03/09/01 (Update): Michael Jansson, Chicago, IL

Update: Michael Jansson has been found. On March 16, 2012, the Chicago Tribune reported that a Buick LeSabre pulled from the Chicago River has a vehicle identification number matching the car that Michael Jansson had been driving when he disappeared in 2001. Authorities identified bones inside the car as Michael Jansson's through DNA testing.

10/13/12: Walton Ward, 23, Broad Ripple, IN

Walton Ward

Twenty-three year old Walton "Matt" Ward came to Indiana from California to visit his mother. On October 12, 2012, he told her he planned to go on a date with a girl he'd met on Cupid.com, and she dropped him off outside of Peppers Bar. He spent about an hour at the bar, never meeting anyone, then left on his own to go to the Mine Shaft Bar. From there, he went to the Land Sharks bar, and he was ultimately escorted out by a bouncer at 1:20 a.m. Ten minutes later, a 911 call was placed from his phone that lasted only one second. It was the last call made on Ward's phone and the last time he was seen.

His body was found in the White River on October 22, 2012 near the area where he disappeared. His phone was recovered in the bushes at the top of the river bank several weeks later.

His mother believes foul play was involved.

07/28/12: Benjamin Fuder, 21, Whitewater, WI

Benjamin Fuder

Benjamin Fuder, a 21-year old student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was last seen in leaving the Hawk's Nest Bar and Grill in downtown Whitewater, Wisc., around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 28, 2012. The State Journal has reported that Fuder's friends told him to go home because he was intoxicated. It was the last time he was seen. Benjamin Fuder was reported missing at 11:37 p.m. that night.

Someone found Fuder's phone and used it to contact his girlfriend to ask how to return it to him. Fuder's girlfriend then directed him to leave it at his residence. The person put it in the mailbox anonymously, and police would like to find out where the phone was found.

It has also been reported that someone told Fuder's father, Bradley Fuder, that his son's wallet was found Saturday afternoon at the top of an outdoor staircase.

On Sunday, July 29 about 6:45 a.m., Fuder's body was found in the bottom of the Whitewater Limestone Quarry below the north rim. The quarry is just outside Whitewater's southern limits, in Walworth County, on Franklin Street just north of the Highway 12 bypass. According to the Walworth County Today, "It can be seen clearly from Highway 12." The entrance to the quarry is about one mile from the bar where Fuder was last seen.

The coroner identified the body as Fuder and pronounced him dead at the scene, and foul play was not suspected.

The Fuder family has asked for anyone with information to come forward.

According to a report by NBC15:

Some of the circumstances surrounding Benjamin's death seem mysterious--and his family says they have questions about what happened to him. "He would have had to leave the bar, get something to eat and walk over a mile past his house just to reach this point," described his brother, Shane.

To get to the quarry, Shane says he would have had to have walked way past his residence--in the dark. "He would have had to walk down the street here, no sidewalk, no lights, no houses, no reason to come here," said Shane. "Stumbled all this way, a mile past his house down this gravel road and through some really thick brush."

Family members say he knew his way home--and he wasn't depressed--so it seems unlikely that he'd have wandered to the area intentionally. That's why they think this may not have been an accident.

"This was not a slip and fall accident, this was not a suicide obviously, he was, you know, the target," said Joshua Fuder, another of Benjamin's siblings.

They say they're hoping the official investigation yields some answers for them.

They want to know if Benjamin might have been drugged.

Shane says they're having a third party conduct a toxicology report.

"We've decided not to cremate him yet," he said. "We're going to wait until we can do our own toxicology report and have someone else we supplied go over the evidence and the body and stuff. So we don't want to, you know, we're trying to stay objective trying to do this right so we don't regret anything down the road."

Benjamin Fuder is the second UW-W student in 14 months to be found deceased in the quarry.

According to the Walworth County Today, "The body of 20-year-old Mark J. Wegener, a UW-Whitewater student, was found at the bottom of the quarry May 30, 2011. Police say he left a party about 1 a.m. May 29, 2011, and was not seen again until his body was discovered. Authorities at the time said Wegener apparently fell from a 70-foot ledge. His death was ruled an accident. An autopsy revealed Wegener had a blood-alcohol content of 0.106, which would be above the legal limit to drive."

Police believe the only similarity between the two incidents is that both victims appeared to be alone.

According the same paper, there is a dirt lane, which runs under power lines, that leads to the quarry's north rim. There are posted signs advising people not to enter without permission. The road to the bottom of the quarry is gated and locked after hours. While there is no fence around the rim of the quarry, a worker told the paper that there have been no reports of people partying at the quarry or hanging out after hours. He also said that while there is a small pool of water at the bottom of the quarry, it is continually pumped and not suitable for swimming. He said the quarry is operated by Whitewater Limestone, a subsidiary of BR Amon and Mann Brothers of Elkhorn, Wisc.

Whitewater Police Chief Lisa Otterbacher confirmed to the paper that there have been no reports of incidents at the quarry.

On October 10, 2012, the Walworth County Coroner’s Office ruled the death of Benjamin Fuder an accident. According to a Press Release from the Walworth County Sheriff's Office, the cause of death was "due to a fall from the rim to the floor of the limestone quarry. The death was due to traumatic head trauma along with significant other conditions, which were the presence of ethanol, cannabinoids and psilocin. The Walworth County Sheriff's Office has concluded this investigation and finds no evidence of any criminal behavior associated with this death and agrees with the Walworth County Coroner’s Office that the manner of death was accidental."

Anyone with information should contact Walworth County Sheriff's Office Detective Troy Pagenkopf at 262-741-4426. 


About Benjamin Fuder

Benjamin Robert Fuder was filled with such passion and enthusiasm for life that he entered the world six weeks premature when he was born on May 15, 1991. In just twenty-one short years, he filled this world with so much laughter and cheer that he will be forever remembered by all those that he influenced. After graduating from Edgerton High School in 2009, Ben enrolled at UW-Whitewater, where he was a junior. Ben planned to use his boundless energy and creativity to pursue a career in elementary education.

Ben was known for his sense of humor and strong work ethic. He loved spending time with family and friends, participating in sports, fishing, playing video games, watching movies, swimming, and being outdoors. Ben was an accomplished tennis player during his high school years and competed in the state tournament both as a junior and a senior.

Benjamin is survived by his parents, Bradley and Chantal Fuder; two older brothers, Joshua (Amanda Korell) and Shane Fuder; older sister, Mariah (Aaron) Lewis; grandparents, Pat and Nancy Collins; and two grandmothers, Patricia Graham and Marilyn Fuder. He leaves behind 14 aunts and uncles and 17 cousins from France to California. Ben is also survived by his girlfriend of nearly 4 years, Kelli Aide, as well as a strong group of childhood friends from Edgerton, and many other friends from college and work.  (Excerpt from Obituary. Gazette Xtra.com).

Friends say there was never a dull moment when they were around Benjamin Fuder; he just had a way of making everyone smile. He will be deeply missed.



Sources 

Video Report. (2012, August 1). Missing UW-Whitewater Student Found Dead. WMTV News. Retrieved August 2, 2012 from: http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/Missing-UW-Whitewater-Student-Found-Dead-164205766.html

Milam, Stan. (2012, July 31). Investigation continues in Sunday death of UW-W student. Walworth County Today. Retrieved August 2, 2012, from http://walworthcountytoday.com/news/2012/jul/31/investigation-continues-sunday-death-uw-w-student/

DeLong, Katie. (2012, July 30). Missing UW-Whitewater student found dead at quarry. Fox News. Retrieved August 2, 2012 from: http://fox6now.com/2012/07/29/missing-uw-whitewater-student-found-dead-at-quarry/

Press Release. (2012, October 10). Walworth Co. Sheriff's Department. Retrieved November 17, 2012 from
http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/Missing-UW-Whitewater-Student-Found-Dead-164205766.html
Staff Article (2012, July 30). UW-Whitewater student's family, friends look for answers. Channel 3000.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012 from: http://www.channel3000.com/news/UW-Whitewater-student-s-family-friends-look-for-answers/-/1648/15843878/-/dbfdgk/-/index.html

Staff Article. (2012, July 29). Missing UW-Whitewater student found dead in quarry. Associated Press. Retrieved August 2, 2012 from: http://m.host.madison.com/wsj/news/state_and_regional/missing-uw-whitewater-student-found-dead-in-quarry/article_e23823f4-aeef-59fd-a5f9-2eaac280145f.html

01/08/12: Michael Philbin, 21, Oshkosh, WI

Published: 1/27/12 3:25 p.m. CST      Updated: 1/17/12 1:56 p.m. CST

Michael Philbin

Michael Philbin, 21, son of Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator, Joe Philbin, disappeared at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, January 8 after spending time at a bar with some friends who are students at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Philbin lived 20 miles away in Ripon, Wisc., and planned to stay the night at a friend's residence in Osh Kosh. Friends reported missing at 8:13 p.m. Sunday when he still hadn't returned. His car was still at the friend's residence.

According to the Post Crescent, "Philbin arrived Saturday, Jan. 7, about 8 p.m. He went with a group to a house party on the corner of Wisconsin Street and Scott Avenue where a birthday party was in swing. About midnight, the group left the house party and went to Kelly's, a bar at 219 Wisconsin St." While they were there at the bar, a 20-year old blonde woman Philbin did not know came up to Philbin and asked him to walk her to her friend's house, according to the paper. Philbin agreed and left the group about 11:30 p.m. He had GPS on his phone, but they became lost while looking for the friend's house. The pair then went to Topper's Pizza on Wisconsin Street, but she left with a friend before the pizza was ready. Philbin walked back to Kelly's Bar.

"At the time the woman was with Philbin she told police he did not seem intoxicated. He had no trouble walking and his speech was not slurred," said the paper.

According to the paper, Philbin arrived back at Kelly's bar, but around 12:30 a.m., "his friends left go to Polito's, a pizza place on High Avenue near campus. Philbin chose to stay behind at Kelly's with members of the birthday party." The birthday party group then moved to Molly McGuire's, a bar near campus. Phillbin was identified on surveillance tapes there, but he apparently didn't stay long.

Shortly thereafter, Philbin was seen on surveillance tapes at Kelly's Bar. At 1:23 a.m., the tapes show him exiting Kelly's on the east side and going into the parking area. He then went back inside the bar two minutes later.

At 1:42 a.m., surveillance shows Philbin leaving the north exit of the bar escorted by a bouncer. Bar staff told police they asked Philbin to leave because he was bothering a group of women. The video reportedly shows him stumbling inside the bar. Police noted that for the last half-hour to an hour the video shows he had very little contact with anyone inside the bar.

Philbin left the bar alone, and walked in a northwest direction toward the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus. Although he passed out of the view of the camera, his shadow lingered and showed him turning to the west, in the direction of Rockwell Avenue. It was the last time he was seen on camera.

According to the Post Crescent, "The last call or text coming from Philbin's phone occurred at 2:10 a.m. from the area of the 800 block of Algoma Boulevard. He texted a friend "Uh." The friend told police he called Philbin at that time and asked him if he needed directions back to the house on Frederick Street. Philbin said he was fine and knew how to get back to the house.

At 2:36 a.m., not long after the call, a security guard at Axle Tech on High Avenue called 911 to report that he someone was in the Fox River, about 30 yards out near a section of thin ice, calling for help.

According to the Post Crescent, "Initially the guard thought the hollering was college kids in the area just yelling or talking loud. He leaned against the window and listened. He heard the sound again. He grabbed his flashlight and jacket and went outside and walked down Rockwell Avenue toward the water. He panned his light over the icy water and saw a hand or foot sticking out of the water and saw splashing and realized it was a man struggling to stay above the surface. He estimated he saw the man for 30 seconds at the water's edge before he went under. He called 911 on his cellphone."

The 911 call prompted Oshkosh Fire Department divers to begin search and rescue operations, but the search team did not find anyone. The search for the man in the river continued until 3:30 p.m. that day without success.

The following morning, county divers returned to the scene with scent dogs and sonar scanners to resume their search; they discovered a body around 3 p.m. The body was later identified as Michael Philbin.

Police officer Joseph Nichols told USAToday.com that temperatures had been unseasonably warm in the Oshkosh area -- 50 miles from Green Bay -- and that there was only a little bit of ice around the edge of the river.

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012 police ruled out foul play; the preliminary autopsy report indicated a freshwater drowning and the body bore no signs of a struggle.

In March, Philbin's death was formally ruled an accidental drowning. According to the Post Crescent, "Blood tests indicated he had marijuana and alcohol in his system at the time of his death. Philbin's blood-alcohol level was 0.176 percent."


Unanswered Questions

On March 16, 2012, the Post Crescent reported that the final police report shows that there were some unanswered questions in the investigation. First, the police were not able to account for Philbin's whereabouts during the last half hour of his life before he drowned. The time period that was unaccounted for was between the phone call with his friend and the security guard hearing him yell for help--about 35 minutes.

Second, said the paper, "the distance between the bar and the area at the foot of Rockwell Avenue where Philbin fell through the ice is less than half a mile. How he got there and why he headed in that direction after leaving the bar just before 2 a.m., rather than heading toward his friend's residence on Frederick Street where he had been staying, are questions that may never be answered."


About Michael Philbin

Michael Philbin, a student at Ripon College, is the son of former Green Bay Packers coach Joe Philbin, who was recently named head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He was the second oldest of six children. He had just turned 21 on Dec. 28.

According to the Post Crescent, "Philbin had been coming to Oshkosh about every other weekend during the past school year. They did the typical things college students do: Meet friends, go to bars, eat pizza. The weekend of Jan. 7 and 8 was no different."


Case Details

Name/age: Michael Philbin, 21
Last seen: 01/08/12, Kelly's Bar, Wisconsin Street, Oshkosh, WI
Recovered: 01/09/12. Fox River
Residence: Ripon, WI
College: Ripon College

Sources

Davis, Nate (2012, January 10). Timeline: The death of Michael Philbin. USA Today. Retrieved January 27, 2012.

Wolff, Patricia (2012, March 15). Investigation fails to account for last half-hour of Michael Philbin's life before he drowned. Post Crescent. Retrieved March 17, 2012.

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.

03/12/11: George DeLany, 21, Wayland, NY

George DeLany

On Sat., March 12, at around 3 p.m., George DeLany, 21, a native of Frederick, Md., stepped out of his residence in Chili and told his roommates he would be right back. He drove to a Mobil Mart to buy $25 worth of gas at 3:04 p.m. before driving south on Interstate 390.

DeLany, a junior majoring in political science at Rochester Institute of Technology, lived in a suburban off-campus apartment in Chili, N.Y. with other RIT students.

He was officially reported missing by his roommates on Mar. 15 after he failed to return.

George DeLany's remains were found in deep brush in rural Wayland, NY, approximately one hour from his apartment. It is believed that he suffered hypothermia after his car got stuck in the snow and he walked outside for quite some time. There was no indication of foul play, but questions linger as to why George traveled to Wayland that day.

04/17/09: Jelani Brinson, 24, Anoka, MN

On the evening of April 17, 2009, Jelani Brinson, 24, called his mother, Alyce Hamilton, on her cell phone. Hamilton, who was at the Mad Jack's Sports Cafe in Brooklyn Park, MN, never heard the phone ring over the din of the crowded restaurant, and Brinson didn't leave a message.

Jelani Brinson disappeared later that night.

Amazingly, three of Brinson's friends say they were all at Mad Jack's that night, and that Brinson probably made the call to his mother from inside the restaurant. Mother and son never bumped into each other.

"It's just eerie that we were both there and never saw each other," said Hamilton.

The friends, as it turns out, could be the last people to have seen Brinson.

After leaving Mad Jack's, they all went to a friend's home located on the 600 block of Kennedy Street near the Anoka County Fairgrounds in Anoka, MN. Friends say that at about 10 p.m, just five minutes after they arrived, Brinson abruptly left the residence without saying goodbye; and there weren't any problems prompting him to leave.

Hamilton, an emergency room nurse, called police late Saturday afternoon after her son missed work and failed to visit his daughter. He also had not picked up his car.

She told the media, "I keep calling his cell phone to see if someone might answer, but it just goes into voice mail. I don't know what to think, but I don't think it's good."

The authorities looked into the possibilty that Brinson may have hopped a slow-moving train. Hamilton said it would be totally out of character for Brinson to take off without calling someone first or to not call her back.

"If I call, he will call me back," she said. "Even if I don't leave a message, if he sees that my numbers come up, he's always called me back."

His girlfriend, Dena Anderson of Eagan, agreed that the disappearance was out of character. She said Brinson had never not shown up to watch their daughter and had always communicated to her if he wasn't able to watch her.

Police said that Brinson had a clean record and that there was no immediate sign that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the disappearance

"We're trying to sort out relationships between him and other people and their intentions," said Police Chief Phil Johanson.


Clues found during search for Jelani Brinson

Hamilton and dozens of others began searching the morning of Sunday April 19 with police and three search dogs. Brinson's winter hat and one of his new Adidas tennis shoes were found on the other side of a neighbor's wooden fence near railroad tracks, just across the street from where he was last seen. The other shoe was found south of the tracks in an industrial area near Hwy. 10 and St. Francis Boulevard in Anoka.

Search dogs tracked Brinson's scent from near his friend's home in Anoka to an area about 1.5 miles west. The scent trail ended about 100 yards behind the Outpost Bar. His family viewed the bar's security tapes but didn't see him, Police Chief Phil Johanson said.

See a map of the area

The following afternoon, police and fire rescue crews began searching in and around the Rum River in Anoka.


Jelani Brinson found

At about 1 p.m., on Saturday, April 25, 2009, an employee discovered the body of Jelani Brinson floating in a shallow pond at the Greenhaven Golf Course in Anoka. There were no no apparent signs of trauma to the body,

The location is about 1,500 feet from where Brinson was last seen--across the street and over some railroad tracks from the home on Kennedy Street. Brinson's body did not have on shoes, yet Brinson's socks were clean. Investigators say this means Brinson didn't walk into the pond on his own; he was placed there.

The Anoka County medical examiner's office conducted an autopsy and reported that the cause of Jelani Brinson's death was inconclusive. No marks, signs of injury/trauma, or foul play were found during the examination, and there were no narcotics or alcohol in his system. The autopsy also ruled out anatomical causes such as a heart attack or a brain aneurism, and even drowning. The autopsy revealed that Brinson died before he entered the water.

Brinson's wallet was found on his body, which seems to rule out robbery as a motive. Investigators have not found anything else to go on.

Sheriff's Lt. Paul Sommer said there were no signs of a fight where where Brinson's tennis shoes and hat were found, and his friends have cooperated with the police.

"The coroner couldn't say why he died. That's what makes this investigation so difficult," says Sommer. "It is particularly frustrating because normally in a situation like this we expect certain things to be apparent. If he's found in a pond, you'd think he drowned. He did not. Or if he was dumped there, you'd think you'd find an anatomical cause of death or a drug overdose. That was not there either. We have very little to go on."


About Jelani Brinson

Alyce Hamilton said her son, who graduated from high school at Fourth Baptist Christian School in north Minneapolis, was recently promoted at the local Sprint store where he worked. He and girlfriend, Dena Anderson, have a 9-month-old daughter, Zion, who he was crazy about. The couple lived apart, but he cared for his daughter two days a week. Anderson said Brinson talked about marriage often.

He was active in his church, and his faith makes it unlikely he would have harmed himself, Hamiliton has said.

Brinson's parents were divorced, and he had been living with his father, Donnie, who was helping him to care for his daughter. Donnie Brinson was watching his grandaughter on the night his son disappeared.

Read Jelani's blog

A family statement released by Brinson's godmother Mamie Singleton, said, "The Brinson and Hamilton Families are deeply saddened by the lost of their beloved son, Jelani Dante Brinson. Jelani was 24 years old and very involved with his spiritual growth and development. He was a beloved son and brother. He was also a devoted father to his 9-month old daughter. Jelani had a loving relationship with the mother of his daughter. He was loved by his many friends and relatives. We will miss him dearly. The circumstances of Jelani’s passing are not completely clear. We do know that he had a joyous spirit that was manifested by frequent laughter and numerous acts of kindness. He is survived by his parents, Mr. Donnie Brinson and Ms. Alyce M. Hamilton, his brother, Mr. Jamari L. Brinson, and sister, Kai Z. Brinson, his daughter, Zion Melissa Grace, and Zion’s mother, Dena L. Anderson. Funeral arrangements will be announced early next week. We are deeply grateful for all of the love and support we have received—and thankful for all of our blessings."

The day before Brinson's body was found, his girlfriend Dena learned she was pregnant with their second child. She has since named the child, a little boy, Jelani Donte Brinson Jr.--after his father.

"It's so sad that he didnt' know about his little son," Hamilton said through tears. "Two children will never know their father. And for what?"  (Star Tribune, 04/09/11).

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is should call the sheriff's office at 763-427-1212.


Facts of Interest

Name/age: Jelani Brinson, 24
Last seen: 4/17/09, 10:30 p.m., Anoka, MN
Recovered: 4/25/09, 1:00 p.m., Greenhaven Golf Course, Anoka MN
Physical Description: black, 5'9", 150 pounds, hair in cornrows.
Last seen wearing black shirt, black hoodie and blue jeans.
Investigating Agency: Anoka County Sheriff, 763-427-1212.

Published: 4/21/09. Updated: 4/14/11.

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.

1/15/11: Willie Jigba, 24, Tempe, AZ

Willie Jigba

Willie Jigba, 24, was last seen in the early morning hours of January 15, 2011, at a party at the Sotelo Apartments in Tempe, Arizona. Tempe police broke up the party between 3:30 and 4 a.m.

Jigba did not return to his apartment. When he missed his first day on his new job at the local Kona Grill, his mother, Theresa, who lives in California, reported him missing.

According to Jigba's roommate, the young man did not have a ride home from the party. He tried to get a ride from someone, but was turned down. Jigba did not have money for a cab, and because he only lived about 2 ½ miles away at the Gateway Apartments, friends believe he might have tried to walk home.

"We don't know if he went with someone or tried to walk home and something happened," Jigba's mother said. (The Arizona Republic, Jan. 17, 2011).

Jigba never answered his cell phone or responded to messages. His roommate said his disappearance was "completely out of character, especially with a new job." He also mentioned that Jigba wasn't the type of person to be involved in any kind of altercation that might get him into trouble.

Police said there were no signs of foul play connected with his disappearance, or any reason to suspect that Jigba migh have harmed himself or others. Yet, they were concerned about the fact that Jigba had not shown up for work.

Jigba moved to the Tempe area in 2009 to attend the nursing program at Arizona State University. He ended up taking a job instead, but did have friends attending the university. They say he led a typical student's life.

His friends began a Facebook group called “Help us find Willie Jigba,” which as of Jan. 26 had 1,216 members.


The Search for Willie Jigba

The search effort for Willie Jigba focused on nearby Tempe Town Lake because both of the possible routes that Jigba could have taken home crossed the lake. It has been reported that Jigba could not swim. (Arizona Republic News, Jan. 26, 2011.)

On Saturday, Jan. 22, Arizona Search Track and Rescue--a private, volunteer search group hired by the family--were not able to search the lake due to high winds.

The search team returned to the area on Wednesday, January 26.  They circled the lake with boats, and canines were brought aboard to search for a scent or anything that might lead to Jigba.

A team of twelve divers also searched the area that afternoon and most of the following day, using a grid system. Divers searched for Jigba in 45 to 55 degree, water rotating in and out of the water. Because visibility was so poor--less then one foot--divers conducted the search entirely by feel.

Arizona Search Track and Rescue Commander Kristi Smith said that all other areas around Tempe Town Lake had been searched. “If he’s not in the lake, said Smith, "he’s got to be out there somewhere." (Arizona Republic News, Jan. 26, 2011.)

The search resumed the morning of Jan. 27. Arizona Searth Track and Rescue canines picked up a scent indicating that a human body could be under the water. The "hit," was found west of the bridge and south of Loop 202. The scent was not specific to Willie Jigba, however. (Phoenix New Times, Jan. 27, 2011.)

The following morning (Friday, Jan. 28), "a member of the dive team returned to the area and discovered the body floating on the surface, just outside the original search area on the north side of the lake." It was then recovered from the water by the Tempe Fire Department.

The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office was able to make a positive identification that the body was Jigba.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate that Jigba probably died of drowning and not foul play. According to
azcentral.com, "The final cause of death will be determined after toxicology reports are completed, Tempe police said."

According to the azcentral, "He'd gone to a Tempe party, the party was broken up by Tempe police in the wee hours of the morning, his cell phone died, and he didn't have money for a cab or a ride home, [a friend] said."


Facts:
Name/age: Willie Jigba, 24
Last seen: 1/15/11, party at 615 E. Weber Drive, Tempe, AZ
College: former Arizona State University student
Physical description: African-American male, 6'0", 180 pounds, black hair, brown eyes. Last seen wearing a blue/green flannel shirt over a black "Jack Daniels" t-shirt, blue jeans and purple Vans shoes.
Investigating Agency: Tempe police, 480-350-8311

Originally published: 1/26/11. Updated 1/30/11 and 2/12/11.

12/19/10: Matthew Besner, 27, Montreal, QC, Canada

Matthew Besner

Matthew Besner, 27, was at l'Orignal restaurant at 479 Saint-Alexis Street in Old Montreal on Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010 to celebrate a friend’s birthday. It is believed that Besner received a text message from his girlfriend, asking him where he was, and at about 2:40 a.m. ET, he stepped outside to get some fresh air and to reply. Joshua Chinks, the boyfriend of Besner’s sister, said Besner went outside because the reception inside the restaurant was bad. The message, according to the Montreal Gazette, was that he would be coming home soon.

Besner, who was supposed to get a ride home with Chinks shortly, never returned to the restaurant. "He knew he was coming home with us, and he just disappeared." said Chinks. "He left his stuff inside."

It was the last time he was seen.

Victoria Liverman, Besner’s cousin, told the Montreal Gazette that someone in the group had sent Besner a text to let him know that their ride had arrived. Liverman said Besner sent the friend a reply that indicated he was still outside the restaurant. But when the group exited L'Orignal, Besner was gone.”

Friend Ziggy Zalezniak said that about eight minutes went by from the time Besner first left the group to when they realized he was missing. Zalezniak said Besner's friends looked around the restaurant but found no trace of the young man.


The Search for Matthew Besner

Zalezniak told the Gazette that Besner had a cellphone with him when he disappeared, but that all calls to his number went directly to voice mail. Besner’s car was still parked at his home where he had left it.

Immediately following Matthew’s disappearance, 20 to 30 of his friends and family members scoured the streets at all hours of the night. They also handed out posters and put them up in the area.

“We also put posters on every corner, on every lamppost, on all the streets in the Old Port from McGill (St.) to St. Laurent (Blvd.)," Liverman told the Gazette.

Because no one had seen Besner and he was only supposed to be gone a few minutes, a public alert was also issued in the case. By Monday afternoon (12/20), approximately 100 volunteers were searching Old Montreal and the entire downtown area. The search included alleyways and snowbanks for any sign of the missing man.

Late Monday afternoon, an anonymous donor offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to Besner being found. That amount was increased to $10,000 by Monday evening.

One man did report that he had seen Besner walking south on St. Alexis before turning left on a small side street.

Family and friends are struggling to understand the young man’s disappearance. "He was sitting here on the bench and was with other people the entire time except for a period of three minutes, during which he disappeared," said Chinks.


Recovery

At 8:15 am ET on Tuesday, December 21, nearby workers spotted the body of Matthew Besner was found near the Lachine Canal in Old Montreal. The canal is near the Five Roses flour mill below the Peel Basin.

CTV Montreal has reported, “Montreal police Const. Daniel Lacoursière said Tuesday it appears Besner tried to walk from north to south across the frozen canal but fell through the thin ice at least "two or three times." Lacoursière said there were no signs of violence or foul play, and there is no reason to believe Besner's death was anything but an accident. Lacoursière said it appears he died of hypothermia.”

According to Lacoursière, "He proceeded to the south shore, but unfortunately he wasn't able to come up, because he was wet, and he froze."

Besner had been found wearing the same clothes he had on when he disappeared. His identification was with him.

Firefighters were called in to recovery the body because the ice was so thin.


About Matthew Besner

Matthew Besner, an employee with an insurance company, was said to live a very quiet and stable life. Besner lived with his girlfriend and had the same job for a few years. His family has said that he wasn’t one to party, leave without telling anyone, and certainly would never just deliberately walk out of his loved ones’ lives. His friends also say he was a loyal friend.

"We don't know why he went missing," Const. Raphael Bergeron told CBC News. "This man was not known to police. He had a very quiet life. He had a good job."

Besner did not have a criminal record, and he was not known to be suffering any mental health problems. There were no signs to explain his sudden disappearance. Ziggy Zalezniak, a friend of Besner's family, told the Gazette, “To know Matthew is to love Matthew. He's just a nice person. I've watched him grow up," Zalezniak said. "He doesn't have any enemies. He doesn't have any psychological problems or dependency problems. He's just a good kid. That's why we're totally at odds to understand what happened."

Our thoughts go out to Matthew Besner, his family, and his friends.


Facts:
Name/age: Matthew Besner, 27
Physical description: 5’9,” 189 pounds, brown or dark blonde hair, brown eyes. He was wearing blue jeans and a black Canada Goose jacket with fur trim when last seen.
Last seen: 12/19/10, 2:40 a.m., l'Orignal restaurant, 479 Saint-Alexis Street, Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Recovery: 12/21/10 near the Lachine Canal in Old Montreal.
Investigating Agency: Montreal police, 514-393-1133.

05/5/10: Syed Naqi, 22, Chicago, IL

Syed "Zain" Naqi, the American-born son of Indian immigrants, had been described as "a normal college student," nearing completion of a political science degree at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago. The 22-year-old was last seen leaving the Rebel Bar and Grill at 3462 N. Clark Street near Wrigley Field late on Saturday, May 1 by a female friend who works at the bar. The woman told Zain's mother, Rugia Naqi, that she saw him going out the door. He was then talking to some girls outside the bar, but the woman was not certain whether he left alone or with the girls.

At about 10:30 p.m. that night, Naqi's father, Syed Naqi Sr., said he contacted his son and asked him to come back to the suburbs for a late night family gathering. Naqi, Jr. said he would return. At about midnight, his father sent him a text message asking him where he was. At 12:17 a.m., Naqi, Sr. received a text that read, “Goodbye dad." It was the last time that anyone heard from the college student. Naqi's phone was then turned off.

Naqi's friends told his father that Naqi had been sober when he left the bar that night.

His family reported him missing the following Monday.

The search for Syed Naqi

Early on, police reported that Naqi drove a 4-door dark green Honda Civic, which had not been found. Police in his hometown of Elk Grove Village said they didn't yet know whether Naqi chose to take of left on his own accord or if something happened to him; and sent detectives to Chicago to investigate further. Police also checked whether Naqi may have driven to Des Moines, where he was formerly a student at Drake University, but that possibility yielded no results.

Naqi, who took medication for depression and saw a counselor, had never gone missing before. In fact, his family said it was very uncharacteristic for him to disappear. Naqi, who only went out about once a month, was also in the habit of waking up his father to let him know when he had returned back home (Daily Herald, 5/14/10).

Police noted that his bank and credit cards and cell phone had not been used since he was last seen. His Facebook page had not been updated since the first week of April, well before his disappearance. The family I-PASS device, which would have flagged any toll booth violations, was left at home.

The school held several vigils since May 2 in hopes of finding Naqi.

Naqi found

On Sunday, May 23, a boater reported seeing a car in the waters of Chicago's Belmont Harbor, and police divers recovered a green 2000 Honda Civic belonging to Naqi with a body inside.

The car was found in Belmont Harbor near the Lincoln Park neighborhood east of Lake Shore Drive near Roscoe Street. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, authorities believe it had been "in the water for at least a full day, but likely much longer because the car was found extremely murky and covered in weeds."

On May 26, it was reported that an autopsy conducted by the Cook County Medical Examiner had determined drowning to be the cause of death. The report also noted that while sucide had been suspected in the death, a medical examiner’s spokesperson announced that the death was still undetermined and pending investigation. [Journal Online, May 26, 2010.]

Naqi's identity was positively confirmed through dental records on May 25.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, "it was not immediately clear how the car entered the water. A fence around the area where emergency crews worked was intact until workers removed part of it for the recovery effort. But onlookers said a few weeks ago, around the time Naqi went missing, they noticed part of the fence was badly bent and tire tracks could be seen leading to the water."

As of June 1, 2010, the case was still unresolved. The Daily Herald reported, "Chicago Police investigators are reluctant to release any information surrounding Naqi's drowning. Police have not ruled the death a suicide, as the autopsy conducted by the Cook County medical examiner's office was inconclusive as to the cause of death, Chicago police spokesman Rob Perez said Tuesday."


About Syed Naqi

Naqi had previously been a student at Drake University in Des Moines for one year, and had said he liked it there and wished he could go back. According to the Daily Herald, Naqi had to leave Drake University during his freshman year after he was accused of an incident of plagiarism. Unhappy that he could no longer attend, he began taking a small dose of Wellbutrin, a prescription antidepressant. And while he wanted to go back to Drake, he was doing well at Roosevelt. Jeff Edwards, Naqi's professor in a political theory class, told the Daily Herald that Naqi "always seemed a very happy, delightful person in class" and he seemed determined to do well.

Naqi lived at home in Elk Grove Village with his parents and younger sister.

Elk Grove Village police ask that any information about Syed "Zain" Naqi's whereabouts should be directed to them at (847) 357-4100.


Case Details
Name/age: Syed Naqi, 22
College: Roosevelt University
Last seen: Chicago, IL
Hometown: Elk Grove Village
Physical Description: 5'4", 140 pounds, Indian decent with a dark complexion, black hair, brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans. He drives a dark green 2000 Honda Civic, four-door car with Illinois license plate No. A195471, which is also missing.


Originally published: 5/7/10. Last Updated: 8/2/10.

03/19/08: Kellen McElwee, 25, Langley, BC, Canada

Help bring Kellen McElwee home
Kellen Charles McElwee, 25, was last seen March 19, 2008 about 9 p.m. after leaving the Keg restaurant in Langley, B.C., east of Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada. He had been having dinner with some friends. He was parked at the nearby Colossus movie complex and spoke to friends by cellphone as he drove off.

Several days later, McElwee's bronze 2006 Honda Civic, 4 door was found abandoned on a quiet residential street---the 5100 block of Halifax Street--in Burnaby, British Columbia, a couple of miles from his apartment.

03/21/10: Patrick Trainor, 19, Fishers, IN

Nineteen-year old Patrick Trainor, a freshman at Purdue University's School of Agriculture, spent spring break at his family's home on the south side of Indianapolis. On Saturday, March 20, he drove to a party in Fishers, IN, approximately 25 miles north of his home. Patrick's brother, Matt Trainor, told The Exponent that he believed that Patrick left the party to go to another party near 96th Street in the Geist Reservoir area, 10 minutes away.

The last time anyone heard from Trainor was via text message at 1:21 am March 21 in the 96th Street/Interstate 69 area. A second text message was sent around 3:40 a.m. in the 10900 block of Olio Road.

The Search for Patrick Trainor
Patrick's family became worried after not hearing from him, because the young man was known to communicate his location. He also frequently used his phone and sent text messages. He only had a limited amount of cash on him and there had been no activity on his bank account.

The day after he went missing, the Geist Reservoir was searched after the last known cell phone “ping” was detected in the area. Randy McFarland, public information officer for the Fishers Police Department, told The Exponent, "It’s hard to tell how big the general area of the cell phone ‘ping’ was,” he said. “We put sonar boats from the fire department (in the Reservoir) and they scoured the whole shore area.” Police say the search was a "precautionary measure" and there is no other reason to believe Trainor might be in the water. Police are also interviewing people in the area.

On March 23, a small retaining pond off of E 104th Street between Cyntheeann Road and Florida Road was searched by a dive team after tire tracks were seen appearing to go into the water. The area, which had plans to be developed, only had one house. It was in the vicinity of the party where Trainor was last seen. Nothing turned up, and police believed the tracks were left by the construction crew that installed the decorative fountain.

On March 24, police announced that Patrick Trainor's electric green Ford Mustang was found at the bottom of a retention pond near 116th Street and Brooks School Road in the private gated community of Breakwater. Sadly, the body of Patrick Trainor was found in the vehicle. The pond is located about 2 miles northwest from the 10900 block of Olio Road, the location of the last ping from Trainor's cell phone. It was reported that the Olio Road area had previously been searched.

Patrick Trainor's father, Dr. Don Trainor, read a prepared statement the following day, "Obviously the outcome was not what we were hoping for, but these efforts led to his discovery and some closure for us. The outpouring of support has been incredible and we appreciate all of the kind words and prayers from everyone...[Patrick] was an awesome son, brother, and friend who was always willing to go the extra mile for a stranger, friend or family."

Investigation
At a press conference, Randy McFarland of the Fishers police said surveillance video at the entrance of the neighborhood showed Trainor's vehicle entering the gated community but never leaving. A preliminary autopsy showed drowning to be the cause of death. According to Wishtv.com, "officers found light tire tracks in the grass near the retention pond, and noticed some scratches on rocks near the pond."

On March 25, the Hamilton County coroner said the preliminary cause of death was drowning. On April 9, the Hamilton County coroner’s toxicology report was released showing that Trainor's blood alcohol content level was 0.19% which is more than twice the legal limit for driving in the state of Indiana. He also had marijuana present in his urine. The coroner ruled the final cause of death to be drowning and the manner of death accidental.

About Patrick Trainor
Patrick Trainor was an animal sciences major with dreams of becoming a veterinarian. He had recently joined Purdue’s chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He reportedly had a lot of friends and no known enemies or trouble with drugs or alcohol. Prior to college, he graduated from Cathedral High School. “He was an awesome son,” Patrick's father Don told the media during a press conference. He “was always willing to go the extra mile.” He had three older brothers.

On March 26, 2010, more than 500 friends and family members gathered at Cathedral High school for a visitation for Patrick Trainor. A second service was held the following day at 9 am, followed by a Mass. The family requested any donations be made to the Indianapolis Humane Society.

Quick Facts:
Name/age: Patrick Trainor, Fishers, IN
College: Purdue University (freshman)
Major: Animal Sciences
Hometown: Indianapolis, IN
Last seen: 3/21/10, last cell phone contact near 10900 block of Olio Road in Fishers, IN.
Recovered: 3/24/10, retention pond in the gated Breakwater community in Fishers, IN in the Geist neighborhood.
Physical Description: 5'11, 140 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes, last seen wearing beige shorts or blue jeans, a gray hooded sweatshirt and white tennis shoes and driving a two-door, dark green 1999 Ford Mustang with Indiana license plate 522ZVF. Trainor's car is very distinctive--electric green with spoiler, tinted side windows, Indiana plates, and dents on the left side. Trainor also had surgery recently.

If you have any information about Patrick Trainor, call the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's Missing Persons office at (317) 327-6613.

Fargo teen hospitalized after being found in subzero temps

I am in the process of looking into this case a little bit further. Stay tuned for a special investigative report.

---------------


Fargo teen hospitalized after being found in subzero temps

By (Copyright 2010 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)

KARE11.com

updated 7:45 a.m. CT, Tues., Jan. 5, 2010

MINNEAPOLIS -- A teenager from Fargo is hospitalized tonight in Minneapolis after wandering in frigid temperatures for hours.

He had actually taken off his jacket and his shoes and was found trying to get inside a church early New Year's Day.

His family hopes it can be a lifesaving reminder for anyone in these freezing temperatures.

Recovering from his severely frostbitten feet, 18-year-old Jacob Eichelberger is choosing not to talk today. But he and his family do want to send a message, that alcohol and the bitter cold can be deadly.

His aunt, Julie Helm, says, "He is grateful to be here with us and alive. The doctor told him when they found him that he had only 45 minutes before he would have been gone."

Helm says Eichelberger was at a house party in Fargo on New Years Eve. She says, "People that purchase alcohol for kids that are not of age need to quit."

It's unclear how much alcohol Eichelberger had, if much at all, although police do say it was a factor. But eventually he ended up outside where Helm says it was 7 below with a 30 below windchill and he became hypothermic.

Gina Cincinelli, a physician's assistant in burn and plastic surgery at HCMC says, "When your internal corps body temperature drops, you immediately become disoriented."

Helm says Eichelberger called someone at 1:30 a.m. She says, "He was confused from the cold and he didn't know where he was."

So family, friends and police searched for him for hours.


Helm says, "His mom gave him a necklace of a cross with wings that he has on his neck right now. And he held onto that the whole time and prayed that somebody would find him and save him."

She says the only reason he was found was that he was trying to break into this church and someone called police. His shoes and coat were gone.

Helm says the doctor told them that when someone becomes hypothermic, "you get hot and you start shedding your clothing."

Initially it was feared Eichelberger would need both feet amputated. But he was taken to HCMC and treated with TPA, a drug often used to treat stroke.

Cincinelli says, "It actually increases the blood flow to the affected extremities or digits."

So now the damage appears to be much less.

Cincinelli says, "He will likely, maybe lose a big toe, a great toe out of this thing."

Currently there are four people with severe frostbite hospitalized at HCMC, and many more being treated.

Eichelberger is in serious condition.

While his aunt says its unclear how much alcohol, if much at all, he consumed, Cincinelli says any amount can be dangerous when it's this cold.

10/8/09: William Hurley, Boston, MA

On Thursday, October 8, 2009, twenty-four year old William Hurley jumped at an opportunity to see his first Boston Bruins hockey game with friend and coworker, Brendan Venti. After getting off work in Quincy, Hurley took the train to Venti's home in Brighton and from there boarded public transportation with Venti and another man to the game at TD Banknorth Gardens in Boston. Hurley mentioned he was tired. After the first period, Hurley's long day of work as a greenskeeper at the Weston Country Club in Weston, Mass. had caught up with him and he said he was too tired to stay.

He called his girlfriend of 2 years, Claire Mahoney, who offered to pick him up as he was unfamiliar with the area. While on the phone with Mahoney, Hurley asked his exact location and a passerby yelled "99 Nashua Street." Hurley's cell phone battery then went dead. Mahoney said, "I got to 99 Nashua Street a minute or two later and he was nowhere in the area." She said, "I beeped, I yelled, I looked around, I walked around. I drove around for an hour. I was right around the corner but when I got there Will was gone."

04/05/09: Dan Zamlen, 18, St. Paul, MN

Eighteen-year old Dan Zamlen, a freshman at the University of St. Thomas left a party hosted by classmates near the St. Thomas campus, reportedly upset about something. He was walking along Mississippi River Blvd near St. Clair Avenue on a trail. The trail had a grassy area next to it and then a wooded slope. He said he was headed to the University of Minnesota to meet some friends and was talking to friend Anna Chappuis on his cell phone who said she would pick him up. It was 2:30 a.m., and although she does not remember word for word what he said, Chappuis says she remembers hearing, "Oh my God. Help." before the call ended abruptly.

Friends and family tried looking for Dan and calling him repeatedly, getting his voicemail each time until about 8:30 a.m. when his phone went dead, which is when they called police.

Dan's body was found in the Mississippi River on May 1, 2009. Police believe he may have gotten too close to the river and slipped. The Ramsey County medical examiner's office ruled the death an accidental drowning and the St. Paul Police Department had closed the case. Police said they were still investigating how Dan, who was underage, got alcohol.


The Search for Dan

Search teams scoured the bluffs and banks of the Mississippi all morning and afternoon on May 1. Helicopters with infared flew overhead, water patrol checked along shore. Friends and family searched in culverts, brush, trees and alleys; and the University of St. Thomas organized a block by block, door-to-door search. Police did find a footprint leading away from the river, in the direction of the road, but they could not say for certain that it belonged to Dan.

Over the 27 days he was missing, more than 1,200 people searched for Dan Zamlen.

Parents express frustration before House of Representatives

Dan's parents testified before the MN House of representatives on 4/15/09 to help enact Brandon's Law, which would require law makers to take reports and investigate missing adults without delay when they are endangered.

During testimony, Dan's parents, Dale and Sally, reported frustration with the police for keeping searchers away from the bluff and also refusing to go search it because it was "too dangerous."

The Zamlen's feel that had the search been expedited, Dan could have been found quickly. Although Dan disappeared in a cell phone dead zone between a tower for Minneapolis and a tower for St. Paul, Dan was very technologically saavy and had an I-Phone. The I-Phone comes with a GPS "ping," making it easier to track one's location. This phone was paid for by Dan's parents and was in his mother's name, yet they were refused access to the information without a court order.

On Wednesday, May 6, 2009 Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed Brandon's Law, which would eliminate waiting periods when adults disappear under suspicious circumstances, or when young adults up to age 21 are reported missing under most circumstances.


Family belives it was an abduction

During the testimony before the House of Representatives, Dale said that he believed Dan was abducted. He said that although the Missing Persons Unit quickly zoned in on the river area, other facts seemed to rule out the river. He noted that 8 bloodhounds had searched the area on Tuesday (4/7) or Wednesday (4/8), and kept stopping in the same place, but did not go near the river. He also said that "side scanning sonar" had been used to search the river as well as infared. He also said that he works as an open pit miner and walked through the area, and did not feel that someone would easily slip there. And if they did, it would leave a mark. Nothing was in the area where Dan was found. He also felt that Dan's training as an Eagle Scout would have prepared him for an accident outdoors.


Dan Zamlen recovered from Mississipi River

On May 1, 2009 at 11:46 a.m, the body of Dan Zamlen was pulled from the Mississippi River near the Ford Motor Co. power plant in St. Paul. The Ford plant is down river from the area where Zamlen went missing on April 5. Workers at the plant found the body while cleaning grates that catch debris in the river near the power plant. A wallet found on the body and also a positive identification by Dan's parents, Dale and Sally Zamlen, confirmed that it was Dan.

The body was taken to the Ramsey County coroner's office. Police did not say whether there were signs of foul play. St. Paul Police spokesman Pete Panos said he believes Zamlen fell down the bluff and into the river.

The Ramsey County medical examiner's office later ruled the death an accidental drowning and the St. Paul Police Department closed the case. At the time, police said they were still investigating how Dan, who was underage, got alcohol.


New information released by police

On February 8, 2010, WCCO reported that the police had released new details to the media, including 400 pages of documents that supposedly detail that friends were worried about Zamlen months before he disappeared. Two friends say Zamlen was deeply conflicted about his own sexual orientation. In the initial police report and witness statements, friends say Zamlen talked about possibly killing himself the night he disappeared." Police say they released the information because the case was ruled an accidental drowning, and the investigation is now complete barring new evidence or information.

However, Dan's parents, Dale and Sally Zamlen, of Eveleth don't believe the case should closed. They cite numerous questions left unanswered in the case, such as how Dan Zamlen got down to the river from the bluffs without injury. St. Louis County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Uncini of Hibbing, who performed a second autopsy at the request of the family, said Zamlen did not have injuries that would suggest he tumbled or fell down the rocky or brush-filled slope like the one near where Dan Zamlen was last seen. “It is likely he drowned,"Uncini told the Duluth News Tribune, "but I feel the manner of death cannot be determined and requires more police investigation and/or access to existing police records." So the question that remains is how the case could be concluded when the additional police investigation recommended by the medical examiner was not done. "There are facts that the police didn’t look at; there are questions that are legitimate," said Sally Zamlen.

Also noted is the discovery of baseball with a smiley face on it as well as a sign marked with smiley face graffiti near the bluffs, evidence of a possible smiley face killer. Police say they were not able to connect the items to Zamlen's death, but the family has been in contact with the New York investigators looking into the smiley face killer theory.

In addition to the speculation raised by the graffiti, there appears to be varying accounts reported by witnesses who were at the party that night, including variations on what was said during Dan's final cell phone call. Many are left to wonder why the police are relying so heavily on witness statements when they appear to have so many holes.

Furthermore, a toxicology screening at the time of second autopsy uncovered the presence of Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid [GHB] in Zamlen’s body. GHB is a powerful intoxicant, coined a "date rape drug," because it is easily slipped into someone's drink and can quickly lead to a loss of muscle control or even consciousness when combined with alcohol. While GHB can be produced naturally in the body, Uncini could not exclude the possibility that Zamlen had ingested it. Police reports indicate that Zamlen had been drinking, and while he may have brought his own alcohol to the party, there are indications that he could have purchased some alcohol at the party.

Police say they would not be able to charge hosts of the party in relation to Zamlen's underage alcohol use, because it would be difficult to prove that the hosts had provided him with any alcohol.

According to the Duluth News Tribune, "Sally Zamlen said she’s spent the past 10 months reading and re-reading the statements of her son’s friends and acquaintances. She’s searched the Internet seeking information on forensic pathology and stages of decomposition in a drowning victim. She’s offended that two female acquaintances of her son told police that he was suicidal because he thought he was gay and he told them he was going to kill himself that night. “My son can’t dispute that — he’s dead,’’ she said and added that there is no evidence that her son even talked to the women who made the claim. “I think he got in a vehicle and I personally believe he went into a diabetic coma, and whoever was with him thought he was dead and panicked,’’ she said. “That’s been my feeling since April 5. “I’m going to continue to go through this paperwork and continue to get more opinions and continue to gather more information,’’ she said.

Click here to read Sally Zamlen's response to the information released.


About Dan Zamlen

Dan was a A-student and a 3-star athlete. He ran 10 miles a day, often running to the Ford Plant, U of M, or State Capitol, and according to his father, had the heart rate of a marathon runner. His parents described him as having a "good head on his shoulders." He was an altar boy and catechism teacher, as well as an Eagle Scout. About a year ago, Dan suspected he had diabetes and went to the doctor; he found out he was a Type I diabetic. Being very saavy about technology, he decided to get an OmniPod insulin pump, which carried enough for a 3-day supply of insulin.

About 100 students and relatives gathered Friday evening (May 1) at St. John Vianney Seminary. Rev. William Baer said so much heart went into the search that it was hard to have it end this way.


Facts of Interest
Name/age: Dan Zamlen, 19
Hometown: Eveleth, MN
College: University of St. Thomas, St. Paul
Residence: Brady Residence Hall
Physical Description: 6’1,” 175 pounds, brown hair with blonde highlights, blue eyes, fair complexion
Last Seen: 4/5/09 3 a.m., intersection of St Clair and Mississippi River Blvd., wearing a dark blue and black zip-up fleece with a light blue Hollister polo, blue jeans and brown Dr. Marten shoes. Dan is a type 1 diabetic. He has an OmniPod which is a device to control his insulin. When his insulin has run out, the OmniPod will begin to beep quite loudly.
Recovered: 5/1/09, 11:46 a.m., Mississippi River near Ford power plant in St. Paul, MN.
Cause of death ruling: Drowning
Manner of death ruling: Accident

12/23/07: Josh Szostak, 21, Albany, NY

Josh Szostak, 21, was last seen on December 22, 2007 at the Bayou Café in downtown Albany. After becoming separated from his friends, he left the bar and presumably headed back towards his car parked on Delaware Avenue. He vanished. His body later turned up in the Hudson River.

Details
It was the afternoon of December 22nd. Josh called his family's house in Latham the afternoon of December 22. He told them he was planning to go out. Wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with skulls and crossbones on the front, a white t-shirt, baggy jeans and tan sneakers, Josh headed to an Albany bar with enough money to go barhopping with friends around town. From there they went to the Bayou Cafe downtown. By midnight, the guys were ready to hit the next bar. Josh made a stop in the men's room. "His friends said they waited about 45 minutes, they were texting him, searching around, they went in the bathroom,” said Bill Szostak, Josh's dad. “Through the surveillance video at the Bayou we could see that Josh bypassed them all, went outside, used the cell, looked up and down the street and couldn't see anybody, decided his friends left and started hoofin’ it towards where his car was.” But Josh never made it that far. Video proves his car was left untouched outside the Elbo Room.

About Josh
Josh's dad, Bill, said “At Plattsburgh he was the lead radio jockey and he was nicknamed ‘the Stag.’ You couldn't go anywhere without people recognizing him and talking to him,” said Szostak. “Never did drugs, since he turned 21 he's been in college, on the weekends they go out and party and he drinks his beer. He likes his Guinness beer. Typical college kid.”

Clues
A car belonging to the state Department of Environmental Conservation was found damaged and abandoned at the Port of Albany. It had been stolen from a downtown garage, steps from where Josh's cell phone was spotted. Police initially labeled Josh a suspect in the car theft, but later recanted that theory, saying they had no evidence to support it. Szostak says he's told Josh's prints aren't in or on the car, which is now being combed for DNA evidence. And he says Josh's cell phone provides no leads because the law bars investigators from reading text messages sent to or from it.

The Search
Police initially concentrated the search in the area of South Pearl Street near the Bethlehem town line. As hours turned into days, search dogs were deployed to follow his scent. The dogs led the search party down Park Avenue, which is the first cross street in Lincoln Park down by Martin Luther King Monument. "If you're a block away from your vehicle, why would you be deterred to go down Park Avenue, unless you happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Szostak said. Joshua Szostak's family retained the services of a private investigator, who set up an anonymous tip line at (518) 424-7236.

Recovery
Josh Szostak's body was found by a boater on the Hudson River in Coxsackie on Tuesday, April 22, 2008. The clothing on the body matched what Szostak was wearing on the night he disappeared. The body was sent to St. Peter's Hospital in Albany for an autopsy. State Police Captain Wayne Olson said his body showed no sign of foul play or struggle and provides few clues as to how Szostak ended up in the Hudson. Keys, an ID and money were found on his body.

Autopsy
The autopsy performed by the State Police in Greene County, sought to determine whether or not Szostak was still alive when he was submerged in the water. “Based on the Medical Examiner's results, he died as a result of an accidental drowning,” said Public Safety Spokesperson James Miller. “It's difficult to pinpoint anything else based on his findings, there's no indication anything happened prior to that.” Within minutes of the release of these results, the Albany Police Department announced its case was closed. The State Police will review toxicology tests performed over the next couple of weeks to help provide more clues as to how a young man met this fate. State Police Captain Wayne Olson said his body showed no sign of foul play or struggle and provides few clues as to how Szostak ended up in the Hudson. Keys, an ID and money were found on his body.

Speaking on a radio show on News Talk 810 WGY, his father, Bill Szostak, said while he did not want to discredit the APD, the department did not allow the State Police or the FBI to lend their extensive resources. He said the State Police autopsy, which determined Josh most likely drowned, fell short of finding out what happened to his son.

Unanswered Questions
A twist that may never be resolved -- why Szostak's cell phone was found steps away from where a state DEC car was stolen. The car was found damaged and abandoned at the Port of Albany along the Hudson just days after Szostak disappeared. There were no prints on the car and DNA evidence was inconclusive.

2nd Autopsy conducted by Dr. Michael Baden
On Monday April 28, forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden performed a second autopsy on the body of Joshua Szostak at the Parker Brothers Funeral Home. Joshua's father, Bil Szostak, reached out to Baden, a world renowned pathologist, because he wasn't satisfied that his son's death was an accident. The family confirmed to Capital 9 News that the findings were consistent with those of the first autopsy (performed by the State Police in Greene County) which ruled Josh accidentally drowned. Like the first autospy, Baden found no evidences of injury or struggle. "The investigation as to whether he fell in accidentally because he had been drinking or whether he was pushed in or thrown in by others," says Baden, "really is a police investigation matter. The autopsy findings would be the same in either case."

Facts of Interest in This Case
Name/age: Joshua Szostak (from Latham, NY)
Physical Description: white male, 5-foot-11 and weighing 200 pounds. He has a shaved head, a goatee and brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing baggy jeans, a black, hooded sweat shirt with skulls and crossbones on the front and a white T-shirt.
Last Seen: 12/22/07, Bayou Cafe (70 North Pearl St), downtown Albany , NY
Recovered: 04/22/08, Hudson River
Cause of death ruling: drowning
Manner of death ruling: accidental
http://www.joshuaszostak.com/