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

Robert Kovak

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

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

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

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

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

Authorities retrace Kovak's steps

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Search effort

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

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


Remains found

New River Gorge Bridge
(See aerial video here.)

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

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

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

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

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

Ian Burnet is still missing.

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

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

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

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

Authorities do not believe foul play was involved.

About Ian Burnet

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

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

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


The Search for Ian Burnet

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

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

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


Case Details

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


Sources

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

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

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

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

Colin Gillis is still missing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

03/13/09: Steven Mbidizo, 27, Bath Township, MI

Stephen Mbidzo

Stephen Munyaradzi Mbidzo disappeared March 13, 2009 a day after his 27th birthday. He last was seen visiting friends at the Village at Chandler Crossings, a large apartment complex at 3839 Hunsaker St in Bath Township, MI.

His mother reported his disappearance to the Michigan State Police post in Mount Pleasant, MI, where Mbidzo resided.

Mbidzo's body, which was found Thursday, April 9 in a remote section of the Grand River in Eagle Township, was identified through fingerprints. The body was found by a riverfront home owner who then alerted police. The body was found naked, wearing only socks, and it was unclear how long it had been in the river. 

"It’s a very, very suspicious death," said Clinton County Sheriff Wayne Kangas.

An autopsy on April 10 was unable to reveal a cause of death. There were no signs of blunt force or other trauma.


About Steven Mbidizo

Mbidzo was born on March 12, 1982, in Harare, Zimbabwe, the son of Louis and Hilda Mbidzo. He graduated from Prince Edward High School in Zimbabwe where he played rugby and enjoyed cricket. He earned an associate degree from Mid Michigan Community College in Harrison and had taken nursing classes at Saginaw Valley State University. He was a talented and award-winning artist, and a member of the MSU African Students Association and the Knights of Columbus.

He leaves behind his parents Louis and Hilda Mbidzo, brother Farai Mbidzo of Mt. Pleasant, MI, sisters Diana Mbidzo of the United Kingdom and Rosalia (Edmond) Muchenje of Zimbabwe, and grandmothers Theresa and Mavis, and fiancee Shingirai Jemwa of Grand Rapids, MI.
A funeral was held on Thursday, April 16, 2009 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 302 S. Kinney in Mount Pleasant, MI. A visitation and prayer service were also held at the Clark Family Funeral Chapel in Mount Pleasant.

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.

03/12/10: Matthew Zika, 21, Ithaca, NY

On March 12, 2010, the Ithaca Police Department began investigating the death of Cornell University engineering student Matthew Zika, who died near the suspension bridge over Fall Creek Gorge. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, "police first responded to Fall Creek Gorge at around 3:45 p.m. Friday afternoon [March 12.] The IPD temporarily closed the suspension bridge and the Stewart Avenue Bridge after a motorist reported seeing a man drop from the suspension bridge. Other witnesses found an unattended jacket and backpack containing a wallet, cell phone and other personal possessions on the suspension bridge."

On March 22, CNN.com reported that the death had been ruled a suicide. Zika's tragic death gained much attention because it occurred the day after another engineering student, William Sinclair, committed suicide in the same gorge. The previous month, Bradley Ginsburg's body was also recovered from the gorge, and later ruled a suicide. (Ginsburg's parents told CNN.com, they are not convinced their son would have harmed himself.)

About Matthew Zika
On a memorial Facebook group, Matthew Zika's friends describe him as "a quiet, sweet guy" who enjoyed movies, baseball, and was funny, smart and talented.  "I could tell he was a great guy from the minute I met him," said one friend. "Just one of those people that you could be friends with right away." He once gave another friend this bit of advice, "My hope in living life is that if one day someone told me it would be my last, I could smile and nod knowing full well that I did all I could with the time I was given. Only put off until tomorrow what you'd be okay with never having done."

Matthew Zika's obituary, published in the Ithaca Journal on March 23, 2010, reads:

WEST LAFAYETTE - Matthew C. Zika, 21, of West Lafayette, died Friday, March 12, 2010, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Born January 23, 1989 in Lafayette, he was the only child of Charles J. "Chip" Zika of West Lafayette and Brenda Thompson Zika of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Matt graduated from Wm Henry Harrison High School, West Lafayette, Indiana in May 2007 where he was a member of the National Honor Society, won numerous writing awards, and earned a perfect ACT score. Matt enjoyed being a member of the Harrison Swim Team and was a star on the Raider's varsity baseball team - holding hitting records that still stand. He played in the Colt World Series for two seasons with Hoosier North and was a member of the Red Storm travel team. A junior at Cornell University, Matt was an Operations Research major in the College of Engineering where he was an Irwin and Joan Jacobs Scholar. He was scheduled to finish a year early and graduate this May. Matt had accepted a position with a healthcare software company in Wisconsin. Matt was employed as a student manager at Cornell's Robert Purcell Community Center Dining. He also worked as a seasonal engineering technician with the City of Ithaca, Department of Public Works. During his freshman and sophomore years at Cornell, Matt was proud to serve as a volunteer firefighter for the Cayuga Heights Fire Department.

Surviving with his parents are maternal grandparents Carroll W. and Mary Lou Thompson of Parkersburg, West Virginia; two aunts, Joyce Cooper (husband, Daniel) of Belpre, Ohio and Susan Warmsby (husband, Victor) of Atlanta, Georgia; three uncles, David Thompson (wife, Renee) of Gilbert, Arizona, Brian Thompson of Diana, West Virginia, and John Zika (wife, Karen) of Statesville, North Carolina.

Also surviving are nine cousins. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Charles A. and Elizabeth Zika of Western Springs, Illinois; and his aunt and uncle, Dr. Edwin and Rosemary "Rosie" (Zika) Williams of Ada, Ohio.

Memorial visitation 5-8 p.m. Saturday, March 27, 2010, at Hippensteel Funeral Home. Services at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 28, 2010, at University Plaza Hotel, Grand Ballroom, West Lafayette. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Harrison High School for the Matthew Zika Memorial Scholarship Fund, 5701 North 50 West, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906.

Hippensteel Funeral Service entrusted with care. Share memories and condolences online at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com

08/13/06: Robert Barrington Leigh, 20, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Robert Barrington Leigh, a promising 20-year old math and physics whiz at the University of Toronto, was home for two weeks to visit his parents in Edmonton, Alberta. On Aug. 13, 2006, he waved goodbye to his mother, who was sitting on the couch watching TV, and headed off on his bike to the nearby Edmonton Folk Festival  to meet some friends.

Around 11:30 p.m., he text-messaged his girlfriend, Lucy Zhang, who was studying in Italy, to tell her that he was in Queen Elizabeth Park heading toward the festival in Gallagher Park and would not be able to call her later. According to Lucy, he wished her luck on her mid-term exams and "there was nothing weird about his message."

But he never returned home.

The disappearance led the local newscasts for nine days until his body was found in the North Saskatchewan River across from Gallagher Park, the site of the festival.

03/31/07: Abel Bolanos, 19, Ames, IA

Nineteen-year old Iowa State University sophomore, Abel Bolanos, was last seen leaving a campus party at 208 Hyland Street very early on the morning of March 31. He was believed to be walking the short distance to his residence hall sometime around 4 AM. His body was found by divers in Lake LaVerne on April 3.

---------------------
Something was terribly wrong
When Abel couldn't be located later that day, family and friends thought something was terribly wrong. It simply wasn't like him to wander off without leaving word. They described Abel as funny, likable, trustworthy. He was also smart and responsible, attending Iowa State on an academic, four-year, tuition scholarship.

Amended timeline
Friends from the party initially told officials Bolanos left the 208 S. Hyland apartment between 4 and 4:30 a.m. Saturday. However, Bolanos' access card was used to attempt access twice before 4 a.m. into the unoccupied Wilson Hall, which is located west of his dorm building, Wallace Hall.

The two attempts to access Wilson Hall occurred at 3:22:57 a.m. and 3:23:12 a.m. Saturday.

"[Bolanos] had access to Wallace, but not Wilson," said Mona Wilson, clerk in facilities planning and management. "He used it on Wilson Hall those two times, but he didn't try it at all at Wallace." A card belonging to a different student, whose name was not released, was also used at Wilson Hall shortly after Bolanos. This attempt was made at 3:26:34 a.m. Saturday. According to activity records on the access pad outside the door of Wilson Hall, this was the only other attempt beside Bolanos' that was made after 3 a.m., Wilson said. None of the attempts resulted in successful entry.

Records of activity on the access pad outside Wallace Hall indicated plenty of activity after 3 a.m. Saturday, which suggests people were around. "There were several [entries] around that time," Wilson said. Gene Deisinger, commander for ISU Police, also confirmed that Bolanos' access card was found with the body. Police are investigating the time discrepancies and have ruled out any confusion of delayed time stamps because of the change in daylight-saving time that occurred March 12. "[We are] pretty confident that the time stamp is 3:23 [and] that is the correct time," Deisinger said. Bolanos' room showed no signs of entry; however, everything is still being held in place until the investigation ends. Bolanos' room was searched Sunday after Bolanos was reported missing. "We found nothing that caused us any concern," Deisinger said.

Friday, March 30
11 p.m. Bolanos got off work at Red Lobster

Saturday, March 31
12:30 a.m. -Bolanos drove and parked on Lincoln Way, and walked to the party on Hyland
3:23 a.m. - Bolanos used access card to attempt entry into Wilson Hall
About 4:30 a.m. - Bolanos was spotted in Campustown by at least one person who gave a very good description of him
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. - It is believed Bolanos accidentally drowned
5:15 p.m. - The annual Polar Bear Plunge takes place in Lake LaVerne.

Sunday, April 1
11:53 a.m. - Officials were notified that Bolanos was missing
12:12 p.m. - Bolanos' car was found on Lincoln Way; the Ames Police and the Story County Sheriff became involved.
11 p.m. - The Iowa State Patrol put up an aircraft with heat-seeking capabilities and searched farmlands near Towers

Monday, April 2
10:30 a.m. - A person turned in Bolanos' credit cards were turned into Ames bank. The person was not identified as a suspect.

A formal request was put out during the afternoon for an organized search group.

Volunteers started a door-to-door canvas in Ames.

Tuesday, April 3
Search of Lake LaVerne begins
3:39 p.m. - An unidentified body matching the description of Abel Bolanos was removed from Lake LaVerne
4:45 p.m. - Officials blocked off area around Lincoln Way
6:05 p.m. The body was positively identified as Abel M. Bolanos

Wednesday, April 4
8 p.m. A candlelight vigil was held on Central Campus in memory of Abel M. Bolanos.

Search and Recovery
On April 3, law officers, rescue teams and volunteers had been engaged in an exhaustive search for Bolanos. (Search participants included: ISU Police, Ames Police, Ames Fire, Boone Co. Search and Rescue, the Iowa State Patrol, Civil Air Patrol, the STAR 1 Search and Rescue team and numerous volunteers.) During the search, groups of Iowa State University students fanned out and began looking around campus buildings and residential areas. They also went door to door asking residents whether they had seen Abel.

Shortly after 3:30 PM on Tuesday April 3 divers discovered Abel's body in the southeast corner of Lake LaVerne in 4 feet of water. There were no obvious signs of foul play. A preliminary autopsy performed April 4 by Dr. Dennis Klein, Assistant State Medical Examiner, indicated that Abel died of accidental drowning. An investigation is underway, and police will be looking at how Abel ended up in the water.

Another tragic story
This is the second case of a missing Iowa college student this school year. Last fall, Grinnell college student Paul Shuman-Moore disappeared. Police and volunteers launched a massive search but he has not been found. Shuman-Moore also was from the Chicago area. Sadly, it ws later determined that Shuman-Moore had committed suicide.

Facts of Interest
Name/age: Abel Bolanos, 19 (from Rolling Meadows, IL)
College: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Major: English
Physical Description: 5'7," 165 pounds, brown hair, words "Ancora Imparo" tattooed on upper right arm.
Last seen: 03/31/07, 4 a.m., leaving a party at 208 South Hyland Street en route to his residence hall (Wallace Hall)
Recovered: 04/03/07
Cause of death (preliminary): apparent drowning
Manner of death (preliminary): apparent accident

Sources:
Autopsy: Missing college student drowned, Chicago Tribune, 04-APR-07

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

12/16/06: Nick Rossini, 21, White Bear Lake, MN

Nick Rossini, a 21-year-old stand-out first year cadet at West Point, got into a bit of trouble while home for Christmas break. Late on Friday 12/15, Rossini damaged his mother's car in a drunk driving accident in Crystal, MN after a night of partying with friends. A short time later, he was arrested for drunk driving and called his parents to pick him up. He spent the day with his family, but apparently left again sometime during the night. His body was found in Goose Lake four months later.

Nick is the second young man to disappear from White Bear Lake since Nathan Edberg went missing in 1999.

Last Seen
Nick planned to spend the night with one of his friends in Minneapolis, MN near the University of Minnesota campus in an area nicknamed Dinkytown. That night he remembered he was scheduled to referee a basketball game Saturday morning, so he decided to drive home to White Bear Lake. However, he drove in the opposite direction and, sometime after leaving his friends, ran his mother's 1996 Buick Park Avenue into a parked car. About 5:40 a.m., a Crystal police officer spotted a car with a smashed front end drive past the police station. The officer followed the car and pulled over the driver. Rossini, who was alone in the car, was given a breath test, which showed his blood-alcohol level at 0.15 percent. (He was later charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence). His parents drove to the nearby tow yard to pick up their son and the car. After coming home, Rossini slept until midafternoon. He then went to church with his parents, drove to the Minneapolis Police Department headquarters to file a report about his collision with the parked car, and had dinner with his family about 5 pm. According to some reports, Nick and his parents had some tense exchanges over the arrest, but by the time he went to bed the next night, things were okay. Rossini hugged his parents goodnight about 10:30, and his siblings last saw him after midnight before they went to bed. His family believes Rossini left the house sometime between 2:30 and 5 a.m. Sunday. The only clue to his departure was the unlocked deadbolt of the front door. There were no signs of struggle in the Rossini home. He did not take his wallet, a cell phone, backpack, suitcase or clothes when he left, and he did not leave a note.

A Good Kid
According to the Associated Press, his family believes it is unlikely that Rossini would do "anything rash." Rossini, "a former star student and athlete at White Bear Lake High School, Rossini spent a year at St. John's University before deciding to enlist in the Army. He was spotted by West Point recruiters while still in basic training, and so far has maintained a 3.5 grade-point average at the elite academy--putting him in the top 50 of the 1,000-member freshman class." The Rossinis have since talked to West Point officials who have stated that they will not penalize him for the arrest and they would take him back.

The Search
Authorities have walked the shores and flown over three lakes near the Rossini home without finding signs of a fall through the ice. Search teams went door-to-door and yard-to-yard in nearby neighborhoods, and dogs have also been used. Police, sheriff, fire and other public safety personnel from throughout the Twin Cities, along with friends, neighbors and volunteers from area lakes and trails groups have helped with the search. The search resumed again in the spring, with deputies search White Bear Lake, Birch Lake and Bald Eagle Lake in April before beginning a search of Goose Lake.

Recovery
The body of Nicholas Rossini was found in Goose Lake on Monday, April 16 west of Hwy. 61 and Hoffman Road. He was about ten feet from shore. The lake is about three miles from his family's home. The Ramsey County medical examiner's office said it appeared the 21-year-old from White Bear Lake had drowned. Authorities found the body in Goose Lake on Monday, while they were searching for Rossini. His body was identified through dental records. The body was found in sweatpants, a sweatshirt and jogging shoes.

Theories
When Nick vanished, The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension posted Nick's missing poster on its website, including a note about the possibility of a head injury from the car accident. There is no information yet on whether evidence of head injury has been found. From the outset, family members thought Nick must have left to clear his head or go for a jog, because he was embarrassed over the incident and worried about what it might mean for his future. This theory is now gaining ground as Nick's body was found in workout clothes.

Strange Coincidences
Nick Rossini is the second young man to go missing from the small suburb of White Bear Lake, MN since the 1999 disappearance of Nathan Edberg. Edberg was last seen at a bar and his truck was later found empty in a ditch off the highway. Police believe Edberg accidentally drove off the road, but he has never been found. In a strange coincidence, the Rossini home is not too far from Decoy's Bar where Nathan Edberg was last seen. The mothers of both young men also work together at Lincoln Elementary school and live within a few miles of each other. Edberg's mother, Jackie, advised Rossini's mother, Pat, on how to handle the media and was helping the Rossini family cope with the disappearance.

After graduating from White Bear Lake high school in 2004, Nick attended St. John's University, where just two years earlier, student Joshua Guimond disappeared.

Facts of Interest
Name/age: Nicholas Rossini, 20 (from White Bear lake, MN)
College: West Point Academy (West Point, NY), formerly of St. John's University
Physical description: 6'1," 185 with dark blond hair, hazel eyes and an athletic build.
Last seen: 12/16/06, at home in White Bear Lake, MN
Recovered: 04/16/07, Goose Lake, MN
Cause of death: drowning

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.

07/26/06: Max Walker, 26, Milwaukee, WI

Max Walker

Max Walker, 26, a former Army Reservist from Davenport, Ia had adjusted well to his return from military duty. After driving a truck in convoy duty in Iraq from 2004 to December 2005, he got back together with his girlfriend and was excited about his new job as an intern for Northwestern Mutual Life. He had been hired by the Milwaukee-based insurance and finance company in December 2005.

On July 26, 2006, the Saint Ambrose University honor student and a colleague were in Milwaukee for the company's annual financial representatives meeting, a convention that draws 9,000 people from around the nation. The educational and business-oriented conference was held at the Midwest Airlines Center and the Bradley Center civic arena. 

A colleague, named Dan, last saw Max about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday outside the Buckhead Saloon, 1040 N. Old World 3rd Street. The saloon is located in a popular downtown Milwaukee night spot and tourist area known as the RiverWalk. A security video camera shows that Max left the bar by himself. Employees at the salon told police that Max appeared to be very intoxicated when he left.

The colleague called the police about noon on Wednesday to report that Max never returned to his hotel room the night before and wasn't answering his cell phone, which was out of character for him.

Max Walker's body was found in the Milwaukee River on Thursday, July 27, about one block from the bar where he was last seen. The Milwaukee River runs behind the bar. 

04/01/06: Brian Shaffer, Columbus, OH

BRIAN SHAFFER IS STILL MISSING.
On the night of Friday, March 31 2006; Brian Shaffer, a 27 year old 2nd year medical student at OSU went out with friends to have a few drinks and celebrate the beginning of Spring break 2006. Brian and his friends are seen in the surveillance tape at 1:15 am outside of the Ugly Tuna Saloona. Brian is seen again at 1:55 talking with two girls at the top of the escalator. He appears to say 'bye' and turns towards the bar, he then disappears from the camera's view. He has not been seen since.

Whereabouts Unknown
At around 9:30pm, the men headed to the Ugly Tuna Saloona, a bar located near the OSU campus. At 9:56pm, Brian called Alexis -his girlfriend- who at the time was visiting her family in Toledo, OH. He told her he loved her and that he would see her when she came back to Columbus; the two had planned on taking a vacation to Miami and were scheduled to leave for Florida on Monday, April 3rd. Shortly after talking to Alexis, Brian and his friend walked down to the Arena District in Columbus, OH; they stopped at the North Short Tavern and then went to Brother's where they met with other friends. One of the friends drove them back to the Ugly Tuna Saloona, where they are seen in the surveillance tape at 1:15 am. The next time Brian is seen on cameras, he was outside of the Ugly Tuna, at the top of the escalator, talking with two girls; he appears to say 'bye' and turns towards the bar, he then disappears from the camera's view and has not been seen since.

The Search and Investigation
Numerous searches have been conducted including the construction area by the Ugly Tuna Saloona, numerous locations close to his disappearance including help from Texas Equusearch and numerous search agencies in the Ohio area but to no avail. At one point, the police were looking for an individual seen on the escalator (the man with the orange sweater) - this has been ruled out and not considered linked to Brian's case. Conversations have been had with the 2 girls who were outside the bar speaking with Brian but they were not able to provide any additional information to help locate Brian.
A reward of up to $25,500 is currently been offered for information leading to the whereabouts of Brian R. Shaffer.

Anyone with information about Brian's disappearance can leave an anonymous tip at 1-877-645-TIPS (8477).

Facts of Interest
Name/age: Brian Shaffer, 27
College: Ohio State University Medical School
Physical description: 6' 2," 160#, hazel eyes, brown hair tattoo with Pearl Jam symbol on upper right arm
Last seen: 04/01/06 Ugly Tuna Saloona (1546 North High Street), Short North Tavern (674 N High St), Brother's (477 North Park Street), then back to Ugly Tuna Saloona (1546 North High Street)
http://www.findbrianshaffer.com/

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

12/12/02: Chad Sharon, 18, South Bend, IN

Chad Sharon, 18, an only child, all-state scholar and life-long straight-A student on full-ride scholarship to Notre Dame left the off-campus party at on South Bend’s northeast side. He did not have a car on campus but declined a ride, telling his friends he would walk the half-mile back to campus. Chad’s body was later found in the St. Joseph River, partially submerged under the Angela Street bridge at North Shore Avenue in South Bend.

Timeline
After that, Chad’s movements become sketchy. A security officer at Madison Center Hospital [403 E. Madison St] reported giving directions to a man closely matching Sharon's description around 4 a.m. The employee thought he smelled alcohol on the man, but the student did not appear to be overly intoxicated. The man asked for directions to a convenience store, so the officer directed him to the 7-11 at the corner of Niles and LaSalle Avenue. The officer saw the young man walk south toward the convenience store.

No one at the 7-Eleven remembers seeing Sharon or anyone matching his description. He wasn't recorded on the security tape, and no calls placed from pay phones were to the Notre Dame campus. Although Sharon told friends he would be heading back to campus, the hospital is a farther away from Notre Dame than the party. Dogs picked up Sharon’s scent in the Madison Center area but did not find his scent at the off-campus party.

Recovery
Chad’s body was later found in the St. Joseph River, partially submerged under the Angela Street bridge at North Shore Avenue in South Bend. Investigators say temperatures were in the 20s that night. The deputy coroner says the cold temperatures since his disappearance helped both the autopsy and toxicology reports because Sharon's organs were more preserved.


Facts of Interest in This Case
Name/age: Chad Sharon, 18 (from Pelican Lake, WI)
College: The University of Notre Dame
Physical description: physically fit (involved in Irish dance team)
Last seen: 12/12/02, 2 a.m., off-campus party at 520 Corby Blvd, South Bend, IN, then near Madison Center Hospital [403 E. Madison St] about 4 a.m.
Recovered: 02/12/03, St. Joseph River
Cause of death: drowning
Injuries: no injuries, no signs of struggle
Blood Alcohol Content: 0.2

10/31/02: Chris Jenkins, 21, Minneapolis, MN

"I wish everyday I could go back to that naive place in the world where life was so simple. Where people were inherently good, where the sun shined just a bit brighter. It's not simple. There are really bad people out there and they do really bad things."

- Sara Jenkins, sister of Chris Jenkins

When University of Minnesota student Christopher Jenkins disappeared and his body was found in the Mississippi River, his parents, Jan and Steve Jenkins, embarked on a journey of remarkable courage to seek answers and justice. Through their perseverance, the family was able to uncover clues indicating that Chris may have been abducted and murdered. His official cause of death has been reclassified from accidental drowning to homicide. Charges have yet to be filed in his death.

After a 6 p.m. keg party at his home, Chris Jenkins, his girlfriend, Ashley Rice, and a few friends headed over to the Lone Tree Bar & Grill at 528 Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. The group arrived at the bar between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. and parked the car just south of the bar. Sometime around midnight, Chris Jenkins was reportedly kicked out of the the bar. Witnesses said the head of Lone Tree security instructed staff not to allow Chris back into the bar, despite the 20-degree weather outside. Wearing only his American Indian costume--a brown nylon shirt and pants, slip-shoes, and a headband with a red feather--he was put out on the street. He did not have a coat, and his wallet, cell phone, and keys were inside with his friends.

It was the last time he was seen alive.

After little progress was made by local authorities in finding their son, Jan and Steve Jenkins decided to take matters into their own hands. A possible tip indicated that Chris may have been spotted walking north across the Hennepin Avenue bridge over the Mississippi River. The Jenkinses were able to find surveillance footage of the bridge and have it reviewed.

 "There were two surveillance cameras on the Federal Reserve Bank pointing to the Hennepin Avenue Bridge," says Jan. "This was post 9-11, clearly good equipment. We have written documentation from the supervisor that more than one person viewed the tapes from both cameras late on the 31st and early on November 1. Chris was not seen on the tape. We do not believe Chris walked across that bridge. The supervisor told the FBI that it would be almost impossible for a person to sprint across that bridge and not be seen."

They also hired a private investigator, Chuck Loesch. Loesch found witnesses who reported that a gang of at least 10 men had attacked a man in front of Times Square Pizza (across the street from the bar), in what was thought to be a gang initiation. Although, the time of the incident has not been confirmed--it could have been around the time Chris left the bar.

Two bloodhounds with different handlers were also brought in by the Jenkins family on two separate occasions. Both dogs picked up Chris's scent on the sidewalk in front of the pizza joint where witnesses reported seeing the fight. Both dogs followed the scent into the parking garage next to the pizza joint. And both dogs followed the scent right to the same parking stall. Later, blood drops and a red feather, possibly from Chris's Native American costume, were reportedly found inside the garage.

Recovery and Investigation

Almost four months later, Chris’s body was found snagged on some tree branches in the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. The body was on the east side of the river near the spillway of the St. Anthony Falls Hydroelectrical Laboratory at 30 SE 3rd Street. (See Map.) It could be seen from the 3rd Avenue bridge, floating on its back with its arms in front.

Police initially believed Chris either committed suicide or died accidentally after falling into water. But all those who knew Chris felt differently. Chris was a star athlete--a two-time team captain of his lacrosse team. He was set to graduate with stellar grades from the university's prestigious Carlson School of Management, and had job interviews lined up. He was happy, easy going, very responsible, and he had plans for the future.

The Jenkins family consulted with numerous experts, including global experts in water rescue and recovery, renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, and even reviewed their own son's autopsy photos. They learned that the appearance of Chris's body did not fit with the suicide or accident theories held by the police. Most drowning victims are found face down with their arms out toward their sides, their clothing disheveled, and one or both of their shoes missing. This is because one's natural reaction when drowning is to vigorously paddle the feet and arms and swim. Chris's body was found on it's back, arms crossed in front, his shirt tucked in to his drawstring pants and still wearing both over sized slip-on shoes. He also still had on a necklace, a ring on the left index finger and a ring on the right ring finger.

Case reopened, death reclassified as homicide

When a new police chief, Tim Dolan, was hired for the city of Minneapolis, the Jenkins family brought him the leads uncovered by their private investigator and the new evidence they had found. The chief agreed that the case had not been thoroughly investigated. In 2006, Dolan reopened the case.

That same year, an eyewitness to crime (someone in jail and reportedly facing felony charges for another crime) stepped forward to claim he was present when Chris was thrown off a bridge. The inmate told investigators that his acquaintance, after robbing Chris and finding nothing of value, became angry and threw him off the Hennepin Avenue bridge. It is not known whether the eyewitness was involved in the crime, or only providing information to bargain for leniency, but the claim had other problems.

Photo credit: MN Department of Transportation

If a bridge was involved, Chuck Loesch believed, it could not have been the Hennepin Avenue bridge. The physical layout, which includes a steel beam and suspension cables, would have made it nearly impossible to throw someone over without injury. Jenkins was not found to have any broken bones, meaning that the killer would have had to lift a grown man over the high safety railing and throw him 4- to 5-feet out over the support beam, avoiding the vertical cables in the process. The bridge is brightly lit and has heavy traffic, and no one reported seeing anything unusual on the bridge that night. Cameras with a view of the bridge also did not capture anything suspicious, including Chris walking across the bridge.

Loesch, in fact, believes it unlikely that Chris was thrown from a bridge at all. Given the fall and the river's current, Chris's shoes would not have stayed on his feet.

But where Chris entered the water may be significant: If it was further upstream, it would point to a vehicle being involved in the crime. And Chris's family has said they have various reasons to believe Chris was "thrown in the back of a van - abducted, tortured, and eventually murdered."

In 2006, Chris's death was reclassified as a homicide. During a press conference, Chief Dolan offered the Jenkins family a public apology. But in July 2007, Hennepin County declined to press any charges in the case, citing lack of evidence. The case remains unsolved.

Chris's mother, Jan Jenkins, has written a book about the family's struggle for justice. For more information, check out http://www.legacyofcourage.com/.

Case Facts:
Name/age: Christopher Mark Jenkins, 21
Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN
Residence: Minneapolis, MN
College: University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management
Major: Marketing and entrepreneurial management
Physical description: athletic (goalie and co-captain of lacrosse team)
Recovered: 02/27/03 at 1650 hours in the Mississippi River near the Horseshoe Dam south of the Third Ave. Bridge just above St. Anthony Falls. Cause of death: Drowning.
Manner of death: reclassified as a homicide
Injuries: none visible
Blood Alcohol Content: 0.07 in deep tissue, .12 in heart
Water temperature: 33 F when found
Air temperature: 35 F when found

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