05/21/12: Scott Burris, 33, Fergus Falls, MN

Scott Burris

Scott Burris, 33, was last seen on the afternoon of Monday, May 21 around 2 p.m. in Fergus Falls, Minn. He had just gotten a new job after two months of searching, and his father, Roger Burris, said he was in good spirits, talking about the job. Roger congratulated his son and said he would talk to him later. It was the last time he spoke to his son.

Two days later, Scott Burris's vehicle was found abandoned in a rural area north of Elizabeth, Minn. A local resident reported Scott‘s white Plymouth Voyager van parked off of 310th Street in northeast of Elizabeth on May 23. The vehicle, which was parked on private property, had been there for at least two days.

Burris was reported missing on May 24. The same afternoon, the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office began foot and aerial searches of the area surrounding the van. The searches continued Friday morning. No trace of Scott Burris was found.

The van has since been sent to the state crime lab for analysis.

On Friday, May 25 at 7:35 p.m., the Otter Tail Sheriff’s Office was notified that a body had been found in the Otter Tail River west of Orwell Dam. Recreational swimmers and tubers spotted the body, which was recovered by the Sheriff’s Office personnel. The area was approximately 15 miles from where Burris's vehicle had been found.

Police suspect foul play in his death, and an investigation is ongoing, according to an Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office news release.

Police have previously said that Burris hung out with a rougher crowd, but they have not said whether that had anything to do with his death, or why they even suspect foul play.

Phone records indicate no calls on Burris's phone since Tuesday, May 22.

If you have any information you're asked to call the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Department at 218-998-8555


Case Details
Name/age: Scott Burris, 33
Last seen: 5/21/12 in Fergus Falls, MN
Physical Description: 5′10,″ 175 pounds, medium-muscular build with short brown hair and brown eyes. Scott wears contacts or glasses. Scott normally has a goatee style beard but he was clean shaven when last seen.
Last seen wearing: tan shorts, a blue short-sleeve T-shirt, and white tennis shoes.
Investigating Agency: Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, 218-998-8555.


Sources

Staff Writer. (2012, June 17). Foul Play Suspected In Death Of Man Found In River. CBS News. Retrieved June 20, 2012 from http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2012/06/17/foul-play-suspected-in-death-of-man-found-in-river/.

Articles on Project Jason Forum, http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=12523.0.