Gerald Smith, 22, an Indiana State University senior from Avon, IN, was last seen about 1 a.m. Friday, May 1st, according to a news release issued by the university.Smith had been at the Ballyhoo Tavern at 900 Chestnut Street in Terre Haute, Indiana celebrating the end of a class project. He was last seen around 12:40 a.m.* outside the bar by a professor who offered him a cab ride home. After refusing the professor's offer, Smith began walking south on Ninth Street.
He was reported missing Friday evening.
Gerald Smith's body was found in the Wabash River on Friday, May 8, the day before he was set to graduate. His mother was presented with his diploma during the school's weekend commencement ceremony.
----------------------
The Search for Gerald Smith
Friday (May 1) - Smith leaves the Ballyhoo Tavern at 12:40 a.m. walking south on Ninth Street. (Initial reports had indicated he was last seen at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, but ISU Public Safety officials determined this was not accurate.) After he was reported missing Friday evening, the area of campus closest to where he was seen is searched.Saturday (May 2) - University officials along with 30 volunteers divided the campus into six sectors and searched between 7 and 9 p.m.
Sunday (May 3) - Two teams focused on searching the areas south and west of campus, including the Wabash River bank. Vigo County Sheriff's Department officers on horseback combed the banks of the Wabash River in Fairbanks Park. ISU Police and more than 24 student volunteers walked between Cherry and Ohio Streets, looking around the southern part of campus. According to ISU director of Public Saftey Bill Mercier, a bloodhound also sniffed a trail from the Ballyhoo to First and Chestnut Streets near the water. Mercier told the Indiana Statesman that photos on Smith's Facebook page led them to believe he frequented the river area, so the search effort was concentrated there.
Monday (May 4) - University public safety officers and student volunteers searched at 3:00 p.m.
Recovery
At approximately 7:30 p.m., on Friday evening (May 8), a local citizen found a body in the Wabash River near Vincennes, IN and alerted authorities. An ID inside a wallet in the pants pocket confirmed it was Gerald Smith who was last seen 50 miles away near the Indiana State University Terre Haute campus a week earlier. Smith's body was still wearing all of the clothes he had on when he disappeared.
Department of Natural Resources officials had been searching near the Wabash River for any sign of Smith during the last few days. Officials discovered the body after a tip from a witness who reported to ISU Public Safety officials that he had seen a man fitting Smith's description near Second and Canal Streets on Friday morning.
An autopsy conducted on Saturday morning (May 9, 8 a.m.) at Terre Haute Regional Hospital by Medical Examiner Dr. Roland Kohr. According to the Indiana Statesman, "ISU director of Public Saftey Bill Mercier said the autopsy revealed that there are no signs of foul play and the cause of death is consistent with accidental drowning."
About Gerald Smith
Friends have described Smith as a good student, very responsible and all-round good guy. "Especially from a student that has a pretty solid reputation as a sold citizen is a matter of concern and doesn't happen very often at all," ISU Police Chief Bill Mercier said.
According to Smith's Google profile, he is a "guy who enjoys scouring the web to learn about the latest and greatest software and hardware releases. My iPhone is my personal assistant. When it comes to my three Windows PCs, customization is the name of the game. I’m a huge fan of Stardock products and anything else that adds to the pc experience. I dabble in HTML but prefer to give my design ideas/thoughts to those who know best. Blogging is something I enjoy because it allows me to share my technical experiences and ideas with the world."
Smith grew up in Avon, IN where he attended Avon High School. In addition to Terre Haute, IN, he has also lived in Overland Park, KS and Kansas City, MO. He is the son of Robin and Billy Hill.
Facts of Interest
Name: Gerald Smith, 22
College: Indiana State University, Terre Haute
Major: insurance and risk management
Hometown: Avon, Indiana
Physical description: 5'7" 160 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, glasses, light beard. Last seen wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, jeans and brown shoes.
Last seen: Friday, May 1, 2009, 1 a.m., 900 Chestnut Street in Terre Haute, Indiana
Recovered: Friday, May 9, 2009, 7:30 a.m., Wabash River near Vincennes, IN
Cause of death: drowning
Manner of death: accident
Anyone with information about Gerald Smith is urged to call ISU Public Safety at 812-237-5555 or Crimestoppers at 812-238-STOP.
Sources
TribStar
Indiana Statesman
Indiana State University
WTHITV
http://www.indstate.edu/news/news.php?newsid=1785
http://media.www.indianastatesman.com/media/storage/paper929/news/2009/05/08/Campus/Breaking.News.Body.Of.Isu.Student.Found-3739281.shtml
46 comments:
NO NO!!
ast picutre he put up was entitled sad clown.
ON COMMENTS PAGE FOR DAN PICTURES OF YELLOH TAKEN SECTION BOO WAS FOUND THESE BASTARDS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN
my god did he put that upit says
BOO ON IT
REMEBER BOO WAS FOUND IN MIINESOTA BY A GIRL WHO FOUND OTHER YELLO GRAFIT
IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN HIM THAT PUT IT UP THERE
6 DAYS AGO
SOMEONE COULD HAVE GOT HIS SIGNING IN DETAILS
THE WORD BOO IS ON THE PICTUURE
THOSE BASTARDS!!
IT DOWNLOADABLE
[link to twitpic.com]
[link to s3.amazonaws.com]
heres Geralds twitter
http://twitter.com/geraldjr10
heres sad clown pic he uplaoded
it says BOOjust like those other graffittis the girl found in minessata recently
http://twitpic.com/455po
God pray for Gerald he needs our prayer
stop this .
5th street
St Joseph University ParishAddress:
Placement on map is approximate
113 S 5th St
Terre Haute, IN 47807
(812) 232-7011
* approximate times
http://stjoeup.org/
NOT FAR FROM 9 TH STREET
AND
NOT FAR FROM RIVER
http://maps.google.com/maps?near=N+9th+St,+Terre+Haute,+IN&geocode=&q=CATHOLIC&f=l&hl=en&sll=39.508147,-87.403278&sspn=0.039998,0.07021&ie=UTF8&start=0&ll=39.470953,-87.408986&spn=0.010005,0.017552&z=15&iwloc=C
9TH STREET
St Benedict Church - more info »
111 S 9th St, Terre Haute, IN - (812) 232-8421
Category: Catholic Church
ON 9 TH STREET AND
JUST DOWN WABASH AV TO RIVER
Okay, that is creepy. I was the person who saw the BOO! grafitti and then I went on the site you talked about http://twitpic.com and clicked on sad clown and he's holding a big sign that says BOO.
Yikes. Maybe I ought to take a picture of that BOO grafitti. Just too wierd.
I came out as anonymous when I put in my name darn it.Don't know why that happens sometimes...probably trying to write too quickly.I'm the person above.
That is so very odd! I couldn't follow your posts very well but went to the twitter page: http://twitter.com/geraldjr10 and sure enough, there he is holding a sign saying "BOO". Maybe I ought to take a picture of the BOO grafitti tomorrow before the city get's rid of it (as they have all the others). There is only 1 left that I know about.
Let's try not to assume the B..tards did this again although I know it's upsetting to see that picture. What made you even think to go to his twitter page?
I hope he is found safe. I really do. We don't know anything has happened bad yet and he may show up. Let's be hopeful.
And it could all be a very creepy coincidence!
AT MONIQUE 777
You say all the GRAFFITI is gone?
Even the-
YELL(he yelled)OH(Oh)SPIRAL(God)
that the YELLOH+Spiral is gone?
What abpout the St.Paul side of the
River Underneath the FORD PRKWY.
BRIDGE is all that gone, as well?
The place where Dan Zamlen might have been escorted into the Water???
Right there *INBETWEEN* where he was Last scene & Discovered. Where itz real easy too walk down to the shoreline an itz quiet, Dark & dessalit. & also
some RedSmiley's wit Horns.
HINT, HINT,, look their I was shocked an that was a week B-4 they found Dan.
Batman
I haven't looked there but I will. So, under the Ford Parkway Bridge? Do you think someone put it there to scare people?
The grafetti I was referring to were all the BOO! that were all around Summit and Cleveland/Cretin. BOO was written on the street posts. The city kept painting over them right away. There was one left so I took a picture. Now,if you look at http://twitter.com/geraldjr10 (this is the latest missing male,Gerald Smith) and you click on sad clown he is holding a sign that says BOO. I thought it was an odd coincidence that BOO was being written in St. Paul prior to Gerald Smith going missing who has a picture of BOO on his tweeter page. The anonymous person wrote about this so I checked it out.
Also there is new grafitti at the Monument that says in red paint "ALCOHAL INDUCED SLUMBER". I'm skeptical of grafitti because I don't know when it was put there and by whom. However, the BOO grafitti just gave me the creeps because of the tweeter page of the new missing man. It gave me the creeps so much that I can't sleep and I'll be so tired for work tomorrow.
Also there is new grafitti at the Monument that says in red paint "ALCOHAL INDUCED SLUMBER". I'm skeptical of grafitti because I don't know when it was put there and by whom.
I saw this graffiti on April 18, so it was put there before then.
It does not make a differnce when the graffiti was done neceesarily.they are well planned executions.ICE was left in the Vermont graffiti.Someone said gerald mentioned a story about an indian and the recording industry.This is not just a case of 40 young men.It is much bigger than that.marc Stewart was in the recording industry.He owned ICE.
Island Coast Entertainment
[link to mrxxxxx.wordpress.com]
Marc Stewart
Murder in Georgia
Marc Stewart left his home at 1609 Burnstone Drive in Stone Mountain and headed to work. Police told WSB-TV Channel 2’s Jeff Dore that Stewart was driving a silver 2005 Ford Explorer with Georgia license tag BDY-6016 He was found in the parking lot of a Duluth restaurant. He was killed by a gunshot to the head, an autopsy concluded.
Mark Stewart was the CEO of Island Coast Entertainment .
Does any of this sound familiar? It does to me. For one thing the numbers in his home address.
Jessiah Jameson was last seen at 690 Riverside drive.
69 was on the plate number of Scott Javins car.
69 was in the address that Tommy Booth was last seen at in Ridley,Pennsylvania.
69 may have also been numbers left in the Pennsyvania graffiti.
ICE was in the Vermont graffiti
Stewart attended Cardinal Spellman High School
From Wikipedia
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available individually or collectively to the pope if he requests their counsel.
Numbers in license add up to13
Stone Mountain is in Dekalb County and at least 2 midwest drownings can be associated with DeKalb Illinois and 1 disappearance
On the night of February 5th, Nicholas Garza, 19,went to a campus party in Stewart Hall. Police have said some drinking occurred during the gathering that six students attended, and authorities heard various accounts of Garza’s level of intoxication, ranging from none at all to highly inebriated. Nick was last seen leaving Stewart Hall at 11:05 pm to walk back to his room some 500 yards away to the north.
From page one
Here is the details of Robert Spellman.
Alias / Nickname: Robert Green or Silver
Date of Birth: October 2, 1977
Date Missing: Wednesday, April 13, 2005
69 would probably refer to proposition 69 because they are mocking the police.11 possibly to the 11 monks sexually abusing kids at ST Johns.There are people with motive to be behind this on a wide scale.Foir one Priests that think they only answer to a higher authority and have been getting away with molesting little boys and girls for a lot of years.They must be feeling quite powerful by now.In additon 10,000 sexually abused kids that grew up would also have motivation.
I forgot to add Scott javins car is silver
why did you post the address of those churches? Did you say there are BOO grafitti in terre haute? i live in terre haute and have seen them myself. i will drive around today to see if i can find any and take a picture to post.
Tenneguy,
Tommy Booth was last seen at Bootlegger's Bar at 1935 W. MacDade Blvd in Woodlyn, PA.
There are other cases of young men/students that have gone missing or been found dead in Terre Haute prior to this young man...or am I wrong
Minneapolis Police found a body in the Mississippi River under the Hennepin Avenue bridge.
Someone called police after seeing the body floating near the lock and dam around 11 AM this morning, 5/6/2009.
It is unclear how the man ended up in the water.
This location is right next to the University of Minnesota. Chris Jenkins was found less than 1000 feet away near the next bridge over, 3rd Street.
This area is about 7 miles upstream from the Ford lock and dam where Dan Zamlen was found last week on 5/1/2009.
Source: http://kstp.com/news/stories/S918126.shtml?cat=1
Creepy shit!
What is going on in this world? Didn't hear of anyone going missing.
I pray it's not a colleged age male. I mean, I feel bad for who ever it is but if he's college age and mean the killer is escalating?
Does anyone know if the killer is escalating?
What would be very creepy is if it's Gerald Smith. I am hoping for his safe return home to his family and friends.I'll post this at SFK too so people know.
“”But most of the victims were novice monks - high school and college graduates”"‘
first victim Patrick Mcneill
JESUIT RUN FORDHAM UNIVERSITY THE UNIVERSITY
OF Patrick McNeill
Fordham University Accused of Harboring Molestors
qoute:
“They are exactly like the Mafia in casually destroying lives without thinking twice and re-traumatizing their victims over and over, caring only about preserving their wealth, power and secrets, with one critical difference - the Mafia has a code of honor and the Jesuits, Fordham U., Fordham Prep and the NY Archdiocese have none”
LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
http://reform-network.net/?p=2201
It is unconscionable that the leadership of any religious congregation would allow known sexual predators to reside on the campus of any school without taking the steps necessary to make it known both to the student body and the general public, “Jesuit School Sheltered Molesters, Groups Say,” (10/22/08).
http://reform-network.net/?p=2144
Did you know the leader of st johns made a speach on sexual abuse, yes st johns was chosen to have a national conference on how to handle the abuse! if you can believe that, anyway this man their leader the one they follow (not jesus) the one who covers up for them at st johns abbey.
he made a speech can know guess what he alluded too in his speech a story he said that reminded him of the difficulty of dealing with sexual abuse the church now faced you know how that story went?
here it is:
To show the need for this in-depth study, Bishop Kinney
recounted the story of a person who rescues someone who is
drowning in a river, then rescues a second person and a third
person. Finally, the rescuer walks away from the scene. “A
bystander approaches and asks in surprise where is going, to
which, the rescuer replies: ‘I am going upstream to find out
who’s pushing all these people in and see if I can stop it!’”
Bishop Kinney continued, “While our efforts to attend to
individual victims and manage individual perpetrators are
critical to our overall pastoral care and our desire to
‘restore trust,’ we have to move to more than downstream
helping to prevent these abuses in the future. We all need to
go upstream and see if we can stop it!
http://philia.ws/ph/99/06a.htm
bishop kerney is in collegville and he presided over a list of men who are behind the abbeys walls all offenders and dont think its just kids
most of those victims are college age.
**************Special note*********************
Christopher Jenkins and Josh Guimond were both tracked to the Monestary. LE was refused admittance until weeks later. After weeks, the scent of both young men were still present within the monestary, but, Josh’s scent was stronger.
NOT********
Josh Guimond was a well known and vocal critic of the secrecy behind the sexual abuse charges lauded against several priests located at this particular location. Josh is still missing.
“At Halloween St. John’s Abbey does not have to don scary costumes; it has plenty of frightful skeletons that can give the unwary the creeps.”
For decades, a group of monks at St. John’s Abbey operated a sex abuse ring. Boys as young as 9 were victimized, as were teenage boys and girls. But most of the victims were novice monks - high school and college graduates.
“For a long time there has been a cleric culture created there at St. John’s of sexual abuse of minors and adults, and it is huge. Every time we try to address it legally, they put up barriers, hiding behind statutes of limitations. They are deceiving everybody that there isn’t a problem out there.” “There are dozens of monks,” he seethes, “who are involved in this abuse. If a victim comes forward they [the abbey] basically try to keep them in guilt and secrecy,
I’ve received about 20 cases in the last 10 years about abuse out at St. John’s and because I’ve not been able to expose any of them in court, the number of victims out there is probably 10 or 20 times higher than that. I’ve talked to a half-dozen victims involving Eckroth alone, but have never been able to bring a case against him.”
http://www.behindthepinecurtain.com/wordpress/?p=127#more-127
Any one wonder if the body they found in the Mississippi River under the Hennepin Ave might be Brandon Swanson?
Today they say it is in such bad shape they don't know if it's male or female.Yesterday they said it was male.
Dental records may help rule out possible victims regarding the person found near the Hennepin Ave/3rd Ave bridge.
In regards to the body found yesterday, per Startribune.com
The office offered this description:
A light-skinned male, age unknown, about 5 foot 11. He was wearing multiple layers of clothing. His tattoos include an eagle on his right shoulder, barbed wire with blood droplets on his right biceps, and a heart on his left forearm.
Also, surgical hardware was in his right cheekbone.
No determination has been made about how he ended up in the river or what led to his death.
Tomorrow is Gerald's graduation. I hope he is found so his hard work in school can be acknowledged and his family can have him back.
Did anyone hear anything about a gold Camery with the other missing man at Indiana State? Thought I heard that. I'll look into it but if anyone has heard please let me know. It would finally be a clue!
Gerald was found dead in the Wabash River according to the Indiana State Univeristy website.
http://www.indstate.edu/news/news.php?newsid=1785
This is so sad. He was suppose to graduate tomorrow and now his mom is attending a graduation but finds her son dead.
Of course it is said to be an accident again.
Gosh, this is horrible. Something needs to be done for these men.
My sympathy for his family and friends.
Boo left in Tennessee after the disappearance of Jessiah Jameson
http://s460.photobucket.com/albums/qq330/TheInvestigator_2008/?action=view¤t=boo.jpg
I didn't see boo anywhere associated with Mr. Jameson in TN.
Where are the pictures of this BOO grafitti?
Anonymous above:
I couldn't find it either! Looked at the link and it's not apparent there is boo graffiti anywhere....maybe on Halloween dates?
Kind of wished I never mentioned the BOO graffiti...it has taken on a life of it's own.
Kind of regret taking the pictures of the BOO graffiti
The body found in the Mississippi River by the Hennepin Ave./3rd Ave. bridge has now been identified as a homeless man:
http://www.startribune.com/local/44649932.html
So Gerald Smith's death has been ruled an accident.
Read the coroner's report and tell me if it seems off to you:
Http://mywabashvalley.com/content/fulltext/?cid=64331
Dr. Kohr refers to conspiracy theories and sinister crime plots. It seems so unprofessional!
Outrageous!
http://mywabashvalley.com/content/fulltext/?cid=64331
96 miles down a river and not a scratch or bruise?!
"Accidental drowning" for police = no evidence (yet) of foul play.
Where are the posts from the witnesses? They are probably too scared to come forward or to interfere with the "official investigation" that leads nowhere but to the next murder.
17 year old student missing in Dubuque IA
http://sfkillers.com/?p=689
Dr. Kohr, the medical examiner explains for Gerald to have been met with foul play, he would have had to have walked around for 12 hours to sober up. What the heck is Kohr saying?
he also writes an article on CSI and how it's not like that. Of course people know that! But Kohr sounds like an old-timer who thinks the progression of scientific testing is just "too expensive" I wonder if he knows how many people have been put behind bars using DNA technology and finger prints. The old days of having a witness confess are over. We have been shown one too many times how people confess out of being badgered or just to take the credit. Wake up and start getting some proof for your claims!
The above is in reference to Gerald Smith's autopsy report which has only furthered people's questioning of his case.
Hi all,
I have been emailing back and forth with Patrick Fazio, who is the news anchor in Terre Haute that ran the story talking about "Conspiracy Theories" in Gerald's death. Mr. Fazio says his news outlet is the only one that questioned if Gerald's death might be a killing.
It seems there is an enormous amount of pressure in Terre Haute to NOT do any level of journalism or questioning and to simply spit back the press releases issued by the university and the coroner, etc.
Mr. Fazio says that UNLESS Gerald Smith's family COMES FORTH and says THEY question the autopsy reports or the coroner report, then they are not going to report any more news on the story.
I suggested asking at least Gerald's close friends what they were thinking. I suggested asking the police if they have checked the many surveillance cameras in the area, including those that are likely on the bridge. He has stated that the powers that be in Terre Haute consider this "reaching."
If anyone knows Gerald's close friends or family and if they are questioning the police and coroner conclusions, to have them actually go to and contact the press. The press in Terre Haute will NOT seek them out and go to them, because by Terre Haute standards, that is ruffling feathers. I know that is not what most people think is meant by "journalism," but it seems that area has different standards than most other places.
---
Very sad case.
Dr. Kohr seems to be sweeping this one under the carpet. Gerald's mother must be in shock having lost her husband a few years ago and now her only son.
I wonder if she struggles just to get the energy she needs to bury her son properly. Would she have the strength to question authority in Terre Haute and go up against the LE and Dr. Kohr?
She needs help with funeral expenses so I doubt she has extra cash to get a PI.
Hopefully the community will support her in a quest for the truth if she questions her son's death.
This is a very sad situation.
The family & friends of Gerald need to speak to press NOW about any doubts they may have about how this case is being whitewashed.
Those in power in Terre Haute should not be afraid to ruffle someone's feathers. A promising young man has mysteriously been found dead. If there was ever a time in one's life to take a stand & ruffle someone's feathers, this is it!
The picture of the boo graffiti found in Tennessee is posted on line. It is not a great picture but it is there.The shade makes it hard to see the last o.The local newspaper and police had every opportunity to see the graffiti for themselves.I don't know that they even bothered to look at it.It is on the Trane Theory blog now.I never heard of boo being somewhere else before Gerald's disappearance.
I just checked the link i left.There is nothing wrong with the link to the boo graffiti.cut n paste the web address.
Maybe boy in the machine would like to see it so he can complain some more about the quality of my pictures
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
1936 the address the killer would have found doing a search on google.
ya know i kinda refret even posting info .I have to deal with all the mis information and biased opinions and some of you don't even know how to use a link i provide.
Gerald Smith's toxicology results were released. BAL of .14 which is higher than at the time he died. (The body produces ethanol during decomposition.) Now that is not really drunk.
How sad for the mother. Her only son. My heart goes out to her.
okay seriously...i understand the idea of trying to test the truth!! However this is a person like everyone else, u ppl r taking his death and trying to turn it into some unsolved case!! Do u ppl even attempt to think how his family would feel if they read the bullshit that has been posted!! His family had to spend a week hoping for some glimmer of light that he was still alive, and now that they know for sure that he is not u ppl can't allow them to live with some hope that his death was an accident!! Instead everyone wants to try to play detective, you ppl need to not only get a live but need to have respect for him and his family!!
ok, seriously,you want us to shut up and remain quiet while we wonder who is next, just to save the hurt feelings of one family.You should be complaining to the FBI and not to us.There should be a task force to investigate.
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