm police received a call from a residence in the 300 block of 3rd Street South in Virginia, Minnesota. The frozen body of Andrew C. Kanian (Andy) was found under the resident's porch. Andrew had been missing since around midnight Jan. 2, 2014. He was last seen walking on 4th Avenue South, after leaving Rider's bar.

Andrew's body was found only about a half block from where he was last seen alive. According to police, Andrew was intoxicated, and it is thought that he crawled under the porch, fell asleep, and froze to death. Foul play is not suspected. The temperatures in the early morning hours of January 3rd were below zero--ranging from the negative teens and twenties.


About Andrew Kanian

Andrew was born October 12, 1972 in Duluth, MN and in June of 1973 he was adopted by Erick and Lois Kanian. He attended and graduated from Virginia High School in 1991 and also attended Vermilion Community College. He worked various jobs as a cook and laborer. Andy married Tammy Robich on October 5, 2007.

Survivors include his wife, Tammy; children, Taryn and Kiara; parents, Erick and Mary Kanian; brothers: Christopher, Timothy and Gregory; one expected grandchild; nephew, Alec Kanian; mother and father in law, June and Wes Boyle; brother in law, John Robich. He is also survived by his grandmother and several aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Lois Alto and his step-mother, Mary Ann Bachel Cheney. Andy was excited to be a first time grandfather in April 2014. He will be missed by all who loved him.

A Memorial Service was held at 2:30pm on February 12, 2014 at Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert.



Sources

Walsh, Paul (2014, February 4)  Briefs: Virginia, Minn., man is found frozen under porch.  startribune.com   Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.startribune.com/local/243607841.html

Jacobsen, Kevin (2014, February 3)  Body of missing Virginia man located. Northlandsnewscenter.com. Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/crime/Body-of-missing-Virginia-man-located--243431091.html

ZMS Funeral Home. Obituary (n.d). Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.zmsfuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2403883&fh_id=12214

02/08/14: Eric Munsell, 24, Boston, MA

Eric Munsell

Footprints is sad to report that the deceased body of Eric Munsell has been found in Boston Harbor at Long Wharf. The positive identification was announced today by the Suffolk District Attorney's office. 

The body was sighted by a passerby in the water on Wed., April 23, on the north side of Long Wharf facing Christopher Columbus Park and Commercial Wharf. The area had been the focus of the search for the recent Boston University grad. Video footage near Long Wharf had indicated that he had last been in the area.

Further details will be announced as they become available.


On Feb. 8, 2014, Boston University graduate Eric Munsell disappeared after celebrating his 24th birthday at the Market Lounge in Boston's Financial District. His mother, Mary Lynn Mills, told WBZ-TV that a bouncer had asked her son to leave the club around 11:30 p.m., apparently because he had tripped on his way to the men's room. He was ejected from the club shortly thereafter. Eric's friends first realized he was missing around about ten minutes after he failed to return from the restroom. 

Staff did not allow Eric to get his coat before leaving the club. The low temperature in Boston that day was 18 degrees. He has not been seen since. There has been no activity on his cell phone or in any of his bank accounts.  

WBZ-TV has reported, "Police told the family they got a ping from Munsell’s cell phone about half an hour after he left the bar. It appeared he was headed in the direction of the harbor, and not towards his North End apartment."

Eric's mother has traveled to Boston from her home in Georgia to search for Eric. 

About Eric Munsell

Eric Munsell is an aviation engineer at General Electric. His mother says he would not go this long without contacting anyone, particularly if people might be worried about him. 

“He’s the best son a mother could have,” she told WBZ-TV. “He’s kind, gentle, considerate, smart.”

Eric Munsell is 6’1” and weighs around 160-180 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes, and a scar on his left cheek. He was last seen wearing a blue checkered shirt and blue jeans.

His mother is hoping someone will have information or will remember seeing a tall, thin man walking that night without a coat. 


The Search for Eric Munsell

The search for Eric was largely focused in the area of the Long Wharf. Video footage in the area indicated that Eric had last been in the area.

In an odd coincidence, a detective searching for Eric behind the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel on Feb. 12 noticed a man (not Eric Munsell) struggling to pull himself out of the harbor. The man was trying to clamber up an 8-foot high stone wall, and Detective Thomas Leahy reached down and pulled him to safety. The man, who was in his mid-20s and about 5 feet 5 inches tall and did not speak English, was wearing just a white chef's coat and boxer shorts. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and is expected to survive. Police do not know his identity, why he was in the 32-degree water, or how he got there.

Eric's body was discovered in the same waters by a passerby, but not until late April. The area was on the north side of Long Wharf facing Christopher Columbus Park and Commercial Wharf. 

At a candlelight vigil in March, Eric's father said that his son would sometimes sit by the water to think.

HIs credit cards and cell phone had not been used since his disappearance.

Sources

Armstrong, Jim. (2014, February 10). Police search for missing Boston man. WBZ-TV.com. Retrieved February 17, 2014 from http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/02/10/police-search-for-missing-boston-man/

Conti, Matt. (2014, April 24). Non viable body recovered from harbor at Long Wharf. Northendwaterfront.com. Retrieved April 24, 2014 from http://northendwaterfront.com/2014/04/non-viable-body-recovered-from-harbor-at-long-wharf/

Heslam, Jessica. (2014, February 12). Detective recounts frigid harbor rescue. Retrieved February 17, 2014 fromhttp://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/jessica_heslam/2014/02/heslam_detective_recounts_frigid_harbor_rescue  

Koplowitz, Howard. (2014, February 12). Eric Munsell missing: Boston University graduate disappeared while celebrating 24th birthday. International Business Times. Retrieved February 17, 2014 from http://www.ibtimes.com/eric-munsell-missing-boston-university-graduate-disappeared-while-celebrating-24th-birthday-photo

Smith, Jennifer. (2014, February 12). Police looking for missing person save another man pulled from harbor's icy waters. Boston Globe. Retrieved February 17, 2014 from http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/02/12/detectives-searching-for-missing-man-pull-different-man-from-boston-harbor/Zz7OKwKmMcWRQqXYjiDMFP/story.html

Staff report. (2014, February 12). Boston police, looking for 1 man, rescue another. ABC News.com. Retrieved February 17, 2014 from http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/boston-police-man-rescue-22480776

The Associated Press. (2014, April 24). Body in Boston Harbor identified as missing 24-year old Eric Munsell. Retrieved April 24, 2014 from http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/04/body_in_boston_harbor_identifi.html 

Utah Climate Center. Temperature data retrieved February 17, 2014 from http://climate.usurf.usu.edu/index.php