09/18/98: Robert Kovak, 24, Blacksburg, VA

Robert Kovak

The remains of Robert Kovak have been found. See update below.

Robert Kovak grew up in rural Rivesville, West Virginia, a rural coal mining town in the northern part of the state, home to roughly 900 people. He was described as modest, detail-oriented, dedicated to getting things done, friendly and likable.

Kovak was a 1991 graduate of Fairmont Senior High School. He received his undergraduate degree at Fairmont State University near his home in Rivesville, then was accepted into the architecture graduate program at Virginia Tech. It was his first experience at a large university and he rose to the top of his class. He enjoyed living in Blacksburg, where he was close enough to ride his bike to class or to drive home to visit family. He and his brother Michael were just one year apart and always very close. They got together as frequently as they could, especially in the summer when school was out.

On Friday, September 18, 1998, Kovak's mother, Jacqueline Kovack, tried to call him repeatedly, but he wasn't home. After several more tries on Saturday and Sunday with no result and no call back, she became very worried.

Kovak's roommates said they seen him packing clothing earlier in the day. They thought maybe he planned to attend a West Virginia University football game on Saturday. Now his blue laundry hamper was gone, so they assumed he had heading home for the weekend. They estimated he must have left around 5 p.m. He never arrived.

Authorities retrace Kovak's steps

9/18/98  4:30 p.m. - Kovak is positively identified getting gas at the Wilco station on 825 N. Main Street in Blacksburg. He speaks briefly with the gas station attendant, saying he is on his way home to visit friends. He paid for his gas with a check, then took off in his red Geo Tracker, traveling up Progress Street toward his Terrace View apartment.(1) His vehicle is found abandoned four days later.

9/18/98  5:21 p.m.  - Video surveillance captures Kovak withdrawing $80 from an ATM at the Freedom First Credit Union on South Main Street in Blacksburg.

9/18/98  5:45 p.m. - A fellow architecture student sees Kovak in Cowgill Hall as he steps onto the elevator at the second floor. He has on blue jeans and a polo shirt. She describes him as looking exhausted, with "bags under his puffy eyes." He had also shaved his beard, something that, to her, made him appear heavier. He asks how she is doing, but nothing further, then she exits onto the third floor. She was supposed to see Rob later that night at a party, but she heard through mutual friends that he would not be there. If her timing is accurate, this may be the last sighting of Robert Kovack.

9/19/98 4:30 a.m. - Kovak's very good friend from college, Jason Yoho, who was also from Rivesville, drove the same route Kovak was supposed to have taken, only 12 hours later. He told investigators he did not recall a vehicle parked where Rob's Tracker was found, and he could not recall a vehicle being there on his way back on Sunday.

9/19/98  8:00 - 9:00 a.m. - A married couple from Morgantown, WV stops at the Gorge Bridge from 8 to 9 a.m. while traveling to Myrtle Beach, SC. The couple tells police that they always notice vehicles parked on the side of the road, but they did not see a red Tracker.

9/20/98 - Jason Yoho does not recall seeing a vehicle parked on the side of the road on his way home on Sunday.

Kovak's Geo Tracker, similar to this one,
was found at the intersection of US Route 19
and Lansing Road near Fayetteville, West Virginia,
 just beyond the New River Gorge Bridge.

9/22/98 - Kovak's red soft-top 1992 Geo Tracker is found abandoned and out of gas near Fayetteville, West Virginia, just a half mile past a gas station. The keys are not in the ignition and the doors are locked. There were no signs of a struggle or foul play. Oddly, the 4-wheel drive in engaged, despite mild weather.

The vehicle was operational, but it looked dusty. It had also been broken into. A slit had been cut into the soft-top canvas in order to unlock the passenger door. An amp had been taken from the rear cargo area and likely also the hamper Robert had last been seen with. (A resident of Craig County later reported finding an empty blue clothes hamper, missing its lid, on her property, but it wasn't positively identified as Kovak's.) Police theorize that rafters on the New River noticed the abandoned vehicle and broke into it to steal from it. The crime lab found one partial latent fingerprint and one palm print they couldn't identify.

According to his father and brother, those so familiar with that stretch of road would gas up before reaching Fayetteville. They'd know the next station isn't for another 15 miles. It then seems odd that Kovak would bypass a gas station and risk potentially having to leave his beloved vehicle on the side of the road while he fetched gas. Kovak's Tracker was the first vehicle he had ever purchased himself. He was known for keeping it immaculate.

Michael Kovak has said he believes that something happened to his brother in Blacksburg. He told the Collegiate Times, "Where we grew up, you held your own or got picked on. He was small and scrawny, but he was scrappy." He added that his brother was "one of the nicest guys in the world, but if someone tried to pick a fight...he wouldn't shy away." He speculated that someone drove his car as far north as they could, using the 4-wheel drive so that the car would run out of gas quicker. The person wanted it to appear as though Kovak had run out of gas.


Search effort

Dog teams, whitewater rafters and National Park Service rangers helped in multiple searches of the vicinity of where Robert's car was found. Their searches included door-to-door visits to homes on Lansing Road and the Canyon Rim area. State police also conducted helicopter sweeps, and Rob's family and friends walked the area searching for clues. Nothing was found. The area is said to be an immense space near a national forest where search parties would have difficulty finding someone.

When investigators and family searched Robert Kovack's Terrace View apartment in Blacksburg, they discovered that his roommates had packed up nearly all of his things into boxes. They had also taken apart his bed before it was ever inspected, despite direct requests from the Kovak family to stay away. No architecture supplies were found, just a single pen and two stamps. But it seems most of his personal belongings were still in his room, such as his backpack, bike, unopened mail (including a bill for rent), shaving kit, toothbrush and toothpaste. So they may have been trying to save his family the heartache of packing up his belongings.


Remains found

New River Gorge Bridge
(See aerial video here.)

In March 2016, a work crew found skeletal human remains under the 800-feet tall New River Gorge Bridge near where Robert’s Geo Tracker was found abandoned. The area where the remains were found was treacherous and overgrown, an easy place to overlook a body.

DNA tests confirmed that the remains belonged to Robert Kovak. His wallet with his driver's license and student ID was also found near the remain, along with his car keys.

Evidence on the remains suggest that Kovack was hit by a car, then fell from the bridge.(3)  News reports are not saying whether the death was a hit and run, but it sounds like a logical possibility. The investigation is ongoing.

While Kovak did have $12,000 in credit card debt, police do not believe he committed suicide. The young man was nearing graduation and had been hired to work for Blackwood and Associates, an architecture firm in Richmond, VA, after graduation. He also had $1,500 in his bank account from his job as a teaching assistant at Virginia Tech and he was considered a happy-go-lucky guy.

He was hard working, but he was considered a happy-go-lucky guy. In his free time, he played softball, went mountain biking and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.



Case Details
Name/age: Robert Leroy Kovak, 24
Last seen: 9/18/98, Blacksburg, Virginia
Date Of Birth: October 30, 1973
Physical Description: White male, 6'3"; 175 lbs, dark brown hair; brown eyes, wearing
blue jeans and either polo shirt or T-shirt and watch on left wrist.

If you have any information, call the Blacksburg Police Department at 540-961-1150 or West Virginia State Police at 304-469-2915. Refer to the Agency Case Number (6210-10254)



Sources
(1) Fleming, Caleb. (7 March 2009). Decadelong disappearance. Retrieved September 9, 2010 from
http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/13746/decadelong-disappearance

(2) Baker, K.C. (March 11, 2016). Family of Robert Kovack, Virginia Tech Grad Student Missing Since 1998, Waits Anxiously As Authorities Investigate Human Remains. Retrieved June 7, 2019 from https://people.com/crime/robert-kovacks-distraught-family-are-human-remains-connected-to-missing-son/

(3) Demmit, Jacob. (March 14, 2017). DNA confirms remains belong to Virginia Tech student missing since 1998. Retrieved June 7, 2019 from https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/blacksburg/dna-confirms-remains-belong-to-virginia-tech-student-missing-since/article_56a64b59-9fd0-506f-833e-bbfc3121047a.html

Published: 9/26/2010    Last updated: June 7, 2019

10/02/12: Jonathan Dailey, 23, Boston, MA

Jonathan Dailey
Source: Facebook

Jonathan Dailey, 23, a North Carolina native who was taking a semester off from graduate-level course work at Boston Architectural College, was last seen by his longtime friend and roommate, Miles Smith, on Oct. 2, 2012.

According to the Boston Globe, Smith last saw Jonathan the evening of Oct. 2 in their apartment on Gardner Street in Boston’s Allston neighborhood after Jonathan came home from work. The pair had some pizza, watched an episode of the “The Office,” and chatted about how their day went. Then Smith went to bed at about 9 p.m. It was the last time Jonathan was reportedly seen.

As days passed, Jonathan’s cell phone was not answering calls. His friends and family grew concerned at not having contact with him. Jonathan was reported missing on Friday, Oct. 5 after he failed to show up to the American Apparel store on Brattle Street in Cambridge where he worked as a sales associate. While Smith said it was not unusual for his friend to step out of their apartment, it was totally out of character for Jonathan to disappear. He also left behind a computer, all his camping equipment, and a number of other items at the apartment.

Jonathan’s parents, Bruce and Donna Dailey, arrived in Boston over the weekend. They worked with Jonathan’s friends to search the places Jonathan frequented, distribute fliers across the city and ask for tips about their son's whereabouts. They worked with missing-person organizations like the Charlotte-based Kristen Foundation and used social media to spread the word about his disappearance. While the search effort mounted, his family prayed for his return and tried to hold onto some hope that he maybe just needed some peace and solitude. Dailey's sister, Robyn, called the experience "emotionally gut-wrenching."

At 7:25 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9, a week after Jonathan disappeared, a Boston University rowing coach spotted a body in the Charles River near the Boston University Bridge. The location was about a mile from Dailey’s apartment. The body was identified through dental records as Jonathan Dailey.

According to reports, the body was found at the bottom of the river, bound with chains at the ankles and tied to a cinder block. It appeared to have been in the water for several days. Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the Suffolk District Attorney’s office said in a statement, “We will not be discussing evidence recovered at or near the scene of this morning’s recovery effort.” He added that a thorough and comprehensive investigation of the facts and circumstances of Dailey’s death is underway by the State Police.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether Dailey was a victim of foul play or suicide. The medical examiner has not yet determined the cause or manner of death. On Oct. 13, Wark told People magazine, “They are pursuing it as a death investigation. The medical examiner has asked for additional specialized testing, toxicology and so forth.

Police said they are looking at all possibilities behind the young man’s death, from suicide to foul play.

Smith said he could not think of anyone who might want to harm Dailey. “He’s very charismatic, a great friend to all he met.”

Jonathan had no history of drugs, alcohol, or mental illness and he did have a girlfriend.

Dailey’s body was the second body found in the Charles River in two days. On Oct. 1, the body of a 62-year-old man was found at about 8:15 a.m. near the Boston University boathouse. Authorities have said they do not consider his death to be suspicious, nor do they believe there to be linked to Dailey’s death.


About Jonathan Dailey

Jonathan Dailey was born and raised in Charlotte, N.C. and attended Northwest School of the Arts. He played violin and piano, performing in local children's orchestras.

He then went to Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., where he studied architectural technology and design, alongside friend Miles Smith. Jonathan’s family said he loved architecture and never wavered from that path as a career. The friends both earned their bachelor’s degrees. After graduation, they moved to Massachusetts to attend a graduate program at Boston Architectural College and were roommates. Jonathan’s family says he loved being in Boston.

The friends were in their second year of graduate school at Boston Architectural College and were both taking a semester off. According to his family, Jonathan was not enrolled because of financial reasons.

The friends were close and often bonded by indulging in many adventures. As recently as several weeks ago, they traveled to Maine where they visited a gorge, camped, swam, and cliff-dived. “He’s an Eagle Scout, and we both love adventure, but we always prepare,” said Smith.

Smith described his friend as very creative and intelligent, with an eccentric side.

Jonathan Dailey leaves behind two siblings, brother Kevin and sister Robyn. "We are all in agony, disbelief and shock right now, "Robyn wrote on a Facebook page created in Jonathan’s honor. "Not only from the helplessness of having Jon be missing and the overwhelming grief of knowing he has died, but also because of the horror of not knowing what happened,” she said.

A Web page has been created in Jonathan's honor. A memorial service and celebration to honor Jonathan was held November 4th at Morningstar Fellowship Church in Fort Mill, SC.



Sources

Ballou, Brian (2012, October 9). Body in Charles River identified as missing graduate student Jonathan Dailey. Boston Globe. Retrieved November 1, 2012 from http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/10/09/for-second-time-two-days-body-found-charles-river-near-bridge-investigation-underway/7LmtL9LCM9FbihujVfRcQO/story.html

Cavaliere, Victoria (2012, October 13). Death of Boston student found in river probed. NY Daily News. Retrieved November 1, 2012 from http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-10-13/news/34435755_1_death-investigation-facebook-page-architecture-student

Crimesider staff. (2012, October 8). Jonathan Dailey Missing: "Time is of the essence" in search for Boston grad student, sister says. CBS News. Retrieved November 1, 2012 from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57527924-504083/jonathan-dailey-missing-time-is-of-the-essence-in-search-for-boston-grad-student-sister-says/

Myers, Victoria (2012, October 11). Body found in Charles River identified as grad student Jonathan Dailey. Boston Examiner. Retrieved November 1, 2012 from http://www.examiner.com/article/body-found-charles-river-identified-as-grad-student-jonathan-dailey

Staff article. (2012, October 10). Obituary. Charlotte Observer. Retrieved November 1, 2012 from http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/charlotte/obituary.aspx?pid=160346319#fbLoggedOut

08/28/10: Khalil King, 19, Ithaca, NY

On the evening of Saturday, August 28, 2010, Khalil King, a 19-year-old from Cornell University was reported missing. King had last been seen at about 3 a.m. that morning while walking on the upper gorge trail near the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, also known as the "FIJI" fraternity. A friend said King saw something and ran west; he then lost contact with the sophomore. "Charlottenews14.com has reported the something spooked King before he ran off. Attempts to call or locate him throughout the day were unsuccessful," said Cornell Director of Press Relations Claudia Wheatley.

Approximately 30 people from multiple agencies--including members of the Cornell University Police Department, the Ithaca Police Department, New York State Police, the Ithaca Fire Department and Cornell Environmental Health and Safety--were involved in the search.

The Ithaca Fire Department and Cornell University police searched the area around where King was last seen, but because of darkness and the hazardous terrain, the search was suspended at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The team resumed their search at 9 a.m. Sunday, joined by the Ithaca police, and staff from the Cornell Environmental Health and Safety department. The area east of the Stewart Avenue bridge above Ithaca Falls was searched, and a state police helicopter was also used.

On Sunday (8/29/10), emergency crews recovered a body lying in a deep pool of water in the south end of Fall Creek gorge. Police identified it as that of the missing student. The body was found between the pedestrian suspension bridge and Stewart Avenue Bridge near the 800 block of Stewart Avenue. Firefighters, and the Ithaca and Cornell police and Bangs Ambulance, carried the body out through the Willard Way tunnel, part of a former 19th century industrial water mill, shortly after 1:30 p.m.

No foul play is suspected, according to police. The Ithaca Police Department is continuing the investigation, and anyone with information is urged to contact them at 272-9973.


About Khalil King

On August 31, 2010, several hundred people attended a candlelight vigil commemorating the life of Khalil King.

The Cornell Daily Sun reported that "King’s mother came out and spoke of her son: 'my pride, my joy, my reason for breathing.'" She said, “a lot of questions are still not answered,” and that she “will never be satisfied until those questions are answered” by either “something from the Cornell community” or from the “divine hand of God.”

According to the Sun, "Throughout the night, filled with poems, letters and songs for King, a picture of him emerged as a gregarious, multi-talented thinker and doer, willing to cross the lines of social convention....Friend Felema Yemane, Class of 2014, recalled going to different places with King, including the Cornell Democrats, Cornell Republicans and a socialist organization, and recalled a time when the two spent “three hours discussing abortion” in Willard Straight Hall. King was “open to other people’s ideas and thoughts,” Yemane said."

King was described as being the kind of friend "who would do anything for you at the drop of a dime." His many friends enjoyed his magnetic, perhaps even a bit quirky, personality. He was described as an “amazing artist,” who had once made a landscape of Ithaca appearing in the eye of his self-portrait.

King had recently transferred from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to the College of Architecture, Art and Planning.

King was a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a 2009 graduate of Independence High School.
Vice President Susan Murphy ’73 also spoke at the event, saying that the “best tribute we can give Khalil is to build those bridges across the communities he touched.”

She urged the crowd to “make sure you’re here for one another,” while admitting the difficulty of “trying to understand something that makes no sense.”