12/15/13: Jacob Anderson, 19, Minneapolis, MN

 

Jacob W. Anderson

A University of Minnesota freshman was found dead Sunday morning near the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minn.

Police believe that after walking a girl home from a party, Jacob W. Anderson, 19, may have hit his head and subsequently frozen to death outside. His body was found about 8:45 a.m. on the ground, possibly the riverbank, just east of the Stone Arch Bridge near main Street and 6th Avenue NE, not far from campus. Temperatures had dropped to one degree below zero Saturday night, when Anderson had walked the girl home.

Fox 9 News has reported, "Family members told Fox 9 their son was walking a girl home from a party and while walking back, he somehow ended up down the steep bank next to the bridge, possibly slipping and falling on the ice. No one can figure out how he got there, just that he couldn't get back up."

Police have said foul play is not involved. They are continuing to investigate. The cause of death is will be determined by the Hennepin County medical examiner.

Jake, as he was known by his friends, was a popular varsity lacrosse goalie and co-captain at Orono High School. The team captured the section 8 championship in 2013. He had also played football.

Jake's fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha,
posted a photo of this snow memorial
on their website, along with their condolences.

Jake was enrolled as a freshman in the College of Liberal Arts and lived in Pioneer Hall, a dormitory on campus. He was also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

According to the Star Tribune, "On Monday, tributes and expressions of grief poured into Anderson’s Facebook page, and by evening, more than 300 donations totaling more than $18,000 had been made to a Give It Forward site set up by family and friends to help raise funeral costs, as well as airfare to bring Jake’s sister, Emily, home from New Zealand."

 Jacob Anderson is survived by his parents, Bill and Kristi, and siblings Emily and Luke.

Our deepest sympathies are with the Anderson family and his many friends and loved ones.




Sources

Adams, Jim and Lonetree, Anthony. (2013, December 16). U freshman found dead on riverbank near Stone Arch Bridge. Star Tribune.com. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from http://www.startribune.com/local/235969181.html.

Daily Mail Reporter. (2013, December 16). Freshman, 19,  found 'frozen to death' on banks of the Mississippi River. Daily Mail.com. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2524660/Freshman-Jacob-W-Anderson-frozen-death-riverbank.html

LaBelle, Lindsey. (2013, Dec. 17). Beloved U freshman, Orono grad, found near Stone Arch Bridge. MyFoxTwinCities.com. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from: http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/24225218/body-found-near-stone-arch-bridge#ixzz2nnlPoQfP

Staff Reports. (2013, Dec. 16). Donation fund set up by family, friends of U student found dead by river. Star Tribune. Retrieved Dec. 17, 2013 from: http://www.startribune.com/local/236099741.html.

03/05/11: Alexander Grant, 19, Saratoga Springs, NY

Alexander Grant

Alexander Grant, 19, a sophomore at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., was last seen on Sat., Mar. 5, 2011, after visiting a hometown friend who was a student at Skidmore College. Grant, who was on spring break, attended house parties at 146 and 150 Church Street in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. with upwards of 300 people in attendance. It is believed that Grant had been drinking. He left about 11:30 p.m., about a half an hour after he arrived. It is not clear where he was headed.

Police broke up the party at around 12:25 a.m. (Mar. 6) after receiving noise complaints from neighbors.

A break in and a missing young man

Philip Kamrass / Times Union

At around noon on Mar. 6, police responded to a report of a break in at a medical office building at 3 Care Lane, off Church Street. When police arrived, they found a window broken and a significant amount of blood inside, but nothing had been disturbed or stolen.

A surveillance tape showed that at 1:15 a.m. that same morning, a young white male broke into the office building by kicking a window. The footage showed the young man--wearing only a pair of shorts, a white long-sleeved shirt and one sock--kicking the window and making entry by climbing through. It was thought that he probably sustained a non-life threatening cut on his foot at this time. The young man stayed in the lobby and did not try to enter offices. He left the building at 2 a.m.
At 4:50 p.m., about eighteen hours after Grant had left the party three of Grant's friends arrived at the Saratoga Springs Police Department to report him missing. The description of Grant matched the individual in the surveillance video from 3 Care Lane. Friends watched the video and confirmed that the man was Alexander Grant.
City Police and Fire Department Personnel then returned to the medical building and expanded their search of the area. One sock and a pair of pants were later recovered about 150 feet from the building. The pants contained identification belonging to Alexander Grant. There was no other sign of the young man. While there was blood inside the medical office building, heavy rain had fallen for several hours before the break in was discovered, so any blood trail had been washed away well before the police arrived.


The search for Alexander Grant

On Sunday evening, Mar. 6, soon after authorities learned that Alexander Grant was missing, search crews began combing a wooded area north of Church Street behind Sunnyside Gardens along the railroad tracks. The search was conducted both on foot and on all-terrain vehicles.

According to a Saratoga Springs Police press release, "some footprints in the snow were noticed by searchers in the wooded area Sunday night however snow had begun falling so rapidly that the tracks were soon covered over by fresh snow."

Thermal imaging equipment was used without success. The search continued through heavy rain, wind, and snow until 11:30 p.m., when search conditions had deteriorated to the point where the search had to be suspended until the following morning.

On Mon., Mar. 7, nearly 50 emergency personnel from several different agencies looked for Grant from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., while a foot of snow blanketed the area. Attempts to locate Grant using tracking dogs, a state police helicopter, and global positioning via his cell phone failed.

On Tues., Mar. 8 at 11 a.m., firefighters using special equipment found Alexander Grant’s body at a sharp bend in Putnam Creek about 300 yards north of Sunnyside Gardens off Route 9N. The body was found entangled in underbrush and submerged below the water line in about four feet of open water. The location was three-tenths of a mile away from the medical office building where he was last seen. The creek was swollen and had a swift current at the time. Foul play was not suspected.

About two dozen members of the city police, firefighters, state forest rangers and state police were at the scene. At 12:28 p.m., city firefighters wearing special cold-weather gear recovered the body, which was clad only in shorts, a shirt and one sock. The body was removed from woods behind Sunnyside Gardens on Route 9N and taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital where an autopsy was performed by a forensic pathologist.

Photo Credit: Eric Miller, The Record

Autopsy and toxicology findings

An autopsy determined Grant died early on Sunday morning from drowning with hypothermia. The temperature outside when Grant left the party was between 28 and 30 degrees.

Saratoga County coroner John DeMartino told The Journal News that while Grant had lost quite a bit of blood at the medical office, it would not have been enough to cause his death, and "His disorientation would be more from hypothermia, or if he was taking drugs and alcohol."

The final autopsy and toxicology reports later showed no indication of narcotics in Grant's system. In order to be certain of the toxicology results, two tests were performed, both yielding negative results. Authorities are still investigating what affected his body or lead to the circumstances of his death.

Earlier authorities stated they believe Grant fell into the water upstream from where he was found while walking in the dark in knee-deep snow. His body then got tangled in underbrush beneath the water line.

"We’re pretty confident his demise occurred a couple of hours after he was seen on that video," Police Chief Christopher Cole told The Record in March. "There’s probably not much we could have done."

Grant's whereabouts from the time he left the party until the time he broke into the office almost two hours later are still unknown.

The Grant family said in a statement that his death was a "tragic accident."

The Saratoga County District Attorney's office is investigating whether anyone at the party had served alcohol to Grant. They may be charged with unlawful dealing or endangering the welfare of a child, both are misdemeanor offenses that carry punishments of up to one year in jail.



GOLD – Last Seen Location (146 Church St.)
GREEN – Dormitory area where he would have returned after party.
RED – Medical office
BLUE – Recovery Location, Putnam Creek



A celebration of life

On Mar. 10, 2011, more than a hundred Skidmore students, faculty and staff members attended a silent vigil to honor the life of the young men who had been visiting their campus. The vigil was held outside the Case College Center and leg by the Rev. Richard Chrisman, director of religious and spiritual life.

"The death of a student is a tragic event in the life of any college, and this is a grievous loss for two campus communities," said acting Skidmore president Susan Kress. "Our own community is still struggling with this very difficult news. While we must await the results of the investigation into whether alcohol or drugs played a role in this case, we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this issue on college campuses nationally and our responsibility to make absolutely clear to our students the very real dangers that abuse of these substances can present both to themselves and to others."

Boston College held a memorial Mass for Grant on Mar. 22 at Saint Ignatius Church at 7 p.m.


About Alexander Grant


Born in Lake Forrest, Ill., to Kenneth and Deanna Grant, Alexander Maxwell Grant graduated with high honors from Briarcliff Manor High School in Briarcliff, N.Y. in 2009. At Briarcliff High, Grant was a member of the international Tri-M Musical honors society, which "recognizes secondary music students for their musical ability, academic excellence, school involvement, and community service." (Menc.org). He also won the regional prize for Mathematics in the nationwide Intel Science and Talent Search. Grant's principal, James Kaishan, described him as "wonderful student, a really nice kid who did well academically, was involved in school activities and had a great sense of humor."

Grant subsequently enrolled at Boston College where, according to the college, he was "a gifted and popular student in his class." He had been recently nominated for induction into the Golden Key National Honors society and was also a founding member of the university’s first fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. He was majoring in economics, and had worked for the last three years as an intern at Risk Resources, LLC, a financial advisory company in New York City.

Grant was involved in philanthropic activities for City Meals on Wheels, the Robin Hood Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, Friends of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve, and did fundraising for cancer research on behalf of his friend Demitri Demeropoulos, who preceded him in death. A talented keyboardist, he and his band, the Jays, performed in venues in and around New York City.

He is survived by parents Kenneth and Deanna, sister, Brianna, two sets of grandparents, and aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.

In a statement issued by the Grant family, Alex's father, Kenneth, thanked the community for their outpouring of support, sympathy, and loving thoughts for the "lad of great promise, humor, warmth and sensitivity."

"We loved him deeply," said Kenneth Grant, "and believe that everyone he encountered felt the same...I will say that not only was he my son, but he was my brother and my best friend. Our hearts are broken and we don’t particularly want them to heal, but we will carry him with us always...on behalf of my wife Deanna, my daughter Brianna and the rest of our family, we ask that you remember Alex in your thoughts and prayers."

On Fri., Mar. 11, a Rabbinical Service was held at the Beecher Funeral Home in Pleasantville, NY, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial on Sat., Mar. 12 at St. Theresa's Roman Catholic Church in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Burial followed in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Shiva was held on Sunday and Monday in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Kenneth Grant is Jewish and Deanna Grant is Roman Catholic, and the family held two services.

The Grant family is in the processes of establishing the Alexander Maxwell Grant Foundation, which will fund musical scholarships for talented and underprivileged young musicians. Those who would like to donate may contact Gina Gill at Risk Resources, LLC, at 646-840-4961 or gina.gill@riskresources.us.


Case Details:

Name/age: Alexander Maxwell Grant, 19
College: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Physical Description: 6'2", 190 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes.
Last seen: 03/05/11, Skidmore College, 146 Church Street, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Recovered: 03/8/11, 12:28 p.m., Putnam Creek, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Investigating Agency: Saratoga Springs Police, 518-584-1800.

Published: 03/21/11. Revised 09/22/11, 7/15/12.

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.”

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.

2/17/10: Bradley Ginsburg, 18, Ithaca, NY

Bradley Ginsburg, 18, a student at Cornell College in Ithaca was last seen by his roommate early Tuesday, February 17, 2010. He was reported missing later that night, according to the university. Ginsburg was an economics major in the College of Arts and Sciences, a new member of Alpha Epsilon Pi, and a resident of Mary Donlon Hall. The following day, his body was recovered from the Fall Creek Gorge. According a 3/16/10 article by ABC News, Cornell officials said the young man's death was ruled a suicide.

On March 22, Bradley's parents told CNN.com that they were not convinced that Bradley's death was a suicide, saying that Bradley, who was nicknamed "Smiles" by his fraternity brothers, was always happy and continuously smiling. He was a straight-A student, who loved college, showed no signs of stress, and called them daily. His mother Sherry Ginsburg said, "Nobody can believe that one of the happiest people that they knew, would ever do anything like that; and that's what's hurting--besides not having him--that's what's hurting me the most."

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bradley's family and friends; he will be sorely missed.

11/09/07: Kyle Fleischmann, 24, Charlotte, North Carolina

Kyle Fleischmann
Last seen Nov. 8, 2007
Charlotte, NC

Kyle Fleischmann is still missing. 

On Thursday, November 8, 2007, 24-year old Kyle Fleischmann caught Dane Cook's stand-up act at Bobcats Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Fleischmann's mother and sister were also in the audience. When the show ended, Fleischmann  and his friends walked to Buckhead Saloon, where he met up with his family.

After the gathering, Fleischmann's friends and family left Buckhead Saloon while Kyle stayed behind. The Saloon's security camera captured images of the 24-year-old exiting the bar alone around 2:20 a.m. He left his coat behind at the saloon and the weather that night was chilly. He also did not have his credit card.

The last sighting of Kyle took place around 2:25 am, when Kyle was seen buying pizza at Fuel Pizza at the uptown location. An employee told police Kyle came in by himself, but the restaurant got very crowded shortly thereafter. The employee never saw Kyle leave.

Kyle then apparently made two phone calls around 3:30 am to his best friend and roommate. He did not leave any messages. Police say the activity on his cell phone was concentrated in the uptown Charlotte area and the First Ward area. His cell phone activity ended around 4:00 a.m. and his cell phone has been off since. All calls made to his cell phone since then have gone straight to voicemail.

Kyle has not returned to his car or his home. There has been no usage of his bank funds since his disappearance.


The Search for Kyle

On November 13, 2007 they conducted a massive search effort, starting at the Buckhead Saloon where he was last seen. A foot search for Fleishmann took place Saturday, November 17 starting at the Charlotte Fire Department at 228 E. Ninth Street. Firefighters and nearly 300 volunteers including Fleischmann’s family and friends combed a 9 mile area around Charlotte until around 4 p.m. Search dogs were also brought in to follow the scent from the jacket Kyle left behind at the bar. Reports have indicated that dogs have led searchers to creek beds. Kyle's friends created a webpage and Facebook page and appeared on The Today Show to help get the word out. His sister, Noelle, appeared on Fox News.

A private reward has been established through the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers Program. Individuals with information leading to the whereabouts of Kyle Fleischmann are eligible for a reward of up to $50,000.00. If you have any information regarding Kyle Fleischmann’s whereabouts, contact Crime Stoppers at (704) 334-1600.


About Kyle

Kyle Fleischmann grew up in Charlotte, NC and was one of three children of Barbara and Richard Fleischmann. A kind and caring young man, AMW.com describes Kyle as "an all-American guy, handsome, well liked, and very outgoing and fun to be around." He graduated in 2002 from Charlotte Catholic High School and in 2006 from Elon University where he majored in business administration. At Elon, he was vice president of his fraternity, the Kappa Alpha Order and a volunteer with the Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club. When he disappeared, Kyle was working as a healthcare recruiter at Maxim Healthcare Services in Charlotte, his hometown. Kyle's mother had to undergo surgery for breast cancer on November 17, 2007, while the search effort was underway.

After his disappearance, Fleischmann's family and friends have founded the Kyle Fleischmann Foundation, so that others would know where to go for help and information in the critical first days of a person’s disappearance.


Facts of Interest in this Case:
Name/age: Kyle Fleischmann, 24
School attended: graduate of Elon University
Appearance: 6′0,″ 180 lbs, muscular build, brown hair, green eyes. Wearing a dark t-shirt, jeans, black dress shoes
Last seen: 11/9/07, Buckhead Saloon (201 E 5th St.,Charlotte, North Carolina)
NamUs: https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/2456


Published November 9, 2007.  Last updated June 9, 2019.

01/13/07: Wade Steffey, 19, West Lafayette, IN

Wade Steffey, a freshman on a full-ride academic scholarship at Purdue University majoring in Aviation technology, was last seen on Saturday, January 13, 2007 at a party at the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house at 900 David Ross Road on the north side of campus. He left the party around midnight and was on his way to pick up his coat, which he had left in a friend's room at Owen Hall. Police are confident that Steffey was not intoxicated when he left the party. A witness believed to have seen Steffey around 12:30 a.m. outside Owen Hall (1160 West Stadium Avenue) a short walk from his room in Cary Quad (1016 West Stadium Avenue). At about the same time, he placed two cell phone calls to friends who lived in Owen. That was the last time anyone had seen or heard from him. Wade Steffey's body was found Monday, March 19, 2007 in a utility room in Owen Hall. He had been electrocuted.

Initial Investigation
After Steffey went missing, police determined that his bank account had last been accessed on Friday, January 12 at 8:30 p.m. (the day before he disappeared) when he withdrew $50 from the walk-up ATM in the Ford Dining Hall at 122 W. Stadium Avenue. However, police were unable to positively confirm it was Steffey who withdrew the money because the machine's camera was broken. Steffey's identification card, which he would swipe to gain access to his residence hall, had not been used.

The Search
A massive search effort was launched for Steffey or any evidence linked to his disappearance, including his silver Verizon flip phone, clothing, wallet, or any other personal effects. The searches included multi-agency cooperation of the FBI, Lafayette Police Department , West Lafayette Police Department, Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department, Indiana State Police, Purdue Fire Department, Purdue Police Department and the Indiana Deparment of Natural Resources. The search effort also received help from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, IN Hope, Team Adam, K-9 teams and ultimately, more than 700 volunteers.

Two major ground searches took place on January 23rd and February 3rd, concentrating on the area where Steffey's cell phone signal was last picked up. Five K-9 searches also investigated a list of areas that police have received tips or suggestions to check, including the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering construction site and cars in several parking lots between the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house and Cary Quad, including Owen Hall. Boats were brought in to search along the Wabash River, helicopters searched by air and sonar was also used to check a retention pond.

Wade Steffey found
Steffey's body was found by a maintenence worker who had been called to a utility room in Owen Hall. The room, which was roughly the size of a one-car garage, housed three electrical transformers connected by high-voltage wires. The body was found near one of the transformers. According to Purdue spokesperson Jeanne Norberg, "It seems likely that Wade somehow entered the room sometime shortly after he was last seen thinking that it was a way to gain entrance to the residence hall. The utility room would have been dark, and he apparently tripped over high-voltage lines that connect the three transformers as he was trying to find his way out." The utility room has both an interior and exterior door. When the utility worker was first called to check the room, she entered using the interior door, which was locked. Police found that the outside door was unlocked.

The building had been searched thoroughly after Wade's disappearance, but campus officials could not say with any certainty that the utility room had been checked and they were uncertain of the last time a school employee had accessed the room. "The location of Wade's body inside the room would have made it difficult for anyone to see him from any of the doorways," Norberg said. Steffey was last seen talking on his cell phone around 12:30 a.m. on January 13 in front of Owen Hall, about 50 yards away from the outside entrance to the utility room. He was reported missing two days later.

Unanswered questions
Purdue University police are investigating how Steffey was able to enter the utility room when it should have been locked. Police are examining the lock to determine if it had been tampered with or whether it was faulty. If you have any information about this case, call the Purdue University Police Department at (765) 494-8221 or the anonymous tip line at (765) 496-3784.

An Academic All-Star
Personal accomplishments: Steffey graduated from Bloomington High School South. When he graduated, he received a number of awards, including Principal’s Scholar Award, Academic Honors Diploma, National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar Award,Presidential Scholar, Conference Indiana Academic Award, National Honor Society, Varsity JETS Team Memberand Purdue Academic Success Award. He was accepted to Purdue University with a full scholarship.

Facts of Interest
Name/age: Wade Steffey, 19 (from Bloomington, IN)
College: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Major: Aviation Technology
Physical Description: 5'10", 150#, brown hair, blue eyes
Last seen: 1/13/07, 12:00 am, Phi Kappa Theta fraternity house (900 David Ross Road), believed to have been seen again at 12:30 outside Owen Hall (1160 West Stadium Avenue).
Recovered: 4/19/07, Owen Hall utility room
Cause of death: accidental electrocution

Sources:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0307/2002_wade_steffey.html
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007a/070320PoliceSteffey.html
http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/brief.cfm?id=42776

11/21/06: Jesse Ross, 20, Chicago, IL

Jesse Ross has been missing since 11/21/06.

In November 2006, Jesse Ross, 20, a sophomore in college, traveled to Chicago with a group of thirteen of his fellow University of Missouri-Kansas City college students and their faculty sponsor. The group was in town to attend a model United Nations convention held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. The conference drew more than 1,000 college students from around the country.

On Nov. 20, Jesse called his mother, Donna, to say that he was having a blast at the conference and that he would call her the next day when he and the group were headed back home.

The next night, Nov. 21, the last night of the conference, a dance was held at the hotel. Jesse was spotted on a surveillance photo just before 1 am. He was then seen again at about 2:30 a.m. by friend Ralph Parker. He and Parker were taking part in a simulated emergency U.N. meeting with 30 other students when Jesse left the conference room through a side door. A surveillance camera in the hotel lobby caught the unmistakable image of the red-haired Jesse, clad in a white T-shirt, jeans, and a green warm-up jacket, walking toward the main doors. He was carrying a Gatorade bottle. Parker assumed Jesse had either gone to the restroom or headed back to their hotel to sleep. The hotel was at the Four Points Sheraton at 630 N. Rush St., about ten minutes away, but Jesse never arrived. No one has seen him since.

When the meeting concluded at about 5:30 a.m., Parker walked back to the hotel room alone. He turned on the hall light so he wouldn’t disturb his roommate. “There was a big mess on the bed, and he’s so skinny, I figured he was under the mess somewhere,” Parker says of Jesse. But when he woke up at 10 a.m., he realized Jesse had never returned. No reason to panic, he probably just crashed in someone else’s room, Parker thought. “So I just packed up his stuff thinking he should be thanking me,” he says. It wasn't until about 3 p.m., 12 hours after Jesse had last been seen that Parker and the other UMKC students on the trip realized there was a real emergency.

Jesse Ross is still missing.


About Jesse

Jesse Ross is described as intelligent and funny--a very likable young man not known for ever being depressed or negative. While friends say he had the occasional drink, he never became belligerent or disorderly if drinking. Jesse also has a very bright future mapped out and was on the path to achieving his goals. To anyone who knows him, there is nothing to lead them to believe that Jesse could have walked away from his life or that he would have committed suicide.

Jesse was majoring in communication studies/broadcasting with a minor in political science. He had received a scholarship to attend the University of Missouri Kansas City because of his high ACT score in high school. While at school, he had gotten a promotion from unpaid intern to paid morning on-air personality at Kansas City radio station 95.7 FM - "The Vibe"--- dream job for a sophomore communication studies/broadcasting major. He was now a popular radio personality on the "Shorty and the Boyz" morning show. Coworkers decided he needed an on-air name, so they named him "Opie Cunningham," after Ron Howard's TV characters, Opie Taylor and Richie Cunningham, said Don.

He was also looking forward to finishing up his new room in his parents' home, and he was pledging the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.



No clues in disappearance

Since Jesse Ross was reported missing, police divers and cadaver dogs have searched along the Chicago River near the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. Police have also searched the area around both hotels---the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, where Jesse was last seen, and the Four Points Sheraton, where he was staying. They have not turned up any leads. Chicago police have found no evidence that he was a victim of foul play. There has been no activity on Jesse's credit cards or his cell phone, neither of which have been found. GPS tracking could not be used on Jesse's cell phone because it is either turned off or the battery is dead.

On a Web site dedicated to her son, Donna Ross has expressed her frustration. "When you lose someone you love when they pass on, you grieve and then you move on with your life," Donna said. "We are nowhere. We are still stuck in that revolving door. We know nothing more than we knew that first day."

Anyone with information about Jesse Ross’ disappearance should call Chicago police at (312) 744-8266.


Facts of Interest
Name/age: Jesse Ross, 20 (from Belton, MO)
http://www.findjesseross.com/
College: University of Missouri at Kansas City
Last seen: 11/21/06, 2:30 am, Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers (301 E. North Water St).
Notes: Jesse was staying at the Four Points Sheraton (630 N. Rush Street), 10 minutes away.
Physical Description: 5'10," 140# and has red hair and freckles. He was last seen wearing a green warm-up jacket and blue jeans.
Investigating Agency: Chicago Police, (312) 744-8266.

Published: 11/21/06. Updated: 6/17/11.

09/23/05: Patrick Kycia, 19, Moorhead, MN

Patrick Kycia

Patrick Kycia, a well-liked, well-adjusted 19-year old college student with a 3.65 grade-point average, made what was supposed to be a quick stop at a Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity house party but ended up doing shots of whiskey with his friends. Sometime after midnight, Kycia left the party for home but never made it. His body was found in the Red River four days later.

Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity house

The Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity house (right) has a reputation for parties and that night they were selling beer for $1 a can and passing around whiskey. Kycia did whiskey shots with his friends. According to an interview his family and roommates gave to CNN, sometime after midnight, Kycia left the party and started to make his way home to the home he rented with three other students just six blocks away.

After three blocks, investigators say he turned in a driveway, then stopped. A homeowner found his wallet with cash and bank cards still in it and evidence he had vomited. It appears that he then kept going because at about 4:00 a.m., a janitor spotted an intoxicated student matching Kycia's description, pulling on the doors of a building. [In another news story, witnesses reported seeing a man matching Kycia's description walking alone toward the river on Eighth Street near Main Avenue between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. It is unclear whether this was the sighting made by the janitor.] Sometime after that, Kycia called his roommate, but he hung up. [Two calls were placed from Kycia's cell phone with no talking in either call.] His roommate called him back right away, but there was no answer.

Recovery
Police expanded the search for Kycia after a New Balance sneaker (similar to one Kycia was wearing when last seen) was found floating on the Red River. On 9/27/05, police found Patrick's body in the river.

Unanswered Questions
Patrick reportedly left the party around midnight, yet someone possibly spotted him walking toward the river around 4 a.m. This sighting raises many questions. If this really was Patrick, what had he been doing between the time he left the party (midnight) and when he was spotted (4 a.m.)? Why didn't anyone notice him sooner? If the sighting was genuine, it means that Kycia walked south where he dropped his wallet, then changed his mind and went north where he was spotted, and then headed southwest before reaching the river and falling in. How was he able to walk that far if he was so impaired? Why would Kycia head off campus? But perhaps the biggest question is how he ended up in the river.



Map from http://www.vanceholmes.com/

Another Sad Lesson
A year and a half before Patrick Kycia's death, on March 15, 2004, another Phi Sigma Kappa member, Jason Reinhardt, died of alcohol poisoning after trying to do a "power hour"--21 shots in an hour, to celebrate his twenty first birthday. He made it to 16. That night, he slept at the frat house, and friends say when they checked on Jason, he was fine. But the next day, Reinhardt was found in bed lying in his own vomit. He was deceased.

Final Autopsy Report
The final autopsy report on Patrick Kycia showed he been drinking the night he died, and had a blood alcohol content of .17--above the legal limit for driving. THC, a chemical in marijuana was also found in his blood stream, but since marijuan can remain in the body for several weeks, it is unknown when Kycia had ingested it. Although police had confiscated hallucinogenic mushrooms from the fraternity house after the party, no traces of mushrooms were found in Kycia's system. There was no trauma to the body.

Arrests and lawsuit
On October 9, 2005, seven Phi Sigma Kappa members were arrested in the death of Patrick Kycia on charges that included selling liquor to a minor resulting in death, selling alcohol without a license and procuring alcohol to a person under 21 years old. Although a fraternity member admitted to selling beer at the party and Kycia had a blood-alcohol level of .17 at the time of his death, the fraternity claims that none of its members served Kycia any drugs or alcohol.

Patrick's father later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, the local fraternity, its national chapter, the owner of the fraternity house and eight people who were convicted of alcohol-related offenses connected to Kycia's death. As of 11/18/06, one of the fraternity brothers, James Joseph Sander Jr., agreed to settle. He denies liability for Kycia's death but agreed he's responsible for $1 million in damages, which is supposed to be paid by the insurance company insuring Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity's national chapter and its members. Sander pleaded guilty last December to providing alcohol to minors. He was fined $1,000 and sentenced to 180 days in jail with all but two days stayed, receiving credit for the two days he had already served in jail.

Facts of Interest in This Case
Name/age: Patrick Kycia, 19 (from Stillwater, MN)
College: Minnesota State University-Moorhead
Physical description: 6'1," 230 #
Last seen: 09/23/05, Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity party
Recovered: 09/27/05, Red River
Cause of death: drowning
Manner of death: no information
Injuries: no signs of trauma or foul play
Blood Alcohol Content: 0.174

03/01/03: Jeremy Houk, 18, New Orleans, LA

Jeremy Houk, 18, disappeared sometime after midnight March 1, 2003 just a few weeks before his 19th birthday. It was Mardi Gras weekend. The Tulane University freshman last was seen walking down Zimpel Street between midnight and 2 a.m after leaving a fraternity party at a friend's house near the Uptown section of New Orleans. His wallet and personal belongings were left behind. He never returned to his dorm. His body was found on the banks of the Mississippi River two months later.

04/4/02: Lon Dowdle, Covington, KY

Lon Dowdle, a 26-year old sales representative for Madix Inc., an international fixtures company headquartered in Goodwater, Alabama, came to Cincinnati on a business trip and took a room at the Holiday Inn across the river in Covington, Kentucky. He spent the evening of Apr. 4, 2002 bar hopping with childhood friend John Dark who was also in town. Dark had recently moved to Fairfield, Alabama.
Dark last saw Dowdle at 2:30 a.m. when they were getting out of a cab at the Waffle House at 311 Philadelphia St. in Covington, within walking distance to Dowdle's hotel. The two were inebriated. Dark told the police that while he was waiting to get Dowdle's change for a $5 cab drive from a $20, Dowdle left the cab, walked around the corner of the building and disappeared.

Dark has passed a polygraph test, and the cab driver has backed up his story.

Lon Dowdle's father, Walter Dowdle, reported him missing about six hours after he disappeared, after a Kroger representative with whom Lon Dowdle had a morning meeting called to say he hadn't showed up. Walter Dowdle is the vice president of Madix, the company that employed Lon Dowdle.

03/03/02: Brendan McNelis, 20, Binghamton, NY

Brendan McNelis, 20, a Queensborough Community College student in Queens, NY traveled by bus to Binghamton, New York on February 28, 2002 to visit his long-time friend, Fiorella Ramirez, a student at Binghamton University whom he had dated 18 months before.

McNelis spent both Thursday night (2/28) and Friday night (3/1) at Ramirez's dorm on the Vestal campus. On Saturday, March 2, the pair boarded a shuttle bus and headed to the east side of Binghamton to attend a fraternity party hosted by Phi Iota Alpha at the American Legion Post 1645 on Robinson Street.

When they arrived at the party, McNelis stayed at the bar while Ramirez danced with some of her friends. When she returned from the dance floor, McNelis complained he wanted to leave because he didn't like the music. Ramirez agreed and after having one last dance and saying goodbye to her friends, she returned 5 minutes later to find McNelis gone. It was the last time Ramirez would see her good friend.

On May 15, McNelis' body was found in the Susquehanna River, not far from where he was last seen.

04/13/01: Ken Christiansen, 19, Duluth, MN

Ken Christiansen, 19, a microbiology student at the University of Minnesota-Duluth attended a party at the house of members of the Duluth Rugby Football Club, with his friends. He drank with his buddies and the senior players drew on his face with marker, something the rugby team typically did during their initiation ceremony. He disappeared after the party while walking with friend Zach Serre. Serre told police the two were walking around a ravine to get to Serre's apartment a few blocks away on East 2nd Street. Around 3 a.m. on Friday, April 13, the pair became separated near 12th Avenue East, between East 3rd and 4th Street (see map).



Although the friend lost sight of him, Serre assumed Ken was okay and that they would meet up again at Serre's apartment. Serre fell asleep while waiting for Christiansen to arrive and the next morning he assumed that Christiansen had just gotten up early to go to class. Friends reported Christiansen missing around 7:45 p.m. that day after he failed to show up for any of his classes and had missed appointments.

Search and Recovery
Police searched for Christiansen on Friday night, but the creek's strong currents prevented authorities from conducting an extensive search. Duluth police used bloodhounds the following day and were able to trace him to a spot along the creek near the alley where he was last seen.

On April 16, after having been missing for three days, Ken's body was found face down in Chester Creek. Police were able to locate the body because the creek's water levels had dropped.

The St. Louis County Medical Examiner, Thomas Uncini, determined that Christiansen had died of a combination of drowning and hypothermia. Uncini said, "it's typical for there to be scratches from his being in the creek, but there was no significant trauma that caused his death."

Charges filed, guilty pleas
October 30, 2001 - Wesley Wheeler Omer, 22, the former field captain of the University of Minnesota-Duluth men's rugby team pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to minors.Two other teammates, Kevin James McGuigan, 22, the president of the team; and Brian Warden, 22, the team's treasurer were charged last May.Warden and McGuigan allegedly bought two kegs for the party; Warden paid with a check from the rugby team and McGuigan signed for the receipt. McGuigan and Warden must now conduct more than 200 hours of alcohol awareness seminars, perform 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 fine.

Facts of Interest in This Case
Name/age: Ken Christiansen, 19, Duluth
College: University of Minnesota-Duluth (microbiology major)
Residence: his parents cabin a few miles away
Last seen: 04/13/01, 3 a.m., Duluth, MN
Recovered: 04/16/01, Chester Creek
Cause of death ruling: drowning, hypothermia
Manner of death ruling: accidental
Blood Alcohol Content: 0.22

03/10/01: Justin Hayduk, 18, Morgantown, WV

Justin Hayduk, 18, University of Pittsburgh freshman, vanished in the early-morning hours of March 10, 2001 after celebrating spring break in Morgantown, West Virginia. After drinking using a fake ID, he was spotted around 2:40 a.m. either sleeping or passed out on a bench in the bar. A bartender claims to have called a taxi for Justin, but his mother has found witnesses who said Justin was refused service. He was last seen on foot, headed west away from the bar. He was found two months later in the Monongahela River.

"Not the type to disappear"
Justin was a 2000 graduate of Chambersburg High School in his hometown of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in Franklin County. He was a 3-year member of the YMCA swim team. He was attending college at the University of Pittsburgh on academic scholarship and was a member of a fraternity. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Hayduk was simply not the type to disappear.

Hayduk visited his grandmother, Jane Hayduk, every few weeks while enrolled at Pitt. She "supplied him with clean clothes and home-cooked meals" while he "entertained her with stories of college life." He was a solid student and seemed happy. "A deeper look into his background led police to conclude that his life was as smooth as it appeared on the surface. 'We are doubters by nature, so we looked for the little things," said Detective Cpl. Phillip Scott of the Morgantown police. 'We didn't find them. His family life was good. He had no bad relationships."

Timeline
To help celebrate spring break, Justin Hayduk drove to Morgantown, West Virginia with a hometown buddy, Chris Kille, a student at Edinboro University. They went to a bar and drank. Kille, 21, could be served legally. Hayduk packed a phony Pennsylvania identification card carrying the name Michael Stiffler. After leaving the bar, which police would not identify (according to one report, it was Shooter's), they attended a fraternity party at West Virginia University and drank some more.

Around 2 a.m., Hayduk and Kille were in front of the West Virginia University student center. "While waiting for a bus that was to take them back to a friend's dormitory room, they got into a make-believe scuffle...this foolishness attracted the notice of passing campus police officers. They thought Hayduk and Kille were brawling, and swooped in to break it up. Kille panicked and ran. As officers chased him down, Hayduk walked the other way, toward the Downtown business district that abuts the river." Kille was written a citation for public intoxication. Once Hayduk moved down the street, police decided not to bother with him." It has been speculated that that Hayduk evaded police to avoid being cited for underage drinking.

"By 2:40 a.m., Hayduk had slipped into the 123 Pleasant St. nightclub. He either fell asleep or passed out on a bench in the bar. The club was closing and the band that had performed there was packing up. A man shooting pictures of the band decided, for no apparent reason, to snap some shots of Hayduk. Police say those photos are definitive proof that Hayduk was still exploring Morgantown as late as 3 a.m., when he and the last of the customers were shooed from the bar.

Here the mystery of what happened to Hayduk deepens. A bartender at 123 Pleasant St. told police he called a cab for Hayduk. Hayduk's mother claims to have witnesses who say the cabbie refused him service. The taxi driver told police he had no recollection of being called or of encountering Hayduk. Scott, of the city police, said hundreds of young men hailed Morgantown taxis that weekend. Many of them, like Hayduk, were wearing blue jeans and baseball caps, so it would be unusual for such a customer to stand out. "

From there, according to The Daily Antenaeum Interactive, Hayduk walked on foot and headed west away from a Yellow Cab taxi. He wasn't seen again until his body was found in the Monongahela River two months later.

Clues
Justin's bank accounts were not touched since his disappearance on March 10. Justin's hat was found three days after his disappearance in the brush along the Monongahela River.

Search and Recovery
Dogs and divers searched the Monongahela River for Justin's body for a week, believing that he may have fallen in while drunk. They came up empty-handed and suspended the search. Hayduk's family has canvassed the town, handing out fliers with the teen's photograph.

Justin Recovered
On May 24, 2001, a tugboat crew spotted a body in the Monongahela River and called the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the locks in Point Marion, Pa., who then called the police. Workers at Consol Coal's Humphrey Mine reportedly saw a body floating among debris. The body had become caught on a barge at the docks. It was pulled from the river at 11:30 a.m. and loaded onto an ambulance at noon. Using dental records, medical examiners in Charleston positively identified the body as missing freshman Justin Hayduk. The body was found about 4.5 miles away from where Justin's hat was found. According to police, the orginal search effort did not include the area where the body was spotted.

On May 31, 2001, police in Morgantown, West Virginia, announced that no foul play was involved and that Hayduk's death was the result of accidental drowning. An autopsy and toxicology tests found no signs of injury or drugs. Hayduk's blood alcohol content was .12. In West Virginia, the legal blood alcohol limit is .10.

Possible Victim of Smiley Face Killer?
Detectives Kevin Gannon and Anthony Duarte are considering the possibility that Dustin was a victim of the so-called Smiley Face Killer who they believe "is a network of killers who get a thrill out of stumping police." According to Gannon, "the coincidences include how the men drank large amounts of alcohol very quickly, were in a crowd and then vanished into thin air, somehow negotiated their way to a riverbank and happened to fall into the water unheard and unseen."

Hayduk's family doesn't believe that is so far fetched. His grandfather, John Hayduk, said he had doubts all along that his grandson's death was an accident. "So did my son, so did his mother, so did my wife have doubts," John Hayduk told Channel 4 Action News on Tuesday. "Why would you run into the river and drown, just like that?" According to his grandfather, Justin was "an avid swimmer ... he got ribbons for swimming and everything."

Facts of Interest in This Case:
Name/Age: Justin Hayduk, 18
School attended: University of Pittsburgh
Physical Description: 140 pounds, 5 feet 7 inches tall, brown hair, brown eyes, medium complexion, small scar under his chin.
Last Wearing: Tan vest over a white shirt, with blue jeans and a white Pitt baseball cap. The cap was discovered March 13, 2001 on a bank of the Monongahela River.
Last Seen: bar at 123 Pleasant Street, Morgantown, West Virginia
Autopsy findings: no signs of injury or drugs; blood alcohol content was .12.

12/11/92: Alexis Dillard, 22, North Lawrence, KS

On Dec.11, 1992, Kansas University senior Alexis Dillard, "Dilly" as he was known to his friends, left Johnny's Tavern at 401 North 2nd Street in North Lawrence after drinking with some Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers who saw him leave the bar around 12:40 a.m. He was never seen again. Police theorize that Dillard drowned in the Kansas River while attempting to swim across. His case remains unsolved.