01/14/12: Greg Senn, 29, Wisconsin Rapids, WI



Greg Senn

Greg Senn, 29, spent the evening of Saturday, January 14, 2012 celebrating his brother's birthday on 80th Street in Grand Rapids, Wisc. He was last seen in the early morning hours while walking along Highway U. He never made it home.

On March 13, Senn's body was recovered from Lake Wazeecha around 4:30 p.m. by the Wood County sheriff’s rescue team. Authorities found a wallet which they used to positively identify the body. The area was investigated after police received a call from someone who had spotted a hat floating in the lake while walking along a bike path.

Grand Rapids police Chief Dave Lewandowski it appeared likely that Senn's body had been in the lake since shortly after he was reported missing on January 14.

According to WSAU.com, "A passerby who spoke limited English called 9-1-1 that same day to report seeing someone walking along the highway. The Wood County dispatcher who took the call mishandled it by not sending a police officer to investigate, not reporting the call to authorities and not using the county's Spanish translation service. The dispatcher, Brian Turner, was suspended without pay for 30 days. Lewandowski said they interviewed the caller and confirmed that the caller had seen Senn."

The intersection where Senn was last seen is less than a quarter mile from Lake Wazeecha.

Investigators believe he may have been taking a shortcut across the lake to a friend's house when he fell through the ice.

"I've walked that same path with him when we were younger hundreds of times," said Greg Senn's brother, Ed. "I've crossed Lake Wazeecha in the dead middle of winter and nothing has happened."

The autopsy results showed that the cause of Senn's death was drowning and environmental hypothermia. Investigators say foul play was not involved. Senn had been drinking before he died; his blood alcohol concentration was more that 0.2 percent.




About Greg Senn

Greg Senn's family says he was a good person, one who will be greatly missed.

"Everybody liked him. He was a really likeable guy. He was a man who died with no enemies," Ed Senn told WAOW.com. "There's a lot of testimonials from his friends that Greg would give you the shirt off his back."

Ed Senn says he will miss his brother's "smile and his terrible jokes" the most.

Greg's obituary reads:

Greg was born Nov. 8, 1982, in Wisconsin Rapids, to William and Celetta (Callaway) Senn. He was employed at RR Donnelley in Plover. Greg was a sports fan especially the Detroit Red Wings and Milwaukee Brewers, enjoyed disc golfing and was an avid music lover.

Greg is survived by his father and stepmother, William and Colete Senn of Wisconsin Rapids; paternal grandmother, Angeline Senn of Plover; brother, Edward (special friend, Angie Lafler) Senn of Wisconsin Rapids; two sisters, Lynette (David) Look of Wisconsin Rapids and Melissa Van Lanen of Green Bay; and also survived by many nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts and cousins.

Greg was preceded in death by his mother, Celetta Senn; a brother, Curtis; paternal grandfather; stepgrandfather; and maternal grandparents.

Ritchay Funeral Home, Wisconsin Rapids, is handling all arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, there will be a fund established in Greg's name to help fund a dog for Wood County Search and Rescue.

Memorial services were held on Wednesday, March 21, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Wisconsin Rapids with burial Calvary Cemetery.

Greg Senn was the second person to go missing in the Grand Rapids area in January 2012.

Sailaja Cherukuri, 43, disappeared after apparently going for a walk around Lake Wazeecha on Monday, January 2. Police Chief Dave Lewandowski told the media that the Cherukuri frequently went for walks around the lake and was familiar with the area. Search crews found her body the following morning on the west end of the lake.

WAOW.com also reported on March 14, "There have been a number of instances where a missing man's body has been found in water in Wisconsin. Newsline 9 asked about this specific case to see if there's a connection."

Lewandowski replied, "I believe these are all individual cases. It's unfortunate. For our purposes here in Grand Rapids, I don't believe that."


Case Details

Name/age: Greg Senn, 28
Residence: Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Last Seen: 1/14/12, 80th Street in Grand Rapids, Wisc., then Hwy U.
Physical Description: 5'10" with black hair and brown eyes.
Last Wearing: He was last seen wearing glasses, jeans and a black jacket.
Recovered: 03/13/12
Investigating Agency: Wood County Sheriff's Department at (715) 421-8700.



Sources

Staff Writer. (2012, March 16). Obituary. Wisconsin Rapids Tribune. Retrieved July 10, 2012.

Vinch, Cassandra. (2012, March 14). Family remembers missing Wood Co. man Greg Senn. WAOW.com. Retrieved July 10, 2012.

WSAW News Staff. (2012, April 11). Autopsy Shows No Foul Play in Wood Co. Missing Man Case. WSAW.com. Retrieved July 10, 2012.

WSAU News Staff. (2012, March 13). Missing Wisconsin Rapids man found dead in lake. WSAU.com. Retrieved July 10, 2012.

WEAU 13 News Staff. (2012, January 4). Death of missing woman apparently an accident. WEAU.com. Retrieved July 10, 2012.