01/01/13: Nick Wilcox, Milwaukee, WI

Nick Wilcox
Milwaukee, Wisc.

Twenty-four year old Nick Wilcox celebrated the 2013 new year with his girlfriend and friends at a bar on North Old World Third Street in Milwaukee, Wisc. Sometime between 1 and 2 a.m., Nick was reportedly kicked out of the bar by staff. He was last seen heading down an alley. It was the last time he was seen.

On March 28, Nick's body was found in the Milwaukee River near the bar by two city police officers. His death was ruled an accidental drowning.

According to Fox6 News, Nick's family has said they believe foul play may be involved with his death.

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Read the Full Story:
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Student Disappears On N. Old World Third Street

Nick Wilcox, 24, celebrated the new year with his girlfriend, Kelly, and other friends at the Irish Rec Room, a downtown Milwaukee, Wis. bar, on the 1000 block of North Old World Third Street in Milwaukee, Wis. Employees reportedly kicked Nick out of the bar, and he was last seen heading down an alley between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2013.

His family frantically spent New Year's Day trying to find him.

The search continued in the following week with 60 people joining the search on January 6th alone. Search parties split up along Milwaukee's east side and covered a possible paths that Nick might have taken to get back to his residence. The following day, one group started their search at Alterra on the Lake and then headed north on the Oak Leaf Trail, while another group started around North Avenue, near Nick's residence.

On March 28, Nick's body was found in the Milwaukee River by two city police officers in the 1000 block of N. Old World 3rd Street. Preliminary reports indicated no signs of trauma or injury, and his death was ruled an accidental drowning.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on March 29, "A medical examiner's report indicated he was found about 350 to 500 feet from where he was last seen, and cellphone records obtained by police show the last "ping" on his phone was close to where his body was discovered. Wilcox was found with his cellphone, a set of keys and his wallet, containing his driver's license."

On April 4, the Medical Examiner's office released the toxicology report, indicating that Nick's blood alcohol level was .22.

According to Fox6 News, Nick's family has said they believe foul play may be involved with his death.

According to research by this site, Nick Wilcox was the second young man to disappear from Milwaukee's North Old World Third Street. On July 26, 2006, twenty-six year old Max Walker disappeared after a convention. Max was last seen at the Buckhead Saloon at 1040 N. Old World Third Street (in the vicinity where Nick Wilcox later disappeared). Max's body was later found in the Milwaukee River close to the bar where he had last been seen. Max Walker was a student at St. Ambrose University in Iowa.


About Nick Wilcox

Nick Wilcox had graduated from Kettle Moraine High School and was a student and the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, where he was considering a career in public service. He was known to be adventurous, having once went on a week-long hike up to Long’s Peak in Colorado with members of a youth group. His father, Nick Wilcox, described him as a "good kid."

Rev. Mike Frans, who served as Wilcox's pastor growing up, told the paper that Nick was known to bring Christmas cookies to his friend's parents, just to let them know someone was thinking of them.

"That's the kind of guy he was, just thoughtful and funny, in a good way," said Frans.

He also described Nick as kindhearted, adventurous and ambitious.

"As the stories (about Wilcox) come out, you say 'Wow, what a fine young man," he said. "He's greatly loved and he's going to be greatly missed and never forgotten," he said.


Case Details

Name/age: Nick Wilcox, 24
College: University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeLast Seen: Irish Rec Room, 1000 block of North Old World Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Physical Description: 6'2", 180 pounds, blonde hair, blue eyes
Last Wearing: dark gray shirt with dark jeans and black shoes.
Investigating Agency: Milwaukee Police Department (414) 935-7403.


Sources

Luthern, Ashley. (2013, March 29). Body identified as Nick Wilcox, missing UWM student. Journal Sentinel. Retrieved April 2, 2013 from http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/autopsy-planned-on-body-pulled-from-river-kv9bo7q-200593571.html

Bayatpour, A.J. (2013, January 6). 60 spend Sunday searching East Side for signs of missing Nick Wilcox. Fox 6.com. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://fox6now.com/2013/01/06/60-spend-sunday-searching-east-side-for-signs-of-missing-nick-wilcox/

Staff article. (2013, Jan. 4) New leads on missing KM grad. Lake Country Reporter. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://www.livinglakecountry.com/lakecountryreporter/185690862.html

WTMJ News Team. (2013, Jan. 3). Family, friends start third day searching for missing UWM student. WTMJ. com. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/185402921.html

DeLong, Katie. (2013, January 7). Family and friends continue to search for Nick Wilcox, missing since NYE. CBS6.com. Retrieved January 8, 2013 from http://fox6now.com/2013/01/07/family-and-friends-continue-to-search-for-nick-wilcox-missing-since-nye/.

DeLong, Katie. (2013, April 4). Toxicology results released in death of Nick Wilcox. CBS6.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013 from http://fox6now.com/2013/04/04/toxicology-results-released-in-death-of-nick-wilcox/.

CBS58 Staff. (2013, March 29). Wilcox death ruled accidental drowning. CBS58.com. Retrieved April 17, 2013 from
http://www.cbs58.com/news/top-stories/Wilcox-death-ruled-accidental-drowning-200636981.html?m=y&smobile=y.


Published, January 10, 2013.  Updated 4/2/13.