03/16/13: Sunil Tripathi, 22, Providence, RI

Sunil Tripathi

Sunil Tripathi, 22, also called Sunny, was last seen in his room around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15 at his Providence, R.I. apartment near the Brown University campus. He then left around 11 a.m. the following day (Saturday, March 16) without his wallet, identification and bicycle at home, but he did not return. The Department of Public Safety and the Providence Police were advised on Sunday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) around 1 p.m. that he was missing.

Sunil Tripathi was a member of the Brown University class of 2013 but not attending classes when he disappeared. His housemate, Ryan Gladych, told the University News that Sunil had been taking a leave of absence from Brown. Although Sunil was rooming with Gladych and his housemates, he was independently subletting a room in the apartment and did not have close relationships with the other residents in the house, Gladych said. Tripathi’s housemates were first informed of his disappearance Sunday when police arrived to investigate in the afternoon, Gladych said. He added that they were concerned for Tripathi’s safety.

Judy Tripathi, Sunil's mother, told the Times that her son typically contacted his family daily. "He’s very quiet, he’s very private, he’s very intellectual," she said. "He admitted to some depression, but he said that he could figure it out, he could handle it.”


The Search for Sunil Tripathi

According to The New York Times, Sunil's family began a round-the-clock search, temporarily moving from Pennsylvania to Rhode Island work with police and the FBI. They also created a Facebook page to aid in the search effort.

On Thursday, April 18, false speculation circulated on the Facebook page and on Reddit.com that Sunil might be one of the two Boston bombers seen in grainy surveillance photographs release by the FBI. According to the Times, "the rumor spread, leading news vans to stake out the Tripathis’s family home in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and reporters to make dozens of calls to the Tripathi family’s cellphones."

Sunil Tripathi was absolved of any connection to the Boston bombing when two other men were identified as being the men in the photographs--and the bombers. Apologies have since been pouring in to the Tripathi family.

On April 22, the Tripathi family launched the “Lend Your Hand” campaign which encouraged people to write messages on their hands and submit photos to the Facebook page created for the search.

On April 23, Sunil's body was discovered in the waters off India Point Park in Providence, R.I. An identification was made based on dental records. Authorities did not immediately determine the cause of his death but said his body had been in the water for some time.


Details
Name/age: Sunil Tripathi, 22 Last seen: 03/16/13, 11 a.m. at 204 Angell Street, Providence, R.I.
Home Town: Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Physical Description: 6'2," 130 pounds
Last wearing: jeans, a black fleece with this black EMS ski jacket on top and his Philadelphia Eagles hat. He was also wearing glasses at the time.
Investigating Agency: Providence Police (401) 641-8691


Sources

Bidgood, Jess. (2013, April 25).  Body of Missing Student at Brown is Discovered. New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2013 from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/us/sunil-tripathi-student-at-brown-is-found-dead.html?_r=0

Kor, Elizabeth. (2013, March 18). Police searching for missing undergrad. University News. Retrieved May 3, 2013 from
http://www.browndailyherald.com/2013/03/18/police-searching-for-missing-undergrad/
Facebook. Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi. Retrieved May 3, 2013 from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Us-Find-Sunil-Tripathi/403275636436466.

01/16/13: Charles Geurts, 26, Madison, WI

Charles Geurts

Charles "Charlie" Geurts, 26, came to Madison, Wisc. with co-workers for the WABA Convention and Trade Show, an agribusiness trade show, at the Alliant Energy Center. After socializing with other attendees on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, Geurts went back to his room at the Sheraton Madison Hotel in the 700 block of John Nolan Drive. He left again at 2:20 a.m. on Wednesday and didn't return.

"His roommate at the hotel said Geurts's bed hadn't been slept in," said Madison police spokesman Joel DeSpain.

Charlie had also left behind his cell phone. His truck was in the parking lot.


The Search for Charlie Geurts

According to an incident report published by the City of Madison, police searched the area in and around the Sheraton Hotel. K9 and Mounted Patrol resources were deployed to search in the Waunona Way, Olin Park, and Lake Monona areas. Fifty family members and friends, many who traveled from the Fox Valley area, distributed over 700 fliers in the Waunona Way, Bridge Road and Lake Point Drive neighborhoods today. Homeowners were also asked to check their properties.

During a Madison news conference on Thursday, April 13, Madison Police captain Joe Balles said Geurts had been seen on surveillance footage leaving his hotel near the lake. Investigators believed he knocked on the patio door of a homeowner on Waunona Way on the lake's shore about a half hour later. Specially-trained police dogs were able to track Geurts's scent from the scene using his baseball cap and underwear to points along the shore of Lake Monona in Madison. One cadaver dog was able to pinpoint the scent to a point approximately one-half mile from shore on the lake, when its water was still frozen. Officials say holes in the ice were drilled and underwater cameras deployed, but no sign of the body was found.

On Tuesday, April 17, Geurts's body was found about 1/4 mile from Olin Park by Rick Krueger of Madison, a diver who regularly scavenges area lakes for wrecks and historical items. After collecting the coordinates of the dog's discovery from law enforcement officials, Krueger took his boat to the location. Using side-scanning sonar equipment and an underwater camera, he was able to identify an object and man's boots on the lake bottom in approximately thirty-three feet of water. He called the authorities, and the dive team began recovery operations early the next day. Geurts's body was recovered from the lake around 10:30 a.m.

A forensic autopsy was completed Wednesday and preliminary results are pending additional study. There was nothing, however, discovered during the examination that would suggest criminal activity.

This case remains under investigation by the City of Madison Police and the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office.


Obituary

Reprinted from Legacy.com:

Charles "Charlie" Geurts, 26, of Kaukauna passed away unexpectedly on January 16, 2013. He was born on September 24, 1986 to Chuck and Mary Geurts. He was engaged to Liz Heise of Kaukauna.

Charlie graduated from Wrightstown High School in 2005, where he was involved in 4-H, FFA, and Tiger Baseball. Then attended the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree.

He first started his interest in agriculture from working at United Meadow Dairy and helping out at the Erdmann Farm. Then after college he was employed full time as an agronomist by Agri Partners of Chilton.

Charlie enjoyed spending time with his fiancé Liz, family, and friends. Charlie enjoyed baseball and pumpkin ball. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and sharing stories with his "up north" family at his family's cabin. He liked country music, Packer and Brewers games.

He will be deeply missed by his Mom and Dad, brothers, Ben and David, his fiancé Liz, her family, Aunts and Uncles: Cal, Earl and Cheryl, Dan and Karen McGregor, Judy and Art Schultz, Laura and Ted Kocken, Myrt and Don Koltz, Jerry and Barb, Gene and Nancy, Glenn and Carol, Roy and Sue, Jeff and Julie Geurts, Debbie and Scott Stimart.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Chip and Mary Geurts and Earl and Loretta McGregor, and his aunt, Sara McGregor.

Family and friends of Charlie may visit at St. Clare Catholic Church-St. Paul site in Wrightstown on Sunday, April 21, 2013 from 3-8pm. A parish prayer service will be held at 8pm to conclude the evening. Visitation will continue on Monday, April 22, at the church from noon until 2:45pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 3pm Monday with Rev. Dennis Bergsbaken officiating. Cotter Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Wrightstown, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to Charlie's family at www.cotterfuneralhome.com.

The family respectfully requests no flowers be sent, but rather memorials be directed to Charlie's family to establish a memorial fund in his name.

Charlie's family would like to thank the Madison Police Department, the K-9 Unit, the crime response program and all of the other people who helped bring Charlie home.

Case Details
Name: Charles Geurts, 26
Last seen: 01/16/13, 2:20 a.m. at the Sheraton Madison Hotel in the 700 block of John Nolan Drive in Madison, WI
Status: Recovered 04/17/13 Lake Monona, Madison, Wisc.
Physical description: 5'11", 180 pounds, blond hair, blue eyes.
Last seen wearing: gray sweatshirt, blue jeans and boots.
Investigating agency: Madison Police Department, 608-266-4924



Sources


City of Madison. (2013, January 16). Incident Report. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from
http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/newsroom/incidentreports/incident.cfm?id=14036 

Novak, Bill. (2013, January 18). Search goes on for third day for missing Kaukauna man. The Capital Times. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from http://host.madison.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/search-goes-on-for-third-day-for-missing-kaukauna-man/article_0cdc066a-60b2-11e2-b8bd-001a4bcf887a.html.

Priebe, Katie and Turner, Robyn. (2013, April 18). Body recovered from Lake Monona identified as Charles Geurts. WKOW.com. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from
http://www.wkow.com/story/22012164/2013/04/18/body-recovered-from-lake-monona

Staff article. (2013, January 19). Police end search for missing man. Channel 3000.com. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from http://www.channel3000.com/news/Police-end-search-for-missing-man/-/1648/18200324/-/123pgk/-/index.html.

Staff article. (2013, April 19). Obituary.  Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved April 28, 2013 from
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/greenbaypressgazette/obituary.aspx?n=charles-geurts&pid=164311247&fhid=14017#fbLoggedOut

WSAW Staff/ Associated Press. (2013, April 18). Police: Body of Missing Kaukauna Man Discovered in Madison Lake.
WASW.com Retrieved April 28, 2013 from http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/UPDATE-Search-Continue-for-Man-in-Madison-187449441.html

10/13/12: Walton Ward, 23, Broad Ripple, IN

Walton Ward

Walton "Matt" Ward, 23, who was visiting Indiana from California, told his mother, Julie Kvinge, that he planned to go on a date with a girl he'd met on Cupid.com. His mother dropped him off outside of Peppers Bar on Friday, October 12, 2012, and Ward was seen on surveillance video at the bar. The owner of the bar, Mike Stancombe, confirmed to the Coastline Pilot that Ward was at the bar for nearly an hour before leaving on his own, and that he never met anyone at the bar while he was there.

Kvinge received a call from her son called her at 10:30 p.m. that night saying he was doing fine. It was the last time she heard from him, and he did not come home.

We Remember Dan

Dan Zamlen

Today is Daniel Zamlen's birthday.

Dan was born on April 8, 1990 and disappeared on April 5, 2009 while walking back to his residence after a party on the St. Thomas University campus.

When his old friends from high school and other friends and neighbors from his hometown of Eveleth, Minn. heard he was missing, they arrived by the busload--after a five hour drive--to join other searchers from the Iron Range, St. Paul, and the university. More than 400 people turned out to help. This is because Dan had touched the lives and hearts of many, many people. He was a special young man.

"He was just a good guy...a stand up guy, like the kinda guy you wish everybody was," friend Greg Scharine told Joe Henke of ABC News.

Dan was found May 1, 2009 in St. Paul.

Reading about Dan's life reminds me of the popular children's book, "On the Night You Were Born," in which author Nancy Tillman writes,

"On the night you were born,

the moon smiled with such wonder

that the stars peeked in to see you

and the night wind whispered,

'Life will never be the same.'

Because there had never been anyone like you...

ever in the world."

All of us are in a better place for having had Dan Zamlen here, if even for a brief while.

Today we celebrate Dan's life and the kind of guy he was.

Dan had a kind, gentle manner and enjoyed participating in activities that he felt could make a difference for others. He was an Eagle Scout and a member of Resurrection Catholic Church, where he was an altar server and catechism teacher. In 2004, at the age of 14, he became a devoted DFL campaigner. The following year, he traveled to Biloxi, Miss. with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He was a student representative for the school board and a peer mediator. He also joined the student leadership organization Iron Range Youth in Action (IRYA), where he was a writer and lead editor of its newspaper, Generation W, the largest youth-run newspaper in Minnesota.

He had a lifelong love of learning and a thirst for knowledge in all areas. He was a World War II history buff, an accomplished pianist and orchestra and band member, and an excellent athlete, having lettered in three sports--cross country, track, and Nordic skiing. When he started college, he already had enough college credits to begin as a sophomore, and once there, he continued to participate in organizations and activities and excel. He was a member of the National Collegiate Scholars, a Tommie Ambassador, and he was awarded six college scholarships and at least four awards.

Dan immersed himself wholeheartedly in everything he did.

Every time Dan took on a new challenge, he did so with the idea that there was always more to learn, always more ways to grow. It is little wonder why Dan's favorite holiday was Easter, a time of year to appreciate new life, new beginnings and the joy of new possibilities.

This spirit is alive in each one of us. The gift Dan gave us is that we can always have a new idea or learn a new way of doing things, appreciating life and all it has to offer. Nothing is ever the end, only the beginning of something new.

Happy birthday, Dan. We miss your smile, but we thank you--wholeheartedly--for touching our lives.

01/01/13: Nick Wilcox, Milwaukee, WI

Published, January 10, 2013.  Updated 4/2/13.

Nick Wilcox
Milwaukee, Wisc.

Nick Wilcox, 24, celebrated the new year with his girlfriend, Kelly, and other friends at the Irish Rec Room, a downtown Milwaukee, Wis. bar, on the 1000 block of North Old World Third Street in Milwaukee, Wis. Employees reportedly kicked Nick out of the bar, and he was last seen heading down an alley between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2013.

His family frantically spent New Year's Day trying to find him.

The search continued in the following week with 60 people joining the search on January 6th alone. Search parties split up along Milwaukee's east side and covered a possible paths that Nick might have taken to get back to his residence. The following day, one group started their search at Alterra on the Lake and then headed north on the Oak Leaf Trail, while another group started around North Avenue, near Nick's residence.

On March 28, Nick's body was found in the Milwaukee River by two city police officers in the 1000 block of N. Old World 3rd Street. Preliminary reports indicated no signs of trauma or injury, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on March 29, "A medical examiner's report indicated he was found about 350 to 500 feet from where he was last seen, and cellphone records obtained by police show the last "ping" on his phone was close to where his body was discovered. Wilcox was found with his cellphone, a set of keys and his wallet, containing his driver's license."

On April 4, the Medical Examiner's office released the toxicology report, indicating that Nick's blood alcohol level was .22.

According to Fox6 News, Nick's family has said they believe foul play may be involved with his death.

02/22/12: Kristopher Clarke, 29, New Town, ND

Kristopher Clarke
Missing since 2/22/12
from New Town, N.D.

Kristopher Clarke is missing.

Kristopher David Clarke, nickname K.C., 29, has been missing since Feb. 22, 2012. Kristopher is a native of Washington, but had gone to North Dakota to make some money. He was last sighted at his job at Blackstone Trucking in New Town, N.D. and has has not been heard from again. His truck, a white 2007 Chevrolet diesel engine extended cab (license plate AC63117) was later found abandoned in Williston, ND on April 1, 2012.

Friends became worried about Kristopher after the stopped hearing from him. A landlord for a rental house he had been paying for in Texas also stopped receiving checks.

Kristopher is 5 feet 9 inches and weighs about 140 pounds. He has brown hair and eyes. Clarke has scars from a motorcycle accident on both his lower legs, left wrist, stomach, and over his left ribs. He also has pins and plates and walks with a slight limp. He was last seen wearing a gray jogging suit.

Kristopher's mother, Jill Williams, created a Facebook page called Find KcGimpdaddy as a tool to help find her son and to receive tips on his location.

According to a Facebook post, Williams explains why she named the page. 'Friends called him gimp daddy after his motorcycle accident, and thought putting that in along with his name would make it easier to find this page' (Brownstone Bulletin).

On March 19, 2013, Williams posted, "My son K.C. Clarke has been missing for a little over a year now. I have learned a lot on this terrible journey of searching for my son, including the awareness of the immense number of people missing around the world and the terrible toll it takes on their friends and family members. My journey has been filled with uncertainties, frustration, sadness, a frantic need to get the word out that my son is missing, searching for help and just plain not knowing what to do. I hope this page will turn into a place for others with missing loved ones to come and share their loved ones missing info, find comfort, advice and resources."

If you have any information about Kristopher David Clarke, contact Officer Ryan Zimmerman, Williston Police Department, 701-577-1212, e-mail police@ci.williston.nd.us.

09/22/12: Harsha Maddula, 18, Evanston, IL

Harsha Maddula

Northwestern University sophomore Harsha Maddula, 18, was last seen on Saturday, September 22, 2012 after leaving an party.

The night started out around 10:30 p.m. Friday, September 21 as Harsha and a group of about eight friends partied in a dorm room at Northwestern's Public Affairs Residential College, some reportedly drinking rum and vodka and smoking marijuana.

The group then left and walked to an off-campus party near Garnett Place about 11 p.m., only to leave shortly thereafter.

It is unclear where the group went directly after leaving, but ultimately at least some members of the group met up together at another house party in the 2000 block of Ridge Avenue in Evanston, Ill. According to a sober student tasked with monitoring the door, Harsha entered at about 11 p.m. with three or four friends. He stayed until about 11:30 p.m., then he left again with three or four students on foot.

After arriving at another off-campus party, the group realized they had lost Harsha along the way. The two locations are less than an eight minute walk, so it is unclear how they became separated.

Harsha's friends contacted the University Police around 6:45 p.m. later that day to report him missing. 

His body was found in the Wilmette Harbor on Thursday, September 27, 2012.

Footprints 10-year anniversary

February 27, 2003--the day that Chris Jenkins was found--was the ending of a four-month long search for a beloved son and the beginning of a battle for answers. It marked the day that Jan and Steve Jenkins had to begin asking the sort of questions that no parent should ever have to utter. It was also the day that the public began to question how we could better protect young adults.

Jan and Steve Jenkins
at press conference in 2006
(Credit: Minnesota Public Radio)

Chris's story and the tenacity of his parents, sparked an outcry in La Crosse, Wisc., national media coverage and a book and international speaking campaign on safety by Jan. This is but one part of the Jenkins family legacy; this remarkable family has touched thousands of lives, including mine.

Chris's story marked my own call to action to help the missing and the beginning of the Footprints site in 2003. In the months that followed, I began to pick up on some of the challenges that face families in the search for a missing young adult, particularly if he happens to be male. This site was one small way to help.

I want to thank all of my readers for sticking with me for the last 10 years. You are such a caring, loyal bunch. Many of you have been here since the beginning--the early days when I was teaching myself code to make the site more user friendly, and when I was simply amazed to receive a few comments. You helped spread the word.

For those new to the site, thank you for signing up, for getting involved and showing people you care. I think you'll like it here. Over the years, heartbreak and frustration has been met with compassionate thoughts, kind and encouraging words, or even advice, not only to me, but amongst yourselves. We truly are a great community, and we care.

I am eager to see how the site evolves and, together, I hope we can continue to raise awareness and enact some real change.

Thank you all!

12/09/12: John Edwards, 36, Westminister, CO

John Luke Edwards

John Luke Edwards, 36, a resident of Arvada, Colo., vanished after leaving an office holiday party at the Westin Hotel in Westminster, Colo. on Sunday, December 9, 2012. Edwards was reported missing after he failed to show up to work at his construction job the following day.
By Wednesday, Westminster police had begun searching the several nearby lakes and ponds in the area around the hotel located at 10600 Westminster Blvd. Police noted that John Edwards's truck was still in the parking lot of the hotel, and his belongings were still in the hotel. Coworkers noted that Edwards had been intoxicated when he left the party about 3 a.m.

On Monday, December 17, his body was found below the surface of the man-made pond near the Westin Hotel about 4:30 p.m. Monday, police said. 7NEWS photojournalist Eric Goody reported that divers found the body in an area thick with 4-foot-deep reeds and partially covered by ice.

12/15/12: Dylan Boatman, 25, Bellingham, WA

Dylan Boatman

Dylan James Boatman, 25, his wife, and his brother were at the Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro in Bellingham, Wash., celebrating his brother’s return from college on December 15, 2012. The group apparently got separated from each other around closing time. A passerby found Dylan slumped against the side of a pickup truck at 1:55 a.m. He was unconscious and unresponsive. The police and medics tried for 45 minutes to revive him without success. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to statements by police.

An autopsy on Monday morning found no evidence of inflicted trauma. The death is still under investigation, pending the results of toxicology tests. Investigators are awaiting results of toxicology tests to determine how he died.

The bar is located on the 1100 block of Railroad Avenue (see map), reportedly near the area where Western Washington University students Blair Grandstrom and Dwight Clark and were found in 1995 and 2010, respectively.


Obituary
On Saturday, December 15, 2012, the world lost Dylan James Boatman at the age of 25. Dylan was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father and friend. He had the biggest smile and an even bigger heart. Everyone that knew Dylan was touched deeply by both. Dylan went to school in Lynden, where he played baseball and football and was also involved in chess and Young Life.

He will live on forever in his wife Rachel, his daughter Taylor Grace, and in the hearts of his friends and family. Dylan enjoyed simple pleasures in life, none more than spending time with his family. He focused his aspirations on providing a better life for them, when he wasn’t teaching somebody how to shoot or how to build something properly.

Dylan passed as an inspiration, a boy who grew into a man quickly while maintaining his personal charm and authenticity. Dylan was beginning to work towards his engineering degree while building solar panels at Itek Energy in Bellingham, WA.

A celebration of his life with reception following was held Saturday; Dec. 22, 2012 at North County Christ The King Community Church in Lynden, WA.

Memorial donations may be made at any Chase Bank in memory of Dylan for his daughter Taylor.


Sources

Hutton, Caleb. (2012, December 17). Roundup of Bellingham police weekend activity. Bellingham Herald. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dispatcher/police/notes-on-a-handful-of-bellingham-police-cases/

Hutton, Caleb. (2012, December 18). Bellingham police: No foul play in Ferndale man’s death. Bellingham Herald. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dispatcher/police/notes-on-a-handful-of-bellingham-police-cases/.

Staff article. (2012, December 18). Obituary. Bellingham Herald. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bellinghamherald/obituary.aspx?n=dylan-james-boatman&pid=161798318#fbLoggedOut

Obituary (2012, n.d.) Sig Funeral Services.com. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://www.sigsfuneralservices.com/.