07/08/07: Brian Sullivan, 19, Gates, NY

Brian Sullivan's case has likely been solved. A reward is being offered for information leading to his remains. See details below.

Brian Sullivan - Gates, NY
Last seen 7/8/07

Brian W. Sullivan, 19, was last seen at 5:48 am on July 8, 2007 buying breakfast at the Burger King drive-thru window on Chili Ave in Gates, NY.
At 6:10 a.m., "Sully" as he was sometimes known, left a voicemail message for a friend. It was the last time Sullivan was heard from.

Later that day, Sullivan's vehicle, a red 1995 Pontiac Sunfire with New York registration DXU 3048, was found in front of a 100–acre wooded area on nearby Lettington Avenue. A Burger King receipt, stamped at 5:48 a.m., and wrappers were found inside the car, along with Sullivan's cell phone charger and bank card. There were no signs of foul play in or around the car.

Sullivan graduated from Churchville-Chili High School. At the time of his disappearance, he was a student at Monroe Community College. He was considering a career in social work or the music industry and had just ordered hundreds of dollars of sound mixing equipment and was weighing his options.

While Sullivan was unemployed, his family says he was not facing any personal problems and was looking toward the future. The night before he disappeared, he watched a movie at a friend's house and he was looking forward to a big family dinner on 7/8 with his favorite food--ribs. He had also just learned that his sister was expecting a baby and Brian was he was thrilled and excited to be an uncle.

Update 2016: Confidential informants have told investigators that Brian had been stabbed by a male who frequented the Chili Avenue area. The suspect, Derrick Murray, allegedly told acquaintances that Murray stabbed Sullivan several times. Investigators learned through other sources that Murray allegedly enlisted the help of his family to hide Brian's body and car. Murray told one source, "they will never find him if I don't tell them." Murray died of natural causes in 2016 just as police were closing in. 

Update 2024: Law enforcement is still focused on finding Sullivan's remains. In January 2024, investigator Philip Trubia of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said that a Murray family member may have information that could lead to Sullivan's remains--and closure for the family. (Kucko, 2024). 

 The Sullivan family told RochesterFirst.com:

“It’s time for those that do know to give us some peace,” said Barbara Sullivan, Brian’s mother, “We want to bring all of Brian home. Not just bits and pieces. There’s a family that knows. And they should do the right thing,” she said. 

 The Sullivan family is offering a reward for information that leads to Brian Sullivan's remains. Anyone with more information is asked to contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at 585-753-4900.

Case Details
Name/age: Brian Sullivan
Age at Disappearance: 19 yrs.
Date of Birth: 12/05/87
Last seen: 07/07/07, Gates, NY
Residence: Churchville, NY
Physical description: White male, 5'11," 170 pounds, black hair, blue eyes, full beard
Last seen wearing: wearing blue jean shorts, a blue pinstriped button down long sleeve shirt, flip flops and a green baseball cap.
Notes: According to NamUs, he may be using the name Chuck or Charles Briswold.
Links: MySpace, Help Find Brian Sullivan, NamUs
Investigating Police Agency: Monroe County Sheriff, (585) 753-4177, nysvicap@troopers.state.ny.us (e-mail)


Sources

Kucko, Natalie. 2024, Jan 24. Family of Brian Sullivan continues to seek closure after nearly 17 years. https://www.rochesterfirst.com/news/family-of-brian-sullivan-continues-to-seek-closure-after-nearly-17-years/. Retrieved 04 July 2024.

Molloy, Matt. 2017 Oct 24. The Untold Story of the Brian Sullivan Murder. https://13wham.com/news/special-reports/the-untold-story-of-brian-sullivans-murder. Retrieved 7 June 2019.

Published 3/2/11. Last updated: 07/4/2024.

07/01/14: Josepf Zurnieden, 42, Minneapolis, MN

Joe Zurnieden
MISSING since 7/1/14

A Minneapolis father of two has been missing since early July.

Joe Zurnieden, 42, was last seen at his home in the Hiawatha neighborhood of south Minneapolis about 6 a.m. on July 1, 2014 when he left for work. A few hours later, his wife, Katy, spoke with him.

"I was talking to him. I was concerned that he didn't have a lunch with him that day, so I said, 'Let me know where you are and I'll bring you lunch. Me and the girls will bring you lunch,' and I didn't hear from him again," she recalled.

The van he was driving was located two days later near 26th Avenue and Marshall Street in northeast Minneapolis, but Joe has not returned home and hasn't been heard from since he was last seen. 

Joe's wife, Katy, told Fox 9 News that the disappearance is very out of character.

"It's not like him," Katy Zurnieden told Fox 9 News. "Not at all." She is worried that her husband may have fallen into the Mississippi River. 

"He goes for walks to clear his mind," she said. "He would say that he didn't want to do all of his work in his van. He liked to find beautiful spots to just think."

Searchers have looked for Zurnieden along the banks of the Missisippi River to no avail. 

Minneapolis police do not suspect follow play, but they are asking that anyone with information:

• Send a text to 847 411 (tip 411), enter MPD and the tip  or 
• Call the tipline at 612-692-TIPS (8477). All texts are anonymous.

Joe Zurnieden is white, 6 feet tall, 165 pounds with dark, receding hair.

If you would like to donate to the search effort, a trust account has been set up at Wells Fargo. Tax ID 47-6346506. You may stop in to any Wells Fargo location, transfer money from your Wells Fargo account, or mail a donation to:

Zurnieden Family Trust

P.O. Box 17112

Minneapolis, MN 55417

Sources:

Keller, Bill. (2014, July 8).  Missing: Joe Zurnieden last seen July 1, car found in NE Minneapolis. Myfoxtwincities.com. Accessed September 15, 2014 from:

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/25967318/missing-joe-zurnieden-last-seen-july-1-car-found-in-ne-minneapolis

Kare 11 Staff, KARE. (2014, August 21). Benefit for family of missing Minneapolis man. Kare11.com. Accessed September 15, 2014 from: http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2014/08/21/benefit-for-family-of-missing-minneapolis-man/14421773/

McKinney, Matt. (2014, August 20). "Jam for Joe" benefit to help family of missing Minneapolis man. Accessed September 15, 2014 from http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/272077601.htm.

08/15/05: Andrew Lathrop, 20, Hokodate, Japan

Andrew Lathrop
Missing since 8/15/05

University of Wisconsin-Madison student Andy Lathrop, 20, spoke fluent Japanese and chose to spend his sophomore year of college working as an intern with Labo International Exchange Foundation in Tokyo, Japan. After spending a year overseas, Andy decided to cap off his stay in Japan with a trip to the island of Hokkaido in August 2005. He traveled with a friend and fellow intern on their last weekend in Japan.

The pair took a 20-hour train ride from Tokyo, where they were based, and ferried over to Hakodate, the northern Japan seaport of about 300,000 people. After taking a taxi to the Hakodate Kenkou Center, they grabbed a few hours sleep, then spent most of the day touring Hakodate.

The following day, Monday, Aug. 15, the friends decided to split up because Andy wanted to hike in a national park that was an hour away by train. They planned to meet later that afternoon to catch the Hakodate ferry to the mainland and take the train back to Tokyo.

The day started off as planned.

At about 7 a.m. Andy's friend saw him headed to the showers at the Hakodate Kenkou Center. Then at 7:24 am, she received a text message from him  that read, "I'm leaving."

At 9 a.m., Ariel got another text message: "Ferry at 5:30 p.m. from Hakodate to mainland." Ten minutes later, he wrote, "Let's meet at the station at 4:30 p.m." 

At 9:53 am, Lathrop texted his friend that he had stopped at a local beach and "walked to the swimming area and a ways and the sea is beautiful." He said he would meet her at the station.

His friend spent the rest of the day exploring more of Hakodate, then arrived at the ferry a little after 4 p.m. At 4:09 she sent Andy a text message: "I'm at the station."

Lathrop did not respond, nor did he appear at 4:30, the time he had suggested to meet.

Hours passed. At 10 p.m., the friend phoned coordinator with the Labo International Exchange Foundation in Tokyo, which had arranged Andy's teaching position in Japan. She said to call the police.

That same day--just five days before Andy was scheduled to return home to the United States--the Lathrops received a call telling them that their son was missing. 

10/01/93: Kevin Mahoney, 25, Fargo, ND

Kevin Mahoney
Last seen 10/1/93
Fargo, ND - Moorhead, MN area

Kevin Mahoney is still missing; his sister is searching for answers.

Kevin Mahoney, 25, vanished on October 1, 1993 in Fargo, N.D. His case remains one of the oldest missing person cases in North Dakota.

Kevin was last seen at a friend's home at 1118 11th St. N. to help with a remodeling project. He apparently left the house in Fargo, ND with plans to walk to his brother's apartment in nearby Moorhead, MN. No one has heard from him since. Kevin's brother was out of town at the time of the disappearance, and it is unclear if Kevin ever arrived at the apartment. His family reported him missing a few days later.

According to the Charley Project, "there was a rumor that Mahoney got into a fight with a man from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, but this was never substantiated."

 

"Mahoney was close to his family and kept in regular contact with them, but they have not heard from him since his disappearance. His loved ones stated it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning. Several people have taken and passed lie detector tests in connection with his case. Foul play is suspected Mahoney's disappearance, which is being investigated as a possible homicide."

The strain of not knowing what happened to Kevin was most difficult on his mother, who he lived with when he disappeared. Kevin kept in close contact with his family, and they say it is uncharacteristic of him to leave without warning or go so long without contacting anyone.

Mahoney and Elsenpeter 

His sister, Michele Elsenpeter, told the West Fargo Pioneer that the home was a popular party spot. The paper reported that during the remodel, "they'd work on it by day and start drinking in the evening, with friends stopping by. People partying the night in question would tell police Mahoney left around 1 a.m., on foot, headed for his brother's place in south Moorhead. Elsenpeter believes he never left the house, and that there was some kind of altercation before he vanished."

Kevin's family continues to raise awareness about his disappearance. They to hang posters every year in the hope of triggering someone's memory.

"Kevin was a good guy he would take his shirt off his back off for anybody," Elsenpeter told KVRR.com in 2011. “Kevin needs to have some dignity and be put to peace. "We're hoping one of these years we'll get some answers; and we won't give up until we get some answers."

Fargo police send out a reminder about Kevin's disappearance every October, and they investigate leads in the hope of closing the investigation. They, too, don't believe Kevin disappeared on his own.  They have also obtained DNA that could be used to possibly identify the missing man.

If you have information about Kevin Mahoney, please contact Detective Matt Ysteboe, Fargo Police, Phone: 701-241-8281, Email: mysteboe@cityoffargo.com.


Case Details
Name/age: Kevin Gerald Mahoney
Physical Description: white male, 5'10," 165 pounds, blondish-brown hair past the shoulder, blue eyes
Last seen: 10/1/93 in north Fargo, N.D. en route to south Moorhead, Minn.
Status: Missing
Investigating Agency: Detective Matt Ysteboe, Fargo Police, Phone 701-241-8281, Email mysteboe@cityoffargo.com.


Bibliography

Peng, Vanessa. (2011 October 2). 18th Anniversary of Dilworth Woman's Brother's Disappearance. KVRR.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from
http://www.kvrr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10956&Itemid=57

Forum staff reports. (2010 October 2). Search continues for missing Fargo man. Jamestown Communications. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=7044.0

Forum staff reports. (2008 October 3). Missing man case not ready to close. The Forum. Retrieved June 18, 2013 from http://www.websleuths.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-31377.html

Lawonn, Brittany. (2008 July 6). Missing adult cases can be tricky. The Forum. Retrieved June 5, 2013 from http://www.websleuths.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-31377.html.

The Charley Project. (2004 October 10). Retrieved June 18, 2013 from http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/m/mahoney_kevin.html

Huebner, Robin. (2018 September 30). 25 years gone: Family of man who went missing in Fargo hopes interviews provide new clues. Retrieved June 7, 2019 from https://www.westfargopioneer.com/news/4506724-25-years-gone-family-man-who-went-missing-fargo-hopes-interviews

08/01/02: Daniel Newville, 18, New London, MN

Daniel Newville
LAST SEEN: 8/1/02
New London, MN

Danny Newville is still missing.

Danny Newville, 18, was last seen leaving a party in
New London, Minn., during the early morning hours of Aug. 1, 2002. He never returned home again, something that was unusual for the young man. While he had stayed out before, he had always returned home after a few days.

WJON reported the following:

According to the blog Joy The Curious, Newville was last seen leaving a house party in the early morning hours. Other people at the party say he left to walk to a friend's house about a mile away, which should have only taken 15 to 20 minutes to get there. He never made it.

On September 24th, 2002, 54-days after he was last seen the county dispatch got an anonymous call from someone who said Newville's body had been dumped near his grandfather's property in Spicer, however, the body has never been found.

His father, Russell, said he went down to the police station a week later and filed a missing person report. But authorities said they have no record of that report and weren't informed until a month and a half after Daniel was last seen. He was officially reported missing on Sept. 24; that's when the Sheriff's Office began investigating the case. Since then, the case has included land and air searches, the use of cadaver dogs in the area and the investigation of more than 100 leads.

In 2012, on the tenth anniversary of Newville's disappearance, Kandiyohi County Sheriff Dan Hartog issued a news release in which he said he believes someone has information that could help investigators solve the missing person case.

"I still think it is solvable," Hartog said. "Someone or somebody has information on where he is and what happened to him."

At the time of his disappearance, Newville was 18 years old, 5 foot 8 inches tall, weighed 140 pounds and had brown hair and blue eyes. (See poster.)

Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 320-235-1260 ext. 3366. Detective Kent Bauman is the lead detective on the case.


Case Details

Status	Missing
Name/age	Daniel Lee Newville, 18 (DOB 5/7/84)
Last seen	August 01, 2002 06:00, New London, MN
Hometown	Spicer, MN
Race	White
Ethnicity	Other
Height (inches)	68 - 69.0
Weight (pounds)	135 - 145
Wearing	Light colored shirt, dark pants
Investigating Agency	Kandiyohi Sheriff, 320-235-1260, ext. 3366.

Sources

Maurice, Jim. (2022, July 27). 20 Years Since 18-Year-Old Man Went Missing Near New London. Retrieved 04 July 2024 from https://wjon.com/20-years-since-18-year-old-man-went-missing-near-new-london/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Schlosser, Gretchen. (2012, August 1). Kandiyohi County, Minn., sherriff confident decade-old missing person case can be solved. Morris Sun Tribune. Retrieved May 29, 2013 from
http://www.fccnn.com/content/kandiyohi-county-minn-sheriff-confident-decade-old-missing-person-case-can-be-solved

12/30/11: Ian Burnet, 22, New York City, NY

Ian Burnet
Missing since 12/30/11
from New York, NY

Ian Burnet is still missing.

Ian Burnet, 22, was last seen on December 30, 2011 at the apartment of two female friends on 139th Street and Riverside Drive in New York City. Ian, who was described as very independent, planned at spend a week in the city ringing in the new year.

Ian was a student at Virginia Commonwealth University where one of the women went to school, but he was not romantically involved with either of the women, said his father, Mark Burnet. He boarded a bus bound for New York from his home in Richmond, Virginia on December 26 and his parents last heard from him on December 28 by text.

At about 4 p.m. on December 30, Ian texted one of the roommates to say he'd be stepping out for the evening. It is unknown where he was going, but the roommate did not think anything seemed out of the ordinary.Ian took his driver's license, MetroCard and credit cards with him, but left his iPhone behind at the apartment. Mark Burnet has said this was not unusual, as his son only used the phone occasionally for texting and "didn't carry it with him at all times"(1).

No one has seen or heard from Ian since that text and there has been no activity on his credit cards.

Authorities do not believe foul play was involved.

About Ian Burnet

Ian is an engineering student on full scholarship at Virginia Commonwealth University with a 4.4 GPA and is well known for his wit, warmth and intelligence. He is taking classes in electrical and computer engineering, math and physics.

Prior to college, Ian was the valedictorian of his high school class at New Kent County High School in 2008. He also became an Eagle Scout in 2007. He had been living on his own for several years by the time of his disappearance.

He has no history of problems with drugs or alcohol, however according to The Charley Project, he has a history of depression and has attempted suicide once in the past. His loved ones fear for his safety. His brother believes he could have taken his own life.


The Search for Ian Burnet

Ian’s disappearance has sparked an outpouring of support that has resulted in a Facebook page nearing 1,400 members after only two days. Hundreds of volunteers have posted fliers across New York City and New County, Va. Ian comes from a warm and loving home; his parents' only wish is to know that he is safe and they are praying for his return.

Ian is a white male, 5’8”, 131 lbs., with green eyes and curly dark brown hair.

If you make contact with him or have any information about his whereabouts please contact the
New York Police Department, 30th Precinct (451 W 151st St.) 212-690-8842. Ask for Det. Sanchez, Det. Davis, or Sgt. Greene.


Case Details

Name/age: Ian Hunter Burnet, 22
Residence: Richmond, Va.
College: Virginia Commonwealth University
Last Seen: 12/30/11
Physical Description: 5'8", 131 lbs., green eyes, curly dark brown hair
Investigating Agency:  New York Police, 212-690-8842


Sources

(1) Velez-Mitchell, Jane. (2011, January 10.) Interview with Mark Burnet. Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell. Retrieved July 10, 2012 from http://www.findianburnet.com/

(2) Bryn, Alix. (2012, January 10). Candlelight vigil held Tuesday for Ian Burnet, 22, still missing. WTVR.com. Retrieved July 10, 2012 from http://wtvr.com/2012/01/10/candlelight-vigil-tuesday-for-ian-burnet-22-still-missing/

03/06/12: Philip Jobst, 24, Carbondale, IL

Philip Jobst is still missing.

Philip Jobst in Dec. 2011

Philip Jobst, 24, is a second year law student at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where fellow law students say he is intelligent, witty, and very well liked.

Jobst's friends last spoke to him on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. That night, at 10:07 p.m., his silver 2011 4-door Kia was found abandoned on the Chester Bridge with its flashers on. The bridge, which is roughly 20 miles from Jobst's residence and school, crosses the Mississippi River and links Illinois with Missouri.

Aside from his abandoned car, no trace of Phil Jobst has been found. According to a blog by one of Jobst's friends, Jobst's cell phone was found in the trash at his apartment.

Authorities fear that Jobst may have fallen or jumped off the Chester Bridge into the Mississippi River. He is presumed dead, but police say the investigation will remain open. On March 9 and 10, the Illinois Department of Conservation police searched the river by boat using sonar and grappling hooks, but turned up nothing.

03/11/12: Colin Gillis, 18, Tupper Lake, NY

Colin Gillis
Missing since 3/11/12
Tupper Lake, NY

Colin Gillis is still missing.

Colin Gillis, 18, a pre-med student at SUNY Brockport, had been visiting his hometown of Tupper Lake in northern New York over spring break. He was excited to go out and see his old high school friends at a party at a private residence on Paskungameh Road.

"He was all pumped up about seeing his friends," his father, John, told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

"We were just kind of laughing and having a good time, like usual with Colin," he said. "He was in a great mood - like I said, very excited to see his friends."

Colin reportedly left the party on foot in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 11, 2012, heading along a desolate stretch of State Route 3.

A passerby, concerned to see the young man walking alone so late at night without a coat, drove to the police station in Tupper Lake, two miles away. Officers arrived on scene of the sighting about ten minutes later, but Colin Gillis was nowhere to be found.

The witness who had reported seeing Colon said the college student had been walking near a stretch of Adirondack forest, heading in the direction of Piercefield, NY. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise:

Lake Placid News Editor Rich Rosentreter reported seeing a young man in the road on state Route 3 at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday as he was heading back from Massena to Tupper Lake with his mother, who lives in Tupper Lake.

Rosentreter said the young man was walking against traffic close to the white line on the side of the road and flailing his arms. At first it looked like the man was hitchhiking, but then it looked like he wasn't.

He wasn't wearing a jacket, only a long-sleeved shirt, and the temperature was in the teens, Rosentreter said. Rosentreter said state police went to look for the man after he reported the incident to them at the Tupper Lake village police station, but to no avail.

Some of Colin's belongings, including his ID card, were later recovered by the authorities along Route 3, but there has been no sign of the missing college student.

According to media reports, the police have been unable to rule out foul play in the disappearance. No evidence has been found to suggest that Colin was hit by a car or that he tried to walk across the frozen Raquette River.

State police are looking into a skirmish that occurred the night of the party, but details of the incident have not been released.

Colin's phone was last used at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, the morning he disappeared.

Anyone with information regarding the case should contact state police at (518) 897-2000.

10/19/11: Thomas "T.J." Murray, 23, Spring, TX

TJ Murray
MISSING SINCE 10/19/11

TJ Murray is still missing.

Thomas "TJ" Murray, 23, was last seen the night of Saturday, Oct. 19, 2011. After umpiring a Little League baseball game, he visited several bars, including On the Rox Sports Bar and Grill at 592 Sawdust Road in Spring, Texas. He was out with high school buddies, including a friend in the military who was going to be shipped overseas.

His father, Tom Murray, called TJ around midnight expecting him to be home already. TJ said he was leaving his truck at On the Rox and would be riding with friends to Rookies Sports Bar & Grill. Rookies is located at 305 Sawdust Road--the same road as On the Rox--and just 0.2 miles away.

While at Rookies, a friend reportedly called TJ's brother, James, to say that TJ was about to get into an altercation and to pick TJ up. While James was on his way, TJ was kicked out of the bar. TJ's friend had gone to the restroom and when he came back out into the bar, TJ was gone. The friend assumed TJ had left.

TJ called his father around 12:30 a.m. TJ said he had been locked out of Rookies and separated from his friends. He told his father he didn't intend to drive home and would leave his truck at Oak Ridge High School. TJ is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School, where his father has worked for 31 years as a physical education teacher.

James then arrived to pick him up, but TJ was nowhere to be found. He has not been seen since.

The next day, TJ's brother and father searched the area for any signs of TJ. His truck was still parked in On the Rox's parking lot. Soon after his disappearance, TJ's cell phone was found in a ditch near the bar. Officials would not say where it was found or if any other calls were found on the phone after Tom Murray's last call to his son. Investigators say surveillance video shows TJ in at least one of the bars that night. But cameras didn't catch whatever happened after he left. Foul play is expected in TJ's disappearance.

TJ's father, Thomas Charles Murray, Sr., has said hopes that someone knows something. "God willing, we get our son back," he said.

TJ's mother, Janelle Murray, told KHOU.com that her son is a fighter who survived leukemia after being diagnosed when he was only 5 years old. He also survived a bad car accident. “I’m just staying positive until we hear something,” she said. Sadly, just 9 months after TJ's disappearance one of his younger brothers drowned while swimming in a river.

Murray is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and he weighs 140 pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing khaki shorts, a red T-shirt with white lettering on it, and a dark baseball cap.

Anyone with information about TJ's whereabouts should contact Detective Keith Funderburk, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, at 936-760-5876 or dispatch 936-760-5800.


Case Details

Name/age: Thomas "TJ" Charles“ Murray Jr., 23
College: Sam Houston State University, Junior, Consumer Science major
Physical Description: 5’6”, 140 lbs., blonde hair, blue eyes
Residence: Huntsville, Texas apartment
Last seen wearing: shorts, red t-shirt with white lettering
Last Seen: 10/19/11, Rookies Sports Bar & Grill at 305 Sawdust Road in Spring, Texas.
Status: Missing
Investigating Agency: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, 936-760-5876 or 936-760-5800.
Links: https://www.facebook.com/bringTJhome


Posted: 01/27/12. Updated: 6/7/2019.

08/26/98: Yim Yeung Tsui, 19, New Hyde Park, NY

Jimmy Tsui
Missing since
 08/26/98

Jimmy Tsui is missing.

On August 26, 1998, Yim Yeung Tsui, 19, disappeared under unknown circumstances. Yim, or Jimmy as he was often called, was a student at Stony Brook University, had been summering with is family in New Hyde Park, New York. On the morning of his disappearance, his older sister, Victoria, stopped by his room as she left for work at 8:30 a.m. Yim's bedroom door was open, and he was sound asleep in his bed. Nothing seemed unusual. It was the last time he was seen.


About Yim Yeung Tsui

In 1988, Jimmy and his family emigrated to the United States from south China. Victoria Tsui told Newsday.com that her brother had some trouble adjusting to the change, but he picked up English pretty quickly. He attended elementary school at Hillside Grade School and graduated from New Hyde Park Memorial High School.

Yim Tsui;
undated photo

While a student at Stony Brook University, relatives say that Tsui often came home to sleep. He was an introvert and had a few friends but, to their knowledge, he did not have a girlfriend. They also say Tsui was not the type to run away or to get into trouble.

At the time of his disappearance, Tsui was getting ready to enter his junior year and had not yet declared a major. He was taking four credits over the summer and living at home with his family. The term was to finish Aug. 28, two days after he went missing. However, the family told Newsday.com that they were informed by the university that Tsui was expelled for not maintaining adequate academic standing.

In May 2011, investigators looked into the possibility that the remains of "John Doe #8" found along Ocean Parkway in Long Island, NY, might be that of Jimmy Tsui. The John Doe was an Asian male in his late teens or early 20s, but investigators noted differences between the two physical descriptions. Suffolk forensic experts compared a DNA sample from the remains to one of Tsui's sisters and concluded that the remains did not belong to Tsui. Jimmy Tsui is still missing.

Tsui's name and photos are still listed in national missing persons databases, but that has not yielded any results. His family remains hopeful that Tsui will return or that they will someday find answers.


Case Details

Name/age: Yim Yeung Tsui, 19
College: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
Last Seen: 8/26/97, New Hyde Park, NY
Physical Description: Asian male, 5’10,” 140 lbs, black hair and eyes. Last seen wearing blue jeans and glasses.
Date of birth: 3/27/78
Investigating Police Agency: Nassau County Police Department

Updated: 5/13/11, 6/12/11, 9/22/11, 11/2/11, 4/24/12.

04/11/01: Branson Perry, 20, Skidmore, MO

MISSING/ENDANGERED
Branson Perry
Skidmore, MO

Branson Perry is still missing.

On April 11, 2001, Branson Perry asked a friend to come over to help him clean up in preparation for his father's April 13 return from the hospital. The twenty-year old had been living with his father, Bob, at 304 West Oak Street in Skidmore, Mo., and his father had been hospitalized

Branson's parents had divorced five months earlier, and his mother, Becky Klino, lived in a small town about 20 miles away. While Branson and his friend cleaned the house, two men worked to replace a broken alternator on Bob’s car that had gone out the previous day. The car was parked on the street in front of a storage shed next to the Perry home. Perry was last seen walking to the storage shed to hang up some jumper cables, then he vanished. 

Inexplicably, no one saw where he went or what happened to him.

According to a forum message by Klino, "The events of the day are fairly sketchy to me and often make no sense. I don’t have a time line of when they occurred, only sporadic comments that were made. At one point, the friend saw Branson run into the kitchen and take something out of one of the cabinets, then run out the back door. When he returned, she said he wouldn’t tell her what he was doing and acted like nothing happened. Later, she said she had taken a shower and when she came out of the bathroom, she saw one of the men that were working on the car going through the cabinets in the kitchen. She said she asked him what he was looking for and he told her nothing and went back outside."

Perry family home.
Credit: Skidmore Police Department and family.

Klino says that at around 3 p.m., Branson's friend was upstairs when she heard the front porch door close. She looked out the window and saw Branson and asked him where he was going. He replied that he was going to put the jumper cables in the storage shed and would be right back. He never returned.



Perry storage shed
Credit: Skidmore Police Dept. and family

When Bob Perry was not able to come home from the hospital on Friday as expected, Branson's grandmother stopped by to check on him. She had not heard from her grandson for a couple of days, and she was surprised to find that all the doors had been left open on the house. The radio was also on, but Branson was not there. She became concerned when she returned the following day to find that Branson still wasn't home. Calls to his friends proved fruitless; no one had seen the young man. She notified Bob Perry on Sunday, who then called Becky Klino that evening. On Monday morning, Bob was discharged from the hospital and all three met at the police station to file a missing person’s report.

The search and the investigation

When police arrived at the Perry home to investigate the disappearance, they determined that nothing of Branson's appeared to be missing. His van, wallet, and all of his personal belongings were left behind. The men working on the car told police they never saw Branson while he was on his way to the shed. The jumper cables were also not in the shed.

According to Klino, "Several people were given lie detector tests. Some passed it and some didn’t. I was not given details, which I understand." But in an odd turn of events, just two weeks after the investigation started, Klino said the jumper cables, "mysteriously showed up in the shed, just inside the door."

It is believed that Branson was lured away, possibly by an acquaintance(s).

On December 16, 2004, one of Branson Perry's relatives, Bobbi Jo Stinnett, who also lived in the small farming community of Skidmore was brutally murdered in an attempt to steal her unborn child. The case is not thought to be related to Branson's disappearance.

The year before, a possible suspect emerged. According to the Associated Press, Jack Wayne Rogers, from Fulton, had bragged in an online chat room that he had "abducted, raped and murdered a blond-haired man from Skidmore" and said "police would never find the body because of how he disposed of it in a remote area of the Ozarks." A search of Rogers's yard for possible buried evidence yielded nothing. Rogers remained the prime suspect for years, but no additional evidence has ever surfaced to link Rogers to Branson's disappearance, or to the crime he bragged about, so no charges have been filed.

Rogers denies ever having contact with Branson Perry, claiming the logs were only fantasy. Rogers was eventually arrested on several charges unrelated to Perry's disappearance. He is currently serving a 30-year sentence in federal prison with no chance of parole for child pornography and allegedly performing a gender reassignment on an individual in a motel room.

"The police are not completely ruling out Rogers," Klino wrote in a post on her forum, "but now the investigation has turned towards Skidmore again. They have received new leads there. I suppose time has a way of unraveling secrets. I believe someone in that area knows what happened to Branson. In my heart, I don’t believe Rogers is responsible. Despite the nightmare I lived through then, I am thankful that someone with that much evil will never walk the streets again. If it wasn’t for that chat log they found on the other computer, the police may never have come across that animal."


A mother's plea for justice

Becky Klino remained devoted to finding out what happened to her son. On a former website dedicated to Branson's disappearance, she wrote:

I have never been a person to ask for much. I am asking, pleading, even begging for your help in finding my son or finding out what happened to him. I need for this nightmare to end. It is a roller coaster that doesn’t ever stop. From the outside I may appear to be fine. Inside, I will never be ok. If you have ever lost someone who has died, then you know that feeling of complete despair. Over time it eases and becomes bearable.

You know the cause of what happened and you have been able to put your loved one to rest. You will always have that sense of emptiness and at times it overcomes you, but you are able to put it into perspective again. Parents of missing children never have that feeling ease. It never becomes bearable, only easier to hide. One minute you are ok and functioning, the next minute something triggers inside and you plummet to the deepest ravine you could ever imagine and can’t find any way out. It can be something as simple as a smell, a taste, a sound, a touch and all the horror is there again. It never ends.

Please, please, please find it in your hearts to come forward if you have ANY information. You may think it is insignificant, but it may be the key link to answers.

Sadly, both of Branson's parents died before ever finding out what happened to their son. Bob Perry passed away in 2004. Rebecca Kilno passed away of melanoma cancer in February 2011. It was written in Klino's obituary that she had been preceded in death by her son.

"I think she knew he wasn’t alive," said Monica Caison, founder of the CUE Center for Missing Persons, "but she always wanted to continue to look for him either way.” Branson's aunt, brother, other family members, and friends of Klino's are still looking for answers.

Sgt. Roger Phillips, an investigator for the drug and crime control division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, says he is also committed to the investigation. “Just because (Ms. Klino) is not here doesn’t mean this train is not going to keep moving,” Phillips said. “It’s about getting to the truth.”

Due to the circumstances, Branson Perry's disappearance has been classified as Endangered Missing/Homicide and a sample of his DNA has been placed in the CODIS database, in the hopes that his remains might someday be found and returned to his family. A $20,000.00 reward is being offered for information that leads to the recovery of Branson’s remains and for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the disappearance and HOMICIDE of Branson Kayne Perry.

If you have any information about Branson Perry's disappearance, call Detective Roger Phillips, Missouri State Highway Patrol at (816) 387-2345. If you wish to remain anonymous, call the CUE Center's anonymous tip line at (910) 232-1687.



About Branson Perry

Branson Perry graduated Nodaway-Holt High School in 1999, and had been employed by a roofing company and a traveling petting zoo. He was unemployed at the time of his disappearance. Perry was a non-smoker and a weightlifter, and had a black belt in hopkido.

According to News Press Now:

For 19 years, Michael Kurz, a New Jersey police officer, has spent his off-time doing online sleuthing into Perry's disappearance. He believes that Perry's case is drug related, as does the Nodaway County Sheriff's Office. 

Perry’s aunt, Gail McMurray, said Perry was compassionate and loved nature but never knew he was involved in drugs.

“He kept that part of him away from me,” she said. “I knew about him, going camping and all the fun stuff and about his personal life, but I did not know anything about the drug life.”

She found out about Perry’s addiction when he told her he wanted to get clean. He disappeared only a couple of days before he was supposed to enter a rehabilitation center.

Through years of information and leads, Nodaway County Sheriff Randy Strong and Kurz said they have found a suspect. However, there isn’t enough evidence to make an arrest, as Perry's remains haven't been found. He believes someone will need to come forward with evidence.

Details of Disappearance

Name/age: Branson Kayne Perry, 20
Missing Since: 04/11/01
Missing from: Skidmore, Missouri
Classification: Endangered Missing
Date Of Birth: 02/24/81
Physical Description: white male, 5'9", 140-155, blonde hair, physically fit
Distinguishing Characteristics: Small faint scar on upper right cheek. Small scar on left knee. Normal teeth; wisdom teeth have been pulled. Right handed. Black belt in Hopkido, lifted weights.
Medical Conditions: Racing heart condition. Allergic to Penicillin. Clothing: Shorts (size 32) and a T-shirt (size medium to large).
Jewelry: Possibly wearing necklaces and leather trinkets or chains with arrowheads on them.
DNA: in CODIS
Investigating Agency: Missouri State Highway Patrol, (816) 387-2345.
Links: http://www.bransonperry.com/tag/branson-perry/.

Sources

Ritzdorf, Quinn. (2022 Aug 14). Officers have suspect, still need evidence in 21-year missing person case.

Published: 4/15/11    Last updated: 7/4/24.

05/14/08: Brandon Swanson, 19, Taunton, MN

Brandon Swanson - Taunton, MN
Missing since 5/14/08
(See poster.)

Brandon Swanson is still missing.

Brandon Swanson, 19, was last seen on 5/14/08 in Canby, Minnesota. Swanson had finished his last day of classes at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Canby, where he was enrolled in a wind turbine program. Later that evening, he was visiting friends to celebrate.

On his way back home to Marshall, MN, Swanson was driving alongside a washed out field when he accidentally drove his vehicle into the ditch and became stuck. He made a cell phone call to his parents, Annette and Brian, at 12:30 a.m. for help. The Swansons left their home to meet him.

When Annette and Brian Swanson were unable to find him, Swanson said he was going to walk toward the town of Lynd where he could see lights. He stayed on the phone with his father, and headed down a gravel road. He had been on the phone for 47 minutes when his father heard him say an expletive, then the call ended abruptly around 2:10 a.m. His parents continued looking for him for several hours, and then called the police at 6:30 a.m.

     Source: KROC.com, 2 Feb 2024. https://kroc.com/brandon-swanson-minnesota-missing/

The following day, authorities used cellular phone records to locate Swanson's car. It was found 1-1/2 miles north on Lyon Lincoln Rd., off Hwy 68 west of Taunton, MN. The location was about 20 miles away from Lynd, nowhere close to where Swanson thought he was.


Was drinking involved? 

That night, Brandon hit up two parties in celebration of the end of the spring semester. One party was in Canby and the other was in Marshall.  There have been mixed reports about Swanson drinking on the night he disappeared, but all seem to agree that he was not impaired. According to the Charley Project, investigators do not believe that Swanson was impaired. Brian Swanson also told the Marshall Independent that his son did not sound intoxicated or incoherent. He added that there was no way that Brandon would have been able to fake his way through a 47 minute phone call with his dad.

Officials have said there is no evidence foul play, nor any indication that Brandon would have staged his own disappearance. According to the Charley Project, some authorities believe that Swanson accidentally fell into the Yellow Medicine River while walking in the dark. Brandon wore glasses and was legally blind in his left eye. The river was also high at the time with a strong current. Still, Brandon's family and many friends and volunteers have no plans to give up searching.

01/31/10: Brandon Graves, 24, Sumter, SC

Brandon Graves - MISSING

Brandon Graves is missing.

On January 30, 2010, Brandon Graves and a friend left Myrtle Beach, SC, on a spur of the moment trip to join members of his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. for a homecoming event at Morris College in Sumter, SC. The twenty-four year old called his girlfriend along the way, and then called friends when he arrived.

His fraternity won first place at homecoming’s step competition.
At around 11 p.m., Graves went with two friends to Sebastian’s Night Life at 3289 Broad St., in Sumter County, but he was apparently asked to leave the club just before midnight.

Surveillance video taken outside the club shows Graves being turned away by a bouncer, before leaving. He appeared upset.

According to WLTX.com, the club’s night manager, “was standing just a few feet away when Graves came up to the club.” The manager told WLTX.com that Graves, “was intoxicated, we think, but not out of hand, but we didn't want any trouble so we told him he had to leave for the night.”

After being ejected from the club, a friend saw Graves him in the parking lot talking to a group of people. Witnesses say Graves then left in a white car, possibly to head to another club with someone.

A few hours later, Graves placed three cell phone calls. The first was at about 1 a.m., when Graves called a friend for some phone numbers. At 3 a.m., he called his cousin but got no answer, so he left a message. The last call he made was at about 4 a.m. to a friend in Myrtle Beach; he said he would see him later that day. It was the last time anyone heard from Graves.

Graves was reported missing Feb. 1, according to a police report.
Sumter County police have said that Graves has no police record, was not known to associate with drug dealers, and was a well-liked, athletic individual. His family told the media that it is unlikely that Brandon would be carrying any cash (SCNow.com, 4/29/10).

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Department initially said there was no reason to believe anyone would want to hurt Graves, but on February 6, police said they had suspicions that a crime may be involved in the disappearance.

In February 2010, authorities were able to identify a man from Claredon County who may have been the one to leave with Graves in the white car, but they said he was not a suspect.


About Brandon Graves

Brandon’s aunt and adoptive mother, Lois German, raised him since he was 3 after the death of his mother, who is her sister. She considers Brandon to be like her own child, and notes that he was always respectful as a child.

Graves, who earned the nicknamed “Peanut” because of his small stature, is described by his family as a very family-oriented person who always stayed in close contact.

At the time of his disappearance, Graves was living an hour and a half away in Myrtle Beach, and he returned to his hometown of Little Rock, SC, every weekend to be with his family and go to church.

Graves’ older sister, Vassie Lloyd, said it is not like him to leave and not contact his family or to contact his girlfriend of 7 years.

"It’s not like him to not have a called somebody.”
- Brandon Graves's sister

“We don’t know where he’s at and that’s out of character for him,” Lloyd said Wednesday from her Charlotte, N.C., area home. “He’s a quiet laid back type of person. He’s a very friendly person, most times you see him he’s always smiling. He’s easy to get along and it hurts my heart that someone would want to hurt or harm him. It’s not like him to not have a called somebody.”

His brother, Lorenzo Graves, says Brandon is a" very good person” who was outspoken and friendly. “Everybody he met became his friend,” he said.

Graves attended Morris College for a year before transferring to Coastal Carolina University (CCU), where he graduated in December 2008. While at CCU, he worked as a student trainer on the CCU football team. He had just gotten a new job in Myrtle Beach two weeks before his disappearance.

If you have any information about Brandon Graves, call Sumter police at 843-436-2700 or make an anonymous call to Crimestoppers at 1-800-CRIME-SC.


Facts in this Case:Name/age: Brandon Rodriguez Graves, 24
Last contact: 1/31/10, 4 a.m., Sumter, SC
Physical Description: 5'4” 150 pounds, long black hair in dreadlocks, brown eyes.
Last seen wearing: Blue T-shirt with a black thermal shirt under it, black jeans and black baseball cap.
Notes: Graves suffers from asthma, and his family is concerned that without proper medication, his health could suffer.
Investigating Agency: Sumter police at 843-436-2700

08/09/09: Zeyu Qu, 18, Burnaby, BC, Canada

Zeyu Qu
 Missing since 8/9/09
from Burnaby, BC

Zeyu Qu is missing.

Zeyu Qu, an 18-year old English Language student from China was last seen on August 9, 2009 at his residence located in the 6600 block of Broadway in Burnaby. Qu left a message that he would be back in a couple of days, but has not been heard from.

He apparently took some of his belongings with him and may have placed these items in either a yellow carry-on type suitcase or a large blue backpack.

Qu had been in Canada taking an English course for several weeks. He is not known to have anything to do with either alcohol or drugs and has no known medical conditions. He is described as a happy student who was involved in all of the provided student activities until the last few days prior to his disappearance when he became more quiet in nature.

Burnaby RCMP and the Family have been attempting to locate Qu with no success.


Facts in this Case:
Name/age:  Zeyu Qu, 18
Last seen: 08/08/09, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Physical Description: 6'1", 175 pounds, slim build, short black hair, black eyes. It is unknown what he was wearing at the time he left the home, but he apparently often wore a hat.
Investigating Agency: Burnaby RCMP

03/02/10: Jonathan Dorey, 22, Richmond, VA

Jonathan Dorey is missing.

Jonathan "Jonny" Dorey, an exchange student attending Virginia Commonwealth University was last seen March 2 leaving his campus dormitory at the Gladding Residence Center with his mountain bike at 11:19 a.m. Since then, neither Dorey or his mountain bike has been seen.

It appears that the last class Dorey attended was Tuesday morning (3/2), and he last used his cell phone that morning. The phone is apparently turned off.

The last purchase he is known to have made also was Tuesday morning at a 7-Eleven.

VCU police Capt. Grant Warren said, "We wish we had more to go on."

Dorey, who is from Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel, attends Great Britain's University of the West of England and was on an exchange to VCU. He was studying geography.

Dorey was reported missing on March 4 by friends. His friends and family say it is out of character fot he young man to leave without telling anyone where he was going.

Police said they do not suspect foul play.


The Search for Jonathan Dorey

During the search for Dorey, University police have worked with Richmond police, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross.

Dorey has been described as an experienced mountain biker. Search efforts have focused on bicycle trails near the James River in Richmond.
On March 16, VCU Police released photos captured by a security camera on March 2 outside of Gladding Residence Center. The surveillance cameras show Dorey leaving the lobby of his dorm with his bicycle.

Dorey's bike is a black single-speed bicycle with an Azonic Steelhead frame, an SDG Bel-Air seat, Race Face lock-on grips, DMR V8 pedals and Kenda tires. It has a black seat with a red stripe down the middle.

Dorey is 6 feet tall, weighs 180 pounds, has brown hair and speaks with a British accent. He was last seen wearing a blue and white plaid jacket with a hood and dark blue jeans. Dorey wears glasses. He was carrying a navy blue Eastpak ruckpak.

VCU and the University of the West of England, Dorey's home university, are offering a combined $10,000 reward for any information leading to Dorey's location.


Belongings found

On March 23, Dorey's backback containing some personal belongings was found near his clothes at Rockett's Landing near Dock and Pear Streets. The items were found by a passerby. The following month, Dorey's parents made the announcement that an empty bottle of gin had also been found at the site.

The area is a popular fishing spot, and the items were reportedly in a hollow area under a large concrete pad beside the north bank of the river. After the discovery, Richmond rescue dive teams searched the nearby James River until 5:30 p.m. and again the following day.

Dorey's parents, Alan and Debbie Dorey, and his brother Simon have flown to the US to help in the search. A Facebook group has also been created to appeal for information; at last count it had 24,635 members.

In April 2010, a witness came forward to say he believed he saw a man fitting Jonny's description swimming in the river on the afternoon Jonny went missing. According to the Charley Project, the weather that day was rainy and mixed with snow.

In September 2011, Dorey's parents planted a tree on the VCU campus in their son's memory. They have stated that they believe he was depressed and committed suicide by drinking a bottle of gin and jumping into the James River.

"Combined with information we got from the Internet sites and writings that we found by the FBI on Jonny's computer - leads us to believe that Jonny died of a suicide or a reckless act as the result of a mental breakdown..." said Debbie Dorey during a brief news conference outside of Harris Hall.
On March 3, 2011, after the one-year anniversary of Dorey's disappearance, a spokesman for VCU Police told NBC12.com that the investigation is still open.

Anyone with information about Jonathan Dorey should contact VCU Police Communications at (804) 828-1196.


Facts in this Case:
Name/age: Jonathan "Jonny" Dorey, 22
Hometown: Guernsey, Great Britain
Residence: Richmond, VA
College: Dorey was an exchange student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He had previously been attending the University of the West of England.
Last seen: 3/2/10, 11:19 a.m., Gladding Residence Center dormitory
Physical Description: 6'0", 180 pounds, brown hair, green eyes. Speaks with a British accent. Last seen wearing: blue and white plaid jacket with hood, dark blue skinny jeans, black shoes. Dorey wears glasses.
Notes: Jonathan Dorey's bike is also missing. It is a black single-speed bicycle with an Azonic Steelhead frame, an SDG Bel-Air seat, Race Face lock-on grips, DMR V8 pedals and Kenda tires. It has a black seat with a red stripe down the middle.
Links: Project Jason, Charley Project
Investigating Agency: VCU Police (804) 828-6409


Originally Posted 3/25/10. Revised 3/16/11.