12/07/11: Jimmy Slack, 25, Pittsburgh, PA

Jimmy Slack

Jimmy Slack, 25, had gone to a String Cheese Incident concert at Stage AE on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pa. on Dec. 6, 2011. He was last seen around 9:30 p.m., then became separated from friend, Paulette, who left with another person when she failed to find him. They finally reached Slack on his cell phone at 1 a.m. and he said, "I am still partying." They last talked to him at  3 a.m. when he said he would probably walk home.

Family members became concerned when he didn’t return or answer calls to his cell phone, and then missed his niece's birthday that weekend. Slack was getting ready to return to his job working on a barge.

His body was recovered from the Allegheny River on Jan. 23, 2012.



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What Happened to Jimmy Slack?

After Jimmy disappeared, his family and investigators launched an extensive search that canvassed the North Side of Philadelphia. They placed fliers across the region, offered a $5,000 reward for information and raised awareness on Facebook and Twitter. 

More than 400 people attended a candlelight vigil at Bethany Presbyterian Church on Dec. 22.

According to CBS Pittsburgh, "His parents, James and Donna, and sisters, Maureen Shields and Laura Slack, greeted each of them with hugs and tears." Donna Slack told the paper, "The comfort was people looking for him and genuinely caring about him. I wouldn’t have been able to do this (without them).”

The body of Jimmy Slack was recovered the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 23 on the shore of the Allegheny River near the Carnegie Science Center. The crew on a RiverQuest boat that was pulling up to the shore noticed the body and called 911. Pittsburgh police were called to the area around 1:30 p.m. and the person's clothing matched what Slack had been wearing when he disappeared. Slack's wallet, cash and a cell phone were also found on his body.

Pittsburgh Police Lt. Kevin Kraus told CBS Pittsburgh, "We were down here with cadaver dogs and other scent dogs down on the river banks for some time and found no signs of Mr. Slack until today..."

According to the paper, Bridgeville police Chief Chad King notified the family at their Bridgeville home shortly after Slack was found.

“It was very emotional,” King said. "I think they were still holding out to hope that he would come home.”

Police are waiting for an autopsy to determine how Slack died. It’s not immediately clear if his death is considered suspicious or accidental, but investigators have said that Slack was highly intoxicated. It is also not clear to investigators how Slack entered the river, according to a press release. The investigation is ongoing.


About James Slack

James Joseph Slack II graduated from Chartiers Valley High School in 2004 and was living with his parents in Bridgeville, Pa. Julia Hoffman, a close friend of Slack's, told ABC, "He loved to dance. He always made you smile. He'd walk in and his blue eyes and blonde hair would just light up the room," she said.


Case Details

Residence: Bridgeville, Pa.
Last seen: 12/6/11, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Recovered: 1/23/12, 1 p.m., Allegheny River, Pa.
Physical Description: 5'10", 165 pounds, blonde hair, blue eyes
Investigating Agency: Bridgeville Police, 412-279-6911


Sources

Jones, Mike. (2012), January 23). Body of Jimmy Slack Found in Pittsburgh. Chartiers Valley Patch. Retrieved April 29, 2012 from: http://chartiersvalley.patch.com/articles/body-of-jimmy-slack-found-in-pittsburgh

Staff Writer. (2012, January 23). Missing Man’s Body Found In Allegheny River. CBS Pittsburgh. Retrieved April 29, 2012 from: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/01/23/missing-mans-body-found-in-allegheny-river/