01/02/14: Andrew Kanian, 41, Virginia, MN

By Kathy, Guest Contributor

Andrew Kanian

On Feb. 3, 2014 at 1:49 pm police received a call from a residence in the 300 block of 3rd Street South in Virginia, Minnesota. The frozen body of Andrew C. Kanian (Andy) was found under the resident's porch. Andrew had been missing since around midnight Jan. 2, 2014. He was last seen walking on 4th Avenue South, after leaving Rider's bar.

Andrew's body was found only about a half block from where he was last seen alive. According to police, Andrew was intoxicated, and it is thought that he crawled under the porch, fell asleep, and froze to death. Foul play is not suspected. The temperatures in the early morning hours of January 3rd were below zero--ranging from the negative teens and twenties.


About Andrew Kanian

Andrew was born October 12, 1972 in Duluth, MN and in June of 1973 he was adopted by Erick and Lois Kanian. He attended and graduated from Virginia High School in 1991 and also attended Vermilion Community College. He worked various jobs as a cook and laborer. Andy married Tammy Robich on October 5, 2007.

Survivors include his wife, Tammy; children, Taryn and Kiara; parents, Erick and Mary Kanian; brothers: Christopher, Timothy and Gregory; one expected grandchild; nephew, Alec Kanian; mother and father in law, June and Wes Boyle; brother in law, John Robich. He is also survived by his grandmother and several aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Lois Alto and his step-mother, Mary Ann Bachel Cheney. Andy was excited to be a first time grandfather in April 2014. He will be missed by all who loved him.

A Memorial Service was held at 2:30pm on February 12, 2014 at Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert.



Sources

Walsh, Paul (2014, February 4)  Briefs: Virginia, Minn., man is found frozen under porch.  startribune.com   Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.startribune.com/local/243607841.html

Jacobsen, Kevin (2014, February 3)  Body of missing Virginia man located. Northlandsnewscenter.com. Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/crime/Body-of-missing-Virginia-man-located--243431091.html

ZMS Funeral Home. Obituary (n.d). Retrieved April 8, 2014 from http://www.zmsfuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2403883&fh_id=12214

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.

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/

01/01/84: Samuel Todd, 24, New York City, NY

Samuel Todd

Samuel Todd is still missing.

Twenty-four year old Samuel Arthur Todd, known to friends as Sam, had been
spending the weekend with his brother Adam and visiting two friends who lived in a loft in New York City's Chinatown. Sam stepped outside of a New Year's party on January 1, 1984 and never came back.

One of the friends was Heather Dune MacAdam, who wrote about Todd's disappearance for the New York Times in 2002:

"We had not planned to have a New Year's Eve party to celebrate the advent of 1984. Instead, our plan was to go to other people's parties and leave our tracks all over downtown Manhattan. Then people started stopping by, expecting something, and so spontaneously we combusted. We were an eclectic group of geeks and artists, Vassar grads commingled with dropouts, summa cum laudes with experimental artists, all bound by the thrill of the night. It was our chance to usher in a year we had waited for ever since George Orwell's futuristic novel had become required reading in high school. We had ranted -- no, raved -- about the arrival of this year, touting it for its promise, as if 1984 was guaranteed to be a wonder marked on memory's calendar."

The group headed to a New Year's Eve party at 271 Mulberry Street. At about 1:30 a.m., Samuel Todd, who was intoxicated, complained that his head was spinning. Adam told the New York Times that his brother appeared "unstable," so he suggested they go out for some air. The brothers went down the two flights of stairs together to the street. According to the paper, "Samuel Todd refused his brother's offer to go farther with him and began jogging the half block to Houston Street. 'He gave me a funny look as if to say he was O.K. and didn't need to be taken care of,' Adam Todd said. 'Then he started jogging slowly. He was making a strong effort to get back in shape.'" Samuel Todd was an avid runner, so it would not have been usual for him to jog.

Adam Todd went back to the party, but quickly became concerned when his brother did not return. His friends joined him searching the streets for Todd throughout the morning and calling his name.

According to MacAdam, they thought Todd had just headed over to another party. Soon their "search became tinged with strangeness as disbelief gave way to the possibility that something might actually have happened to our friend. It was cold, and he had left the party without even a coat and with no money in his pockets. Desperation crept upon us with the dawn."

The next day, the police were called in, but no trace of Samuel Todd has ever been found.

01/01/93: Vernon "Cameron" Kent Jones, 23, New York City, NY



Cameron Jones

 Vernon "Cameron" Jones is still missing.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina, 23-year-old Vernon Kent Jones set his sights on the the big city. Cameron, as his friends called him, was bright, energetic and handsome. He moved to New York City, aspiring to be an actor.

Cameron spent New Year's Eve 1993 partying with friend Mark Zimmerman and a couple, Margaret Miller and Paul Williams, in an apartment in Manhattan's Lower East Side (East Village). At around 12:30 a.m., while Cameron and Paul remained at the apartment, Margaret and Mark walked across the street to the grocery store to buy paper towels. They were gone approximately 5 minutes. When they returned, Cameron was gone. Mark speculated that Cameron must have put on his coat and left, probably to go home.

From the apartment where the party was held, the subway is 8 blocks in one direction and the East River is 2 blocks

in the other. If Cameron left on foot, it is not clear which way he went. It appears that Paul, who was at the apartment with Cameron, also did not see Cameron leave and may not have been in a condition to be able to provide any details as to what happened. Margaret and Mark say they did not see Cameron leave the apartment as they exited the grocery store.

Cameron has not been seen since.

"Vern" graffiti in East Village
shortly after Cameron disappeared

Shortly after Cameron disappeared, his family came to New York to search for him and discovered the name "Vern" spray painted around the East Village. It is unclear who put it there. It is the only potential clue that has ever been found in the case. The family has hired private investigators and nearly two decades later, they are all still searching for answers.

It has been reported that Margaret Miller and Paul Williams left town within weeks of Cameron's' disappearance. Family and friends suspect they know more than they are saying; and Jones' mother posted has urged them to speak up.

If you have any information regarding this case, call the New York City Police Department at (212) 374-6920.

Facts of Interest

Name: Vernon "Cameron" Kent Jones, 23

DOB: 5/2/69

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Last seen: 1/1/93, 12:30 a.m., East Village, Manhattan, New York

Physical description: white, 6'0" 170, brown hair, brown eyes, medium complexion

Last seen wearing: White T-shirt, blue jeans, gray sweater, tan jacket, and brown hiking boots.

Posted: 10/11/09. Revised 11/2/12.