01/10/10: Paul Foster, 28, Hamilton, ON, CAN

Paul Michael Foster, 28, of Hamilton, Ontario, was last seen at his parents' Burlington home on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at approximately 6:00 p.m. before he left to see a movie. It was the last time he was seen.

Foster's family became concerned about his well-being after learning that his faithful dog had been barking and howling for 3 days. It was out of character for him to leave his dog unattended. He had also not accessed his bank accounts or made contact with his friends, which was out of the ordinary for him.


Paul Foster recovered

On September 3, 2010, Foster's eroded truck was found in Hamilton Harbour with the license plate still intact. Fosters body was still inside. Police told the Hamilton Spectator that they believe the truck went through or over the guard rail, which is about 7.8 inches (20 centimeters) in height. They said they "have no reason" to believe it hadn't been there since Foster disappeared in January.

According to the Spectator, a crew of divers from the Department of National Defence Dive Team had been preparing the docking site for the arrival of HMCS Fredericton, a 4,750-ton ship due to arrive at the Catharine Street North pier on September 7. The crew was searching for scrap metal in the area when they discovered the fully submerged pickup truck. The vehicle was pulled up around 7:30pm at Pier 9 of Catharine Street North.

The autopsy results show no signs of foul play.

09/17/10: Matthew Anderson, 29, Roseville, MN

Update: Matthew Anderson has been found safe!

Matthew Anderson

On September 24, Matthew Anderson was found unharmed at a construction site in Las Vegas, Nevada and taken to a hospital. He was described as being in "good medical condition." Authorities have declined to answer whether Anderson was alone or why he was taken to the hospital.

A press release issued Sept. 24 by The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office said their investigation revealed that Anderson had “left Minnesota on his own volition,” traveling to Las Vegas via Chicago.

According to The Pioneer Press, there are no plans to press charges against Anderson since he made the kidnapping claim to his wife and not to the police.

The young man's family plans to bring him home.

"There have been a lot of people praying for him, a lot of people with nothing but optimism and positive vibes," his father, William Anderson, told The Pioneer Press.

Footprints at the River's Edge is thankful that this young man can be brought home safely to his family!

02/10/08: Jeffrey Liepitz, 35, Mosinee, WI

Jeffrey Liepitz

Thirty-five year old Jeffrey M. Liepitz of Mosinee, Wisconsin was last seen on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008, at 1:30 a.m. walking out of Dinger’s Sports Bar on Main Street (Highway 153) in Mosinee. He was wearing a light brown jacket, blue jeans and a Dallas Cowboys cap.

The missing man’s mother, Marlyne Rayome, said she was concerned that her son may have an injury that could explain his disappearance (Wausau Daily Herald, 2/12/08). Rayome, who lives with her son in Mosinee, said she received a call from one of his friends telling her that people in the bar were hitting Liepitz in the head. Rayome said she went to the bar after receiving the call, but her son no longer was there.

Liepitz was going through a divorce and was upset the night he went out to Dinger's, his brother Scott Liepitz, told the Wausau Herald. According to the Herald, "At the tavern, several people made fun of Jeff for wearing a Dallas Cowboys hat, a team he had liked since childhood. Jeff Liepitz left the bar after being hit in the head by bar patrons, Scott said."

Family members contacted police at about 11 a.m. Sunday after Liepitz failed to return home.

Mosinee Police Chief Ken Muelling confirmed to the Wausau Daily Herald that police were called to the bar after a fight erupted. Liepitz was part of that fight and took off running when police arrived.

"It wasn't highly unusual for somebody to take off running from the bar as the police are arriving," siad Muelling, but what is unusual is that after this amount of time this person hasn't shown up."

Jeffrey Liepitz lived with his mother, Marlyne Rayome, in Mosinee, Wisconsin. She said he did not drink often and speculated that could have left him vulnerable in the bar or more disoriented. She could think of no reasons why her son would intentionally disappear and thought he would contact her or return home, unless he was hurt.

Rayome said it wasn't like her son to go somewhere without informing her. "If he's going to be late, he calls me," she said. (Wausau Daily Herald, 2/13/08).


The Search for Jeffrey Liepitz

Officers have retraced Liepitz's steps, contacted witnesses to learn more about the circumstances of his disappearance, searched a wooded area near the bar, and also brought in tracking dogs to help find the missing man.

But footprints showed he might have walked to the river's edge. Dogs searched along the Wisconsin River, which isn't far from the bar.

The Wausau Paper Corp. in Mosinee has begun lowering a channel in the river upstream from the dam to allow Mosinee police to search for Liepitz’ body.
 
On March 17, 2008, the clothed body of Jeffrey M. Liepitz was found in the Wisconsin River near Little Bull Falls Island and Highway 153 in Mosinee around 11:15 am. The body was found about 50 yards from the west shore of the river. The bar where Liepitz was last seen was about one block west from the site.

Marathon County Medical Examiner John Larson made a preliminary identification of the body before it was taken to Madison for an autopsy and positive identification.

A Mosinee police officer told the Wausau Daily Herald on Feb. 13 that foul play was not suspected in his disappearance despite a report that Liepitz was being hit in the head while at the bar.

Rayome told the Herald that the discovery brings relief and closure to the family. "I can bring him home at least and put him to rest," Rayome said.

Scott Liepitz told the Herald that his brother hated water. "The only reason he was out on the ice is if he was hurt," he said. "Everyone in Mosinee knows not to go in the river."


About Jeffrey Liepitz

Jeff Liepitz was known for his unique sense of humor, his natural ability to fix cars, and his love of NASCAR and collecting memorabilia, particularly of his favorite driver, Mark Martin. Liepitz had even been in contact with NASCAR about entering a training program to work on stock car bodies and motors. Jeff had shown an interest in cars since he was a young boy, often hanging out at body shops or with mechanics.

His brother, Scott, told the Herald, "He was the kind of guy if he was your friend, he was your friend for life."

Liepitz was described as being 6'1, and 180 pounds. He has brown hair, and blue eyes, and was wearing a light brown jacket, and a Dallas Cowboys baseball cap.

If you have any information on Liepitz’s whereabouts, call the Mosinee Police Department at 693-2000.

01/11/06: Vincent "Buddy Roberts, 20, Minneapolis, MN

"Buddy" Roberts, 21, was last seen walking away from the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) mental health unit on January 11, 2006 with a pass. It was the last time that the young man--a fixture in metro area coffee houses and homeless shelters--was seen.

Family members put up posters of Buddy daily and spend hundreds of hours searching in frustration. The media seemed to pay little attention to the disappearance of a young black man with mental health problems.

Buddy had suffered with a bipolar disorder, since he was 15. According to the Star Tribune, "he was able to flourish when he took his medications. At those times, he was a charismatic young man who was a talented drummer."

But on December 3, Buddy was off of his medication. He was found walking around at the Mall of America without shoes or a coat and talking about his "super powers." With the approval of his family, he was taken to HCMC and held for treatment. Then on January 11, six days before he was to move into a group home, he was given a pass allowing him to leave the hospital.

Buddy's body was found three months later in the Mississippi River on March 29, 2006 near the Stone Arch Bridge, not far from where Chris Jenkins had been found three years earlier. Buddy's stepmother, Lynn Roberts, learned of the finding when she happened to see a notice from the authorities requesting the public's help in identifying a young black male. She and Buddy's father, Vincent Roberts, supplied the medical examiner's office with dental records and the identification was made. Authorities told family members that the body may have been in the river since shortly after his disappearance. His bank account had not been touched since he left the hospital.

Vincent Roberts has said the staff at the hospital was wonderful, yet he questions the hospital's policy of giving unsupervised passes to the mentally ill.


Facts of Interest in this Case:
Name/age: Vincent "Buddy" Harold Roberts II, 20
Last seen: 1/11/06, in the vicinity of the 700 block of Park Ave., Minneapolis, MN.
Date of Birth: 1985-03-03
Physical description: Black male, 70 inches, 160 pounds, black curly hair, brown eyes
Clothing: Usually wears baggy cargo pants, white athletic shoes with untied laces, black or tan doo-rag, may possibly have a black, white, and red leather coat, carrying a green backpack. Wearing a long, thick silver chain with a large silver "cross" pendant and "Fossil" brand watch.
Vincent has a medical condition and needs medication.
Investigative Agency: Maplewood Police Department Phone: (651) 777-8191
Case #: 06-00-0187
NCIC #: M-115526209, Phone: (612) 348-3755

09/03/10: Adam Zaccardi, 32, Fridley, MN

Adam James Zaccardi, 32, from Minneapolis, MN was last seen around midnight on Sept. 3 in the parking lot of Springbrook Apartments in Fridley after attending a party.

Fridley Police, Coon Rapids Police K-9, Anoka County Sheriff K-9, Minnesota State Patrol helicopter and Fridley Fire started searching for the man 5 p.m. Sept. 9. in the Springbook Nature Center at 100 85th Ave. N.E. in Fridley. The Nature Center is next to the apartments where he was last seen.

A Fridley firefighter discovered Zaccardi's body at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 10 in a drainage pond adjacent to the Nature Center.

Zaccardi's death has been ruled an accidental drowning; his girlfriend of 15 years says he couldn't swim.

A memorial service for Zaccardi was held on September 15 at Washburn-McReavy Hillside Chapel in Minneapolis. Zaccardi's family told KSTP.com that he was always willing to help out his family and friends. He had a great sense of humor and was a good father to the couple's two sons.

Our thoughts go out to Zaccardi's family and friends at this difficult time.

04/08/10: Rydell Longie, 27, Bismarck, ND

Rydell Longie

Rydell Longie, 27, was last seen on April 8 when he left his mother’s Bismarck home. Since then, there was no activity on Longie's cell phone or credit card accounts, and he hadn't paid his May rent. His mother reported him to Mandan police as missing on April 30, and he was then listed nationally as missing.

According to the Bismarck Tribune, on Jan. 26--a few months before his disappearance--Longie was charged with aggravated assault and terrorizing, and there were two active warrants out for his arrest in that case. Longie who was on probation, was listed as having absconded from probation on Jan. 28.

Det. Jon Vanderhoef told the Tribune that police hit a roadblock as to what may have happened to Longie. Longie has family in the Belcourt area, but police have no evidence he had gone there.

Then on Sunday, June 20, 2010, two fishermen found Longie's body in the Heart River around 4:15 p.m. Authorities said the body was badly decomposed, but showed no signs of foul play. The state medical examiner performed an autopsy on June 22 and it was at that time that the identification was made. Investigators do not know where Longie entered the water or how long he may have been in the water.

Investigators said they had no information to determine whether the death was accidental or a suicide.

Anyone with information about Longie’s whereabouts should contact the Mandan Police Department at 667-3250.


Facts of Interest
Name/age: Rydell Longie, 27
Physical decription: 5'8", 180 pounds, brown eyes and black hair, shaved head
Residence: Mandan, ND
Last seen: 04/08/10: Bismarck, ND
Recovered: 06/20/10: Heart River, Bismarck, ND

Jan Jenkins speaking out to keep families safe

As part of her new speaking platform, Jan Jenkins has been giving talks to communities about how families can keep their kids safe. Jan's next speaking event will be in Rochester on September 30. Check out the postcard at the left for more information about how to register.

Or click here to read more about Jan's workshops.

08/22/05: Mark Kraynak, 23, and Steve Wright, 20, Montreal, QC, Canada

Steve Wright (left)
and Mark Kraynak (right)

Mark Kraynak, 23, of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and Steve Wright, 20, of Guerneville, California, spent the night of August 21, 2005 at Vatican, a downtown night club on Crescent Street in Montreal.

The two had traveled from Toronto with a friend and their employer for a weekend in Montreal.

After spending some time at Vatican, they called their employer around 3 a.m. to say they were in a cab heading to the Red Lite, an after-hours rave club, in the city of Laval, 30 minutes away. They had been in the club earlier with him before getting separated.

They arrived at the Red Lite at 3:32 a.m., but never made it inside.

Ten days later, their fractured and severely decomposed bodies were found in the Demix rock quarry more than 300 feet from the Red Lite. Canadian authorities initially described the deaths as "suspicious" because despite the injuries, autopsies did not show any traces of violence. Neither man seemed to be missing clothing, jewelry or money, which might suggest a robbery. And toxicology tests were inconclusive as to whether they might have ingested anything that might have led to their deaths. It was determined that the men had suffered a 50-foot fall into the quarry below.

Surveillance video outside the Red Lite shows Kraynak and Wright dashing into an alley as the taxi chased the men. The cabbie then backed up and left a few minutes later. Police in Laval said they are considering the possibility that Kraynak and Wright might have been looking for a place to hide after they had stiffed the cab driver out of the fare for the trip from Montreal to Laval, which would have been about $40.

Laval police spokesman, Guy Lajeunesse, declined to discuss with the media whether the video showed the men exiting the taxi, as police were hoping the driver would call with details. The surveillance photos show a vehicle with no identifying words or symbols. Authorities don't know the race or gender of the driver, let alone any distinguishing characteristics, but they think he might be hiding because he has a criminal record or is an immigrant.

Janice Kraynak doubts that such a person would draw attention to himself by chasing the men down the alley near the quarry.

The police theory is that Kraynak and Wright refused to pay the driver, so they ran and got through a
5-foot-high barbed-wire fence to enter the dark quarry and ran another 20 feet in the darkness and accidentally fell into the quarry. According to The Montreal Gazette, the quarry had warning signs, but they were written in French only.

"It looks like they died for $40," Lajeunesse told the Tribune-Review. "It's unpleasant, but sometimes you do crazy things."

Mark Kraynak's mother, Janice, struggles to understand how the police could assume Kraynak and Wright had stiffed the cab driver before even interviewing him. She told the media that her son had paid his own way for much of his life, including earning money as a newspaper carrier to cover his expenses at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus where he attended school. She said the men were also carrying enough cash and credit cards to be able to pay the fare. That night Kraynak, Wright, and a third man had even left a $200 tip for a waitress at Vatican; this is evidence, she says, that her son would not stiff a cab driver for $40.

"They can theorize all they want," Janice Kraynak told the Tribune-Review. "All they're doing is defaming my son after his death."

Kraynak also says she has seen the surveillance tape, causing her to further dispute the police theory that the men were running to avoid paying a fare.  The video, she says, shows Kraynak running from an intersection outside the club toward an industrial park of office condominiums. Wright is about two car-lengths behind her son, while the cab is moving behind both. "He was on the track team and I know the way he was running, he was running for his life," Janice Kraynak said. "I just have reason to believe my son knew he was in danger and that's why he was running the way that he ran."

Janice Kraynak said she believes another person was in the taxi, and that might have been the reason the two men were fleeing.

Wright's mother, Cheryl Crockett, also reviewed the surveillance tapes three weeks after Kraynak.

Both Kraynak and Wright were models for the California-based French Connection Française (FCF) agency which provides modeling for adult entertainment. The agency has offices in Toronto, Atlanta and Santa Rosa, California. Kraynak and Wright were supposed to return to the United States that day, via Toronto, after spending the summer working for FCF.

When the two men did not return from their Montreal night out, their boss--owner and CEO of FCF--who was with them that night, called police. He said the young men were always prompt and it was unusual for them not to contact him.

Wright, described as a "party boy," Kraynak, and four other Americans had been hired the previous summer to work as dancers at Remington's, a strip club for gay men in Toronto, although neither Kraynak nor Wright were gay.

Kraynak's family said he was planning to return to Fayette County to begin his sophomore year at the local Penn State campus, where he was studying business management. He had served in the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division in Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. He received a Purple Heart for shrapnel wounds he received when an improvised explosive device went off while he was under a bridge with a group of children. He became involved with the FCF Agency through an Atlanta office while he was serving with the 82nd at Fort Bragg, N.C. Janice Kraynak said her son's dream was to be a model in fitness magazines.

Kraynak had reportedly told his mother that he was in Canada to do construction work, hoping to hide his occupation from her. His boss told the media that that model had appeared in fitness magazines and in pornographic films with female partners. He had also auditioned for an independent horror film because was interested in acting. Janice Kraynak fears her son was forced or coerced into "something much more sinister," and believes she saw a contract with FCF that bound him to the agency through August 2006.

Kraynak's credentials were passed along by FCF to the producer of "Dead Boyz Don't Scream," and he was invited to audition for the role of a model who is murdered. Janice Kraynak told the Tribune-Review that the script apparently was a horror movie about male models who disappear during a photo shoot, and she says, contains "sexual type of abuse," murders, and a cover-up by a modeling agent. She said her son's receipt of the script in his Yahoo! e-mail account on Aug. 5 is "so bizarre that I have to believe it's tied" to his death.

"It describes how Todd, which is the role my son was asked to look at, was axed to death," Janice Kraynak said. "And it says, 'Todd is history.'"

She recalled that the police asked her to keep the script quiet, which she has done up until now, but she now feels that it is time for this possible connection to be made public.

"We sympathize with Mrs. Kraynak's loss and understand her grief," said Jerry Goldberg, the film's producer in a statement. "Her son was one of dozens of actors briefly considered for a role in a film we have been developing for five years. He was proposed to us by his theatrical agent, and our entire communication with him consisted of one e-mail and one phone conversation. We ultimately chose another actor for the role."

Regarding the deaths of his talent, Kraynak's boss said to the media, "There's no doubt in my mind, in my soul, that this was an accident."

He also stated that Kraynak had a day-to-day contract, though there was a written agreement through next August that required the model to notify the agency if he received work with another group. Otherwise, if Kraynak got a job, he received 80 percent of the payment and the agency got 20 percent.

But Janice Kraynak believes the people who were with Kraynak and Wright that weekend in Montreal know more than they've told police.

"I have my opinion that the (adult entertainment) industry is behind this in some way," she said. "That is my opinion, and I will do everything I can to prove that."

In 2005, Janice Kraynak said she had placed a call to Congressman John Murtha, D-Johnstown for help.

FCF Agency has faced scrutiny before. In March 2004, 23-year-old Toronto woman, Natel King, who had been represented by FCF was found dead in Montgomery County. Her photographer Anthony J. Frederick, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in 2005, saying he killed the woman after a dispute about money.


Sources
Foreman, Chris. (2005, October 14). Mom: Porn Industry Behind Son's Death. TribLive.com. Accessed 09/16/10 from: http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/fayette/s_384093.html#axzz372XzfU8e

Published: 09/16/10.  Updated: 07/10/14.

07/15/10: James Cooley, 22, Ottumwa, IA

James Cooley

James Cooley, 22, was last seen by neighbors about 4 a.m. on Thursday, July 15, 2010 sleeping in a chair on the front porch of his family's home in Ottumwa, Ia. Later that morning, James's mother, Teri, received a call from her son's boss; James hadn't reported to work for his 8 a.m. shift. When she checked the front porch, James was gone.

"I went out there to check the chair...he wasn't there. I called his boss back and I said, 'He must be walking because he doesn't have a [driver's] license and he's not here.' So I called back about 9:00 a.m. She said he never showed up," Mrs. Cooley told KTVO News.

Teri Cooley told KTVO that her son was frustrated because he had a lot of fines to pay, but had no money. There has been no activity on his bank account since July 2.
Cooley's body was recovered from the Des Moines River in Van Buren County on Sunday afternoon, July 18. Authorities would not speculate on the cause of death.

"We will continue the investigation into his disappearance initially until we do get results of an autopsy to determine what the actual cause of death was," said Chief Jim Clark of the Ottumwa Police Department.

05/08/10: Antonio Battle, 25, Thomson, GA

Antonio Battle

Antonio Edward Battle was reported missing by his family shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday, May 8. The 25-year old Augusta man had gone to a party with some friends earlier that day and had not returned.

Authorities combed a large area around Cedar Rock, Union Church and Three Points roads from about 9 p.m. Saturday, May 8 until 4 a.m. on Sunday, May 9. About eight hours later, family members discovered some of Battle's jewelry near Childers Creek. His body was then found in the vicinity. According to WRDW.com:

"When he gave me his phone, he was going to come back and get that phone." Battle's sister Darlene Hudson said. "He never showed up and he never called."

After Hudson never heard back from her little brother Friday, she knew something was wrong.

"This morning I had to go find him," she said. "I called everybody and we just went looking for him. All the family came together and just found him."

The family's search ended in a creek just outside of Thomson, his cousin Sara Walker said.

"I was hoping that we'd find him alive," Walker said. "But when we found him it was straight shock to the whole family."

"We haven't been knowing what to think or what's been going on," said another cousin of his Shawan. "We just been praying that you know whenever they found him that everything was going to be OK."

The coroner said that there were no visible markings on the victim's body and that he was found lying in a creek bed less than 30 feet from the shoulder of Cedar Rock Road shortly after noon Sunday.

Investigators said there was no evidence to indicate how he met his death. The body is being sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab near Atlanta for an autopsy. The GBI and the McDuffie County Sheriff's office is handling the investigation.

Friends told family members Battle fell out of a car into the creek, but the family doesn't believe it because Battle's jewelry was found nearly a half a mile away.

"Something happened, but nobody is telling," Hudson told WRDW.com. "If somebody knows anything they need to come out and say what happened to Antonio because what they said, it doesn't make sense."

About Antonio Battle

Family members tell News 12 Battle that was a funny person and was always the life of the party. They also said he leaves behind a child and had another child on the way. He and his girlfriend lived in Augusta, Georgia. Prior to that, Battle had lived with his mother on Pine Avenue in Warrenton.

"The whole family going to miss him," Walker said.

"I would never think he would go before me, but I guess what happened, happened," Hudson said about her younger brother.

Anyone with information should contact the McDuffie County Sheriff's Department at (706) 595-2040, the GBI office at (706) 595-2575 or the Georgia State Patrol at (706) 595-2622.


Case Details

Name/age: Antonio Battle, 25
Last seen: 05/08/10, Thomson, GA
Recovered: 05/09/10, Childers Creek, Thomson, GA
Residence: Augusta, GA
Hometown: Warrenton, GA

06/05/05: Simeon McCarty, 25, Frankfort, KY

Simeon "Nick" McCarty

On Saturday, June 5, 2005, Simeon Nicholas McCarty, 25, who went by "Nick," drove to The Dragon pub in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Earlier in the night, about 9 or 9:30, Nick had been at friend Matt Robinson's house. Nothing was reported to be out of the ordinary as Matt dressed and then left with Nick. The two drove in Matt's car to meet a second friend, Chad Hupp, a childhood friend of Nick's.

Nick had been excited to reunite with Hupp, and told his family that the outing couldn't have come at a better time. His friend, Matt, was just getting over being mad at him. For eight months, Nick had tried leaving messages, visiting Matt, and even leaving notes at his house and car, but he got no response from his friend. Nick had about decided to let it go, and seemed comfortable enough with that decision, but ultimately ended up going out for a night on the town with Robinson and Hupp.

The Dragon is a small, crowded Irish pub with pathways that wind their way through to the back door. The upper room has a deck where customers sometimes participate in karaoke performances. The details are not known, but at some time during the night, Nick disappeared.

By 3 a.m., when Nick hadn't returned home, his father became frantic. He told himself that Nick must be staying with one of his friends and would call in the morning. But he never did. Two days later, Nick's body was found.


Nick McCarty found

Nick's badly decomposed body was found floating face up in the Kentucky River around 5 p.m. on June 7, 2005 by a couple out for a cruise in their pleasure boat. It had been found near the busy downtown area between the world-famous 'Singing Bridge' and the Capitol Bridge which leads thousands of tourists across to Frankfort, the capitol city, and the governor's mansion. After seeing what they thought was a body, the couple traveled to the River Cafe to report what they had seen. Around that time, a state trooper had been searching the vegetation along this stretch of river bank; he was picked up and taken to the body.

Due to the current, the body traveled downstream a bit until it was recovered from the water. Nick's arms and hand were out of the water in a slightly bent position, his face pointing to the sky.

No foul play was initially suspected, and after an autopsy, the state medical examiner determined that McCarty drowned accidentally.

Nick's mother, Nancy, is convinced that someone may have additional information in Nick's case that may be helpful. She said, "Someone out there knows something about this. Contact state police or the McCarty's. You may not have been interviewed by police, but your information is vital! You may not have known until reading this that you have something to report. Nothing is too small!"

Two strong witnesses have already come forward who believe they heard shouting and screams coming from the river on the night.

Two men were sitting on the dock, relaxing, after closing their "River Cafe". The night was quiet and the water calm, and they heard shouting and screams followed by a splash in the water at 1:15 am on Saturday, June 5, 2005. The men, who are reported to be "veteran river dwellers," were startled enought that they jumped into their jon boat and headed toward the sounds. They turned on the boat's trolling lights and used flashlights to sweep the dark waters and up and down the river banks. The men were surprised and puzzled when they found nothing. They felt strongly about the time this occurred. The men told their story to the police and repeated the story to Nick's parents exactly the same way with "undeterred conviction and fervor."

Nick's body was found in the small area the men had gone to that night. It was adjacent to the pub Nick had visited.

But how Nick got into the river, or even TO the river, is unknown. According to Nancy McCarty, the area along the banks is shallow, "causing a person to have to walk far out, maneuvering past old refrigerators and tall weeds to get to a deeper part."


About Nick McCarty

Nancy McCarty, Nick's mother, has created a Memorial Web site for her son. The site describes how Nick was a huge Nascar fan. He collected diecasts and other memorabilia from his favorite teams which included Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Bill Elliott. He was also an Elvis fan and a very good Elvis impersonator. He entertained family, friends and many locals complete with wig, costume, karate stage moves, and vocals to My Way, Viva Las Vegas, and the last song he sang to his daddy- Don't Cry Daddy.

Nick was named after his father, Simeon "Bud" Frederick McCarty, who passed away Saturday, June 20, 2009 after complications from a broken left shoulder and three broken ribs sustained in a fall. Nancy McCarty said Nick's father looked forward to seeing and being with his son again. "Father and son shared the same name, a life together in their home, a love of sports, and great love for each other, their family, and the world around them."

Nick enjoyed basketball--all sports, in fact--and he was good at everything he tried. He was a fast runner and played softball for three seasons. He also liked three-wheeling, roller-skating, and video games.

He worked at the Capitol View Park where he marked ball fields with chalk lines and did landscaping and maintenance of the fields and trails. He loved his job and his coworkers. His former manager, Buck Wilhoite, recounted that Nick looked forward to going to work every morning:

"He set the example for the other part time workers to follow. Nick probably had more knowledge about getting a ball field ready for play than any other part time worker. As the saying goes, the acorn doesn’t fall very far from the tree. He learned these skills by watching his Dad and his crew getting the ball fields ready in London, Ky where he grew up.

Nick was often assigned to me to do special jobs, such as winterizing the rest rooms before cold weather set in, airfying and seeding eleven athletic fields, working on the irrigation system, etc. Without exception Nick not only was willing to work, he wanted to learn how to do it.

So, for me its rather simple. He not only could talk the talk, Nick could walk the walk."

Nick's brother, Bradley, also wrote a eulogy to Nick:

"This is indeed a sad day for all of us. We have lost such a great person. I think sharing our grief would help us ease our burdens.

My brother may have meant something to each and every one of you, personally, he was my best friend. I remember when we were in school he often got into fights because of me. People used to tease me and he didn’t want to see me get hurt so he tried to protect me. He is also the only person I could confide in. I could talk to him about anything because he never judged or scolded me. He always has some great advice ready for me. He had this trait where he could always turn a dull party around.

My brother was such a character. He knew how to be serious at times and he also knew when to joke around. As a friend he was also very dear. He always found time to be with his friends. He was a very loyal and kind friend. He was also very polite; he was the kind of man who always opened doors for ladies. He could be very immature at times but that’s just because he was still a child inside a young man’s body.

I know my brother left lots of things undone and others that he never had a chance to start. But I promise I will continue what he has started and hopefully fulfill his dreams for him. This is just my small way of saying thank you for everything he did for me.

I remember one of our last talk together, we talked about death and how our funerals should be. My brother didn’t like to see people cry, especially his family. We only talked about this as a joke and now I realize why he mentioned it. He told me he wanted to have rides at his funeral or anything that would make people happy. I jokingly answered him that I could easily arrange for it but I’d have to face mom’s wrath. He just answered “that’ll no longer be my problem.” That talk happened just last month.

Let’s just be thankful for all the special moments that my brother has left us. And with that, I hope that my brother will continue to live on within our hearts and minds." 

Case Details
Name/age: Simeon "Nick" Nicholas McCarty, 25
Last seen: 06/05/05, Dragon Pub at 103 West Main Street, Frankfort, KY
Recovered: 06/07/05, Kentucky River
Hometown: London, KY
Date of birth: July 25, 1979

04/25/10: Josh Blahna, 26, Kensal, ND

Josh Blahna

Twenty-six-year-old Josh Blahna was last seen on Sunday, April 25, 2010. Blahna disappeared after he blew a tire and pulled off the road just outside his mother's rural home about 10 miles northwest of Kensal, ND.


The search for Joshua Blahna

After Josh Blahna disappearance, posters were hung, a Facebook page was created, and Josh's family posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to his discovery. Officials and volunteers were also out searching for the young man.

On Wednesday, April 28, authorities found Blahna’s car near his mother’s farm and tracks leading to the nearby James River. One of Blahna's shoes was found near the river, and it was identified by his mother. The shoe was also not far from his mother's house. Further search efforts by water and air on Wednesday were hampered by cold temperatures and strong winds. Spring flooding had also created high water and strong currents in the James River, making a river search unsafe. Crews were only able comb the banks of the river on all-terrain vehicles.

The following day, searchers returned to drag the river, yet the seven hour search turned up nothing.

On Monday, May 3, The Red River Search and Rescue dog unit joined Dakota Search and Rescue Dogs in the search for Blahna. The search for Blahna was ongoing until May 10, 2010, when Blahna's body was found in the James River by family members at about 11-a.m.

The case perplexed local sheriff, Mike Tufte, who told WDAY News 6, “This just doesn't happen like this here.” The paper reported, "Tufte says it's been more than 20 years since Foster County has had a drowning. That one was accidental, he's not so sure about this one. If there was foul play, Tufte says family members don't know who would be behind it. They tell him Joshua had no enemies."

The body was found in Foster County about nine miles northwest of Kensal, ND. The location was a mile and a half south of where he is believed to have entered the river. After it was recovered, it was sent to the North Dakota Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.

 

On May 12, 2010, the Foster County sheriff announced that the death had been ruled an accident. Preliminary autopsy results showed that Joshua Blahna drowned.

About Joshua Blahna

Joshua's obituary read:

"Joshua James Blahna is the son of James Blahna and Donna (Hoffman) Mack, and was born on June 11, 1983, in Carrington, ND. He was raised and attended school at Kensal, graduating in 2002. Josh attended Moorhead Tech and recently was farming with his father and brother, Jeremiah, in the Kensal and Carrington areas. Josh worked on wind tower construction near Valley City, ND, and in Iowa, and installed fiber optic underground cable near Jamestown, ND. He was a hard worker.
Josh liked hunting, boating, fishing, was a great downhill skier and had awesome boxing abilities - he was like greased lightening! He worked at body building and weight lifting. He especially enjoyed hanging out with his friends and had a special relationship with his brother, Jeremiah and sister, Casey. Josh was very proud of Jeremiah and Casey, they had many good times camping, cowboying and wrestling. Casey made special gifts just for Josh that he loved.
Josh loved to travel and wanted to see the world. One of his favorite stories he told his friends was about teasing crazy cows- he’d laugh because the cows couldn’t catch him. He loved all animals and couldn’t pass by a lamb or newborn calf without petting it and marveling at how soft it was.
He will be remembered most for his wonderful smile, big heart and his defense of those in need of help. He is home now with Jesus, but will always be here in the hearts of those that loved him. He is a special person who leaves us- On the Wings of Eagles!
Josh will be remembered and deeply missed by his parents, James Blahna and Donna (Bob) Mack, both of Kensal; his brother, Jeremiah, Carrington; his sister, Casey Mack, Kensal; grandmother, Irene Blahna, Kensal; grandfather, Marvin Hoffman, Carrington; special friend, Jennifer Schultes, Fargo, ND; step-brothers, Chris (Lisa) Mack, Williston, ND, and Mike (Jess) Mack, Fargo; step-sisters, Cheri (Perry) Brubaker, Arvilla, ND, and Melissa (Eric) Gauthier, Cavalier, ND; Aunts/Uncles, Jackie (Steve) Blahna-Becker, Minot, ND, Betty Blahna, San Francisco, CA, Suzanne (Rod) Mathwich, Prescott, WI, Christie (Ric) Herman, Moorhead, MN, Cynthia (Donnie) Colvin, Sylvania, AL, Loretta (Harry) Kaatz, Denver, CO, Marlys (Gary) Stangeland, Garland, TX, Marlene (Robert) Smith, Carrington, ND; Cousins, Shauna, Rick, Matt, Erin, Logan, Rhys, Justin, Blaine, Eric, Alicia, Hailey, Chris, Angie, Kenny, Sara, Amanda, Nick, and Amy.
He was preceded in going to Jesus, by his grandfather, Bill Blahna; grandmother, Lucy Hoffman; and Uncle Bill Blahna." (Source: Obituary)

A funeral was held for Josh on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Kensal, ND with a burial at Kensal Cemetery.


Quick Facts:
Name/age: Joshua Blahna, 26
Last seen: 4/25/10, Kensal, ND
Recovered: 5/10/10, James River, Kensal, ND
Physical Description: 5'9," 150 lbs., black hair, hazel eyes
College: had attended Moorehead Tech

03/13/09: Steven Mbidizo, 27, Bath Township, MI

Stephen Mbidzo

Stephen Munyaradzi Mbidzo disappeared March 13, 2009 a day after his 27th birthday. He last was seen visiting friends at the Village at Chandler Crossings, a large apartment complex at 3839 Hunsaker St in Bath Township, MI.

His mother reported his disappearance to the Michigan State Police post in Mount Pleasant, MI, where Mbidzo resided.

Mbidzo's body, which was found Thursday, April 9 in a remote section of the Grand River in Eagle Township, was identified through fingerprints. The body was found by a riverfront home owner who then alerted police. The body was found naked, wearing only socks, and it was unclear how long it had been in the river. 

"It’s a very, very suspicious death," said Clinton County Sheriff Wayne Kangas.

An autopsy on April 10 was unable to reveal a cause of death. There were no signs of blunt force or other trauma.


About Steven Mbidizo

Mbidzo was born on March 12, 1982, in Harare, Zimbabwe, the son of Louis and Hilda Mbidzo. He graduated from Prince Edward High School in Zimbabwe where he played rugby and enjoyed cricket. He earned an associate degree from Mid Michigan Community College in Harrison and had taken nursing classes at Saginaw Valley State University. He was a talented and award-winning artist, and a member of the MSU African Students Association and the Knights of Columbus.

He leaves behind his parents Louis and Hilda Mbidzo, brother Farai Mbidzo of Mt. Pleasant, MI, sisters Diana Mbidzo of the United Kingdom and Rosalia (Edmond) Muchenje of Zimbabwe, and grandmothers Theresa and Mavis, and fiancee Shingirai Jemwa of Grand Rapids, MI.
A funeral was held on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 302 S. Kinney in Mount Pleasant, MI. A visitation and prayer service were also held at the Clark Family Funeral Chapel in Mount Pleasant.

08/28/10: Khalil King, 19, Ithaca, NY

On the evening of Saturday, August 28, 2010, Khalil King, a 19-year-old from Cornell University was reported missing. King had last been seen at about 3 a.m. that morning while walking on the upper gorge trail near the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, also known as the "FIJI" fraternity. A friend said King saw something and ran west; he then lost contact with the sophomore. "Charlottenews14.com has reported the something spooked King before he ran off. Attempts to call or locate him throughout the day were unsuccessful," said Cornell Director of Press Relations Claudia Wheatley.

Approximately 30 people from multiple agencies--including members of the Cornell University Police Department, the Ithaca Police Department, New York State Police, the Ithaca Fire Department and Cornell Environmental Health and Safety--were involved in the search.

The Ithaca Fire Department and Cornell University police searched the area around where King was last seen, but because of darkness and the hazardous terrain, the search was suspended at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The team resumed their search at 9 a.m. Sunday, joined by the Ithaca police, and staff from the Cornell Environmental Health and Safety department. The area east of the Stewart Avenue bridge above Ithaca Falls was searched, and a state police helicopter was also used.

On Sunday (8/29/10), emergency crews recovered a body lying in a deep pool of water in the south end of Fall Creek gorge. Police identified it as that of the missing student. The body was found between the pedestrian suspension bridge and Stewart Avenue Bridge near the 800 block of Stewart Avenue. Firefighters, and the Ithaca and Cornell police and Bangs Ambulance, carried the body out through the Willard Way tunnel, part of a former 19th century industrial water mill, shortly after 1:30 p.m.

No foul play is suspected, according to police. The Ithaca Police Department is continuing the investigation, and anyone with information is urged to contact them at 272-9973.


About Khalil King

On August 31, 2010, several hundred people attended a candlelight vigil commemorating the life of Khalil King.

The Cornell Daily Sun reported that "King’s mother came out and spoke of her son: 'my pride, my joy, my reason for breathing.'" She said, “a lot of questions are still not answered,” and that she “will never be satisfied until those questions are answered” by either “something from the Cornell community” or from the “divine hand of God.”

According to the Sun, "Throughout the night, filled with poems, letters and songs for King, a picture of him emerged as a gregarious, multi-talented thinker and doer, willing to cross the lines of social convention....Friend Felema Yemane, Class of 2014, recalled going to different places with King, including the Cornell Democrats, Cornell Republicans and a socialist organization, and recalled a time when the two spent “three hours discussing abortion” in Willard Straight Hall. King was “open to other people’s ideas and thoughts,” Yemane said."

King was described as being the kind of friend "who would do anything for you at the drop of a dime." His many friends enjoyed his magnetic, perhaps even a bit quirky, personality. He was described as an “amazing artist,” who had once made a landscape of Ithaca appearing in the eye of his self-portrait.

King had recently transferred from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to the College of Architecture, Art and Planning.

King was a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a 2009 graduate of Independence High School.
Vice President Susan Murphy ’73 also spoke at the event, saying that the “best tribute we can give Khalil is to build those bridges across the communities he touched.”

She urged the crowd to “make sure you’re here for one another,” while admitting the difficulty of “trying to understand something that makes no sense.”