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

03/21/13 (Update): Derick Higgins, 21, Smithfield, IL

Derick Higgins Missing since 3/21/13
from Smithfield, IL

I am thrilled to announce that Derick Higgins has been found safe. Derek turned up in San Diego in January 2015 and has since been reunited with his family.

"I don't even know how to explain it. There is not a way to explain it, there is not a word in the dictionary that can explain how we feel,” his parents Tim Higgins and Deb Corsaw told CBS8.com.
"When we first saw him, the first thing he did was stand up and gave us both a hug and it was....such a relief," said Higgins.

It was during a routine traffic stop that police noticed Higgins acting nervous. When his name came up in the police computer as endangered, police took him into protective custody and  brought him to the local hospital. Higgins had been living alone on the street for 22 months begging for money, fending off robbers, getting beaten and burned and eating out of trash cans. His father told the Journal Star that his son tested negative for drugs, was struggling with memory problems. CBS8.com reported that his parents believe, "prior accidents contributed to his disappearance and his memory loss."

“We are very nervous....we have a long road ahead," his father told CBS8.com. But we see light at the end of the road, we are very happy about everything.” 

His parents encourage parents of the missing to have hope. 

“Don't give up. Be persistent,” added Corsaw.


Sources:

Alford, Abbie.  Man missing for two years is found in San Diego. January 22, 2015. CBS8.com.
Accessed April 26, 2015 from http://www.cbs8.com/story/27910166/man-missing-for-two-years-is-found-in-san-diego.

Luciano, Phil. Luciano: Parents of Derick Higgins say he's looking forward to coming home. January 21, 2015. Journal Star.com. Accessed April 26, 2015 from http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150121/NEWS/150129783/?Start=1

10/13/12: Jesse Maness, 24, Siler City, NC

Jesse Maness

Jesse Maness, 24, was last seen in the parking lot of the Compadres Restaurant in the small town of Siler City, North Carolina on Oct. 13, 2012. Witnesses saw the young man in his 4-door 1995 Chevy Corsica around 2 a.m. talking on his cell phone.

Over the next six days, Jesse's friends and family searched for him. Tracing possible routes, including those to his father's or grandfather's homes, they looked in and around the creek off Hwy 22/42 more than once. They found nothing. Ultimately, on Oct. 19, Jesse's overturned car was found in that same area by a deputy who was out searching around 2 a.m. 

The Courier-Tribune reported, "N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper J. Frye, assigned to the Randolph County office, investigated the accident. He said the vehicle was traveling north, crossed the center line, struck a DOT warning sign, then hit the bridge and went into the water."

Jesse's body was found a short time later underneath the bridge. It lay outside of the car, facedown in 18 inches of water. Oddly, Jesse was wearing a different shirt than the one he had last been seen in. He was also not wearing shoes--his brand new Nike Air Max shoes were inside the car--and he was missing one sock. It has been reported on message boards on Web Sleuths that his pants were found on the ground outside the car window.

Police theorize that with a severely fractured hip,  Jesse crawled out the window onto the dry land, then crawled 30 feet upstream through stagnant water where he then drowned. But he had no life threatening injuries. Also, no explanation was given as to why Jesse would not have been driving without shoes and only one sock, or why he was wearing a different shirt. According to Web Sleuths, his wallet was also found away from the car under a rock, and his cell phone has not been recovered. Despite all the questions remaining, the case was deemed an auto accident and closed.

Jesse's mother, Kathy Gaines, believes there is more to the story. She relayed to ABC's WTVD that the medical examiner said that Jesse had only been dead for a day, but he had been missing for six.
She has posted a "Justice for Jesse" petition on Change.org urging Randolph County officials to invite the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) to review the case. She is hoping the NCSBI will find answers.
 
Click here to read and sign the petition.


Case Details
Name/age: Jesse Lewis Maness
Residence: Bear Creek, NC
Hometown: Siler City, NC (visited on weekends)
Physical Description:  6'2," 175 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes
Last seen wearing: new Nike Air Max shoes, long-sleeve cream-colored shirt, cargo-style khaki pants
Status:  Recovered.
Agency: Siler City Police Department 919-742-5626


Sources

Anderson, Mary. (2012, Oct. 19). Missing man found dead. The Courier-Tribune.com. Retrieved Dec. 30, 2013 from http://courier-tribune.com/sections/news/local/missing-man-found-dead.html.

Hinchcliffe, Kelly. (2012, Oct. 18). Siler City police searching for missing 24-year-old man. WRAL.com. Retrieved Dec. 30, 2013 from http://www.wral.com/siler-city-police-searching-for-missing-man/11673284/

Hinchcliffe, Kelly. (2012, Oct. 19). Man missing from Siler City killed in car wreck. WRAL.com. Retrieved Dec. 30, 2013 from http://www.wral.com/siler-city-police-searching-for-missing-man/11677983/

O'Hara, Kelli. (2012, Nov. 8). Mother of man found dead questions how he died. ABC.com. Retrieved Dec. 30, 2013 from
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=8878993
 
Websleuths.com. Accessed Dec. 30, 2013 from http://www.websleuths.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-188281.html
 

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

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

02/22/12: Kristopher Clarke, 29, New Town, ND

Kristopher Clarke

Kristopher Clarke's murder has been solved.  His remains are still missing.

Kristopher "K.C." David Clarke, 29, has been missing since Feb. 22, 2012.

K.C. left Texas in 2011 with the hopes of earning a little money as an operations manager for Blackstone Trucking in New Town, North Dakota. By February, it was clear the job wasn't working out and K.C. planned to leave to work for another company. He was last seen at Blackstone on February 22, 2012. The last cellphone call he made was in the Mandaree area sometime that same day.

Friends became worried about Kristopher after the stopped hearing from him. The last cellphone call he made was from the Mandaree area on the day he was last seen. And just a little over a month later, on April 1, his white 2007 Chevrolet diesel engine extended cab (license plate AC63117) turned up abandoned in Williston, ND. The landlord for a rental house he had been paying for in Texas also stopped receiving checks.

"My son K.C. Clarke has been missing for a little over a year now. I have learned a lot on this terrible journey of searching for my son, including the awareness of the immense number of people missing around the world and the terrible toll it takes on their friends and family members. My journey has been filled with uncertainties, frustration, sadness, a frantic need to get the word out that my son is missing, searching for help and just plain not knowing what to do." (Jill Williams, Facebook, March 19, 2013)

K.C.'s mother, Jill Williams, began to believe that K.C. was killed because he was leaving. She said her son told friends that he carried a gun constantly because he felt he was in danger. "He was trying to get away. He didn't want to be around those kinds of people," she said. "So, he tried to leave. And that's when they killed him." Williams was later told by federal authorities that her suspicions were correct. The owner of Blackstone Trucking, James Henrikson, had hired someone to have K.C. killed. (Donovan, 2014).

In 2015, Timothy Suckow, plead guilty to killing K.C., along with a Spokane businessman, Doug Carlile, who was shot in his home on Dec. 15, 2013. Suckow then testified in the 2016 murder-for-hire case against Henrikson, claiming that he lured K.C. into the shop of the business where he had him look at a motorcycle. While his back was turned, Suckow bludgeoned him to death with an aluminum jack handle. He then teamed up with Henrikson and a man named George Dennis to get rid of K.C.'s truck, bury his body and burn his clothes and other items. Investigators were able to recover some of the burned items to present in court, including K.C.'s money clip and part of his boot. (Spokesman Review, 2016.)

Henrikson was ultimately convicted on 11 counts of criminal enterprise that included intimidating competitors, selling illegal pills and soliciting hit men to kill K.C. Clarke and Doug Carlile. (Spokesman Review, 2016.)

K.C.'s remains are still missing.

Case Details
Kristopher D. Clarke (nickname K.C.), 29
Physical description: 5'9", 140 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes. Clarke has scars from a motorcycle accident on both his lower legs, left wrist, stomach, and over his left ribs. He also has pins and plates and walks with a slight limp. He was last seen wearing a gray jogging suit.
Last seen: 2/22/12, Brownstone Trucking, New Town, ND
Investigating Agency Contacts:
Officer Ryan Zimmerman, Williston Police Department, 701-577-1212, police@ci.williston.nd.us or Crime Stoppers, 701-572-8477


Sources
Henrikson found guilty in murder-for-hire-case (2016, Feb. 25). The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/feb/25/henrikson-found-xxxxxx-in-murder-for-hire-killings/

Nadrich, Lindsay (2016, Feb 1). Murder-for-hire hitman breaks down on the stand. KREM-TV. Retrieved January 17, 2019. https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/spokane-county/murder-for-hire-hitman-breaks-down-on-the-stand/293-29133654

Donovan, Lauren (2014, Sept 19). Murder charge with no body for evidence. Bismarck Tribune. Retrieved January 17, 2019
from https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/murder-charge-with-no-body-for-evidence/article_3931f9f8-428e-11e4-8fdf-ef1b2d944036.html

Howell, Jase (2012, June 12). Man is reported missing. Williston Herald.  Retrieved March 27, 2013 from http://www.willistonherald.com/news/man-is-reported-missing/article_f7348f7e-b4b0-11e1-86a3-0019bb2963f4.html

Leija, Amanda (2012, September 6). Funds raised for family of missing man. Brownwood Bulletin. Retrieved March 27, 2013 from http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/loca...9bb2963f4.html

Ebersole, Jenna (2012, October 1). Search continues for missing man. Williston Herald. Retrieved March 27, 2013 from http://www.willistonherald.com/news/search-continues-for-man/article_a3cdbb88-0be2-11e2-b141-001a4bcf887a.html

03/06/12: Philip Jobst, 24, Carbondale, IL

Philip Jobst is still missing.

Philip Jobst in Dec. 2011

Philip Jobst, 24, is a second year law student at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where fellow law students say he is intelligent, witty, and very well liked.

Jobst's friends last spoke to him on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. That night, at 10:07 p.m., his silver 2011 4-door Kia was found abandoned on the Chester Bridge with its flashers on. The bridge, which is roughly 20 miles from Jobst's residence and school, crosses the Mississippi River and links Illinois with Missouri.

Aside from his abandoned car, no trace of Phil Jobst has been found. According to a blog by one of Jobst's friends, Jobst's cell phone was found in the trash at his apartment.

Authorities fear that Jobst may have fallen or jumped off the Chester Bridge into the Mississippi River. He is presumed dead, but police say the investigation will remain open. On March 9 and 10, the Illinois Department of Conservation police searched the river by boat using sonar and grappling hooks, but turned up nothing.

12/11/11: Clinton Hamilton, 19, Oaktown, IN

Clinton Hamilton, 19, of Bicknell, Ind., disappeared along a rural road in Oaktown after taking his friends for a ride near the Wabash River on Dec. 11, 2011 around 4 a.m.

"They were just out driving Saturday night and for one reason or another the truck drowned out and he was going to stay with his truck and that's the
last time we had word of him," said Indiana Conservation Officer Tony Mann. (WTHITV.com, Dec. 13, 2011).

When he failed to come home, his family called police.

On Dec. 11, 2011, Hamilton’s truck was found in high flood waters near Wolf Hill in a remote part of northern Knox County. An extensive three-month, multi-agency search was then conducted using divers, boats, ATVs, air support and canines.

No trace of Hamilton was found until Sunday, Mar. 11, 2012 when Hamilton's remains were found in a corn field near the location where Hamilton went missing. A concerned citizen found the remains around 1:08 p.m. and called the Knox County Sheriff’s Department.

According to The Washington Times-Herald, "a Knox County Crime Scene Detective and Coroner Gordon Belcher processed the scene and determined the remains did indeed belong to Hamilton. Indiana Conservation Officers, Oaktown Fire Department and Knox County EMS also assisted with the recovery."

There were no signs of foul play.

An autopsy, performed on March 11 by by Forensic Pathologist Dr. John Heidinsfelder of Evansville, found that the Knox County teen had died as the result of an accident.

Funeral services were held at the Sandborn Baptist Church. Memorial contributions were made to Riley at IU Health in Hamilton's name.

If you have any information, call the Knox County Sheriff's Office, 812-882-7660.



Sources

WSAU.com. (2012, March 15). Knox County Death Ruled Accidental. WSAU.com. Retrieved April 23, 2012.

The Washington Times-Herald. (2012, March 11). Remains of Missing Teen Found in Cornfield.  Retrieved April 19, 2012.

WTHITV.com. (2011, December 13.).Truck found but teen still missing. WTHITV.com. Retrieved April 23, 2012.

10/19/11: Thomas "T.J." Murray, 23, Spring, TX

TJ Murray
MISSING SINCE 10/19/11

TJ Murray is still missing.

Thomas "TJ" Murray, 23, was last seen the night of Saturday, Oct. 19, 2011. After umpiring a Little League baseball game, he visited several bars, including On the Rox Sports Bar and Grill at 592 Sawdust Road in Spring, Texas. He was out with high school buddies, including a friend in the military who was going to be shipped overseas.

His father, Tom Murray, called TJ around midnight expecting him to be home already. TJ said he was leaving his truck at On the Rox and would be riding with friends to Rookies Sports Bar & Grill. Rookies is located at 305 Sawdust Road--the same road as On the Rox--and just 0.2 miles away.

While at Rookies, a friend reportedly called TJ's brother, James, to say that TJ was about to get into an altercation and to pick TJ up. While James was on his way, TJ was kicked out of the bar. TJ's friend had gone to the restroom and when he came back out into the bar, TJ was gone. The friend assumed TJ had left.

TJ called his father around 12:30 a.m. TJ said he had been locked out of Rookies and separated from his friends. He told his father he didn't intend to drive home and would leave his truck at Oak Ridge High School. TJ is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School, where his father has worked for 31 years as a physical education teacher.

James then arrived to pick him up, but TJ was nowhere to be found. He has not been seen since.

The next day, TJ's brother and father searched the area for any signs of TJ. His truck was still parked in On the Rox's parking lot. Soon after his disappearance, TJ's cell phone was found in a ditch near the bar. Officials would not say where it was found or if any other calls were found on the phone after Tom Murray's last call to his son. Investigators say surveillance video shows TJ in at least one of the bars that night. But cameras didn't catch whatever happened after he left. Foul play is expected in TJ's disappearance.

TJ's father, Thomas Charles Murray, Sr., has said hopes that someone knows something. "God willing, we get our son back," he said.

TJ's mother, Janelle Murray, told KHOU.com that her son is a fighter who survived leukemia after being diagnosed when he was only 5 years old. He also survived a bad car accident. “I’m just staying positive until we hear something,” she said. Sadly, just 9 months after TJ's disappearance one of his younger brothers drowned while swimming in a river.

Murray is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall and he weighs 140 pounds. He has blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing khaki shorts, a red T-shirt with white lettering on it, and a dark baseball cap.

Anyone with information about TJ's whereabouts should contact Detective Keith Funderburk, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, at 936-760-5876 or dispatch 936-760-5800.


Case Details

Name/age: Thomas "TJ" Charles“ Murray Jr., 23
College: Sam Houston State University, Junior, Consumer Science major
Physical Description: 5’6”, 140 lbs., blonde hair, blue eyes
Residence: Huntsville, Texas apartment
Last seen wearing: shorts, red t-shirt with white lettering
Last Seen: 10/19/11, Rookies Sports Bar & Grill at 305 Sawdust Road in Spring, Texas.
Status: Missing
Investigating Agency: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, 936-760-5876 or 936-760-5800.
Links: https://www.facebook.com/bringTJhome


Posted: 01/27/12. Updated: 6/7/2019.

01/14/01: Immanuel Tharrington, 32, Philadelphia, PA

Manny Tharrington

Immanuel “Manny” Tharrington, 32, was last seen on Jan. 14, 2001. Tharrington, a sales associate for Kenneth Cole clothing, was planning to move to Las Vegas to start a new job at Saks Fifth Avenue. On the night he disappeared, he dined with friends at the Dandelion Restaurant at 18th and Sansom Streets. Afterward, he headed to Club Whisper alone. The VIP club is located on Walnut Street in a busy area of downtown Philadelphia. Tharrington left the club alone around 2:15 a.m., and it was the last time he was seen.

On Jan. 15, 2011, police pulled Tharrington’s ice laden 2003 Jeep Cherokee from the Schuylkill River near the Columbia Bridge. The vehicle’s gearshift was in neutral, and the driver’s door was open, but there were no signs of injury or foul play.

Six weeks later, on Feb. 28, Tharrington’s body was found in the water near the Robert Gillin Jr. Boathouse at 2200 Kelly Drive, Philadelphia, PA. The Boathouse is the home to the Saint Joseph's University men's and women's rowing teams.

Tharrington lived on the 1100 block of West Erie Avenue. Kelly Drive is located between Club Whisper and and Tharrington's residence.

Club Whisper has since made surveillance footage available to investigators, but authorities have not released any information about his death.

12/06/11: Jeremy Gillis, 22, New Richmond, WI

Jeremy Gillis

On the morning of Dec. 6, St. Croix County deputies responded to reports of a one-vehicle crash in Erin Prairie, Wis. at about 6:30 a.m., about a quarter mile west of County Road T on County Road K. A passerby had reported that a car was on its side on County Highway K near County Highway T. The vehicle looked like it had been there awhile and was abandoned.

When deputies arrived on the scene, the vehicle was indeed empty. The car's owner, Jeremy Gillis, 22, of rural New Richmond, Wisc., was nowhere to be found.

Tracks in the snow near the vehicle zig-zagged across the road and were eventually lost on the blacktop portion, Sheriff John Shilts said.

“We checked the area and even checked the residence of the vehicle’s owner,” Chief Deputy Scott Knudson told the New Richmond News. Calls were also placed to local hospitals in hopes of locating the victim; however, none had admitted Gillis.

When deputies cleared the accident scene at 7:34 a.m., Gillis's family went out looking for him. The family stumbled upon some tracks leading down to the river from County Road T. At about 9 a.m., a family member reported that Gillis had been found floating in the Willow River.

Knudson said it’s unknown how Gillis ended up in the river after the crash.

“Without anyone to tell us what happened, we’re not really sure how he ended up in the river,” he said.

Knudson said it appears Gillis lost control of his vehicle while driving along Country Road K; however, the impact is not what caused Gillis’ death.

"We’re not considering this a traffic fatality,” he said.

On Wednesday, December 7, the Pioneer Press reported that the cause of death had been determined. Police believe that after falling into the water, Gillis was overcome by hypothermia and then drowned.

Sheriff John Shilts had said previously that there was nothing to indicate foul play.


About Jeremy Gillis

Jeremy Joseph Gillis Jeremy was born on May 5, 1989, to Joe and Judy (Kemling) Gillis.

He is survived by his loving son, Kayden Gillis; parents, Joe and Judy Gillis; brothers, Justin Gillis, Jake Gillis; sister, Jessica Gillis; grandparents Ron and Vivian Kemling and Rosemary Gillis; along with Kadyen’s mom and Jeremy’s friend, Jessica Foster.

Jeremy’s true devotion was to his son, Kadyen. He was also exceptionally passionate about dairy farming and spending time with friends.

A mass of Christian Burial was held for Jeremy on Friday, Dec. 9, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Erin Prairie, Wis.


Case Summary

Name/age: Jeremy Joseph Gillis, 22
Residence: New Richmond, WI
Last seen: unknown
Recovered: 12/6/11, Willow River

06/03/11: Ryan Finchum, 25, Medford, OR

Ryan Finchum

Ryan Finchum, 25, was last seen June 3 in Medford, Ore. He had recently gotten out of jail on a driving under the influence charge and a stay in a hospital. His family was not aware that he had gotten out and was not contacted about his disappearance until the following month.

Car Found


Photo Credit: News Watch 12


On June 7, 2010, Finchum's car, a purple 2002 Dodge Intrepid, was found abandoned and stuck in the mud in the mountains near the Klamath River Canyon on June 7. The desolate, rugged area where the car ws found is south of Klamath Falls near the California border. Klamath County Sheriff said he left behind his Blackberry cell phone, groceries, and items for his eight-month old daughter.

Ryan's family is disturbed by the cell phone being left behind. "He would never, never leave that cell phone," his mother, Leigh, told the Mail Tribune. And, she added, "From what we understand that is a place where criminals dump stolen cars."

The family has told Footprints that the car was not removed from the mountains until the end of July. It then sat in the police parking lot until mid-September when it was finally processed. Ryan Finchum remained missing during this time.


Recovery

On August 7, 2010, an ATV rider spotted the remains of Ryan Finchum floating in the Klamath River just a short distance downstream from where Finchum's car had been found the previous month. Due to water conditions, recovery efforts could not begin until the following day. On August 8, the Klamath County swift-water rescue team recovered the body from from a rapid where it had become lodged in the rocks.

Sheriff Tim Evinger told the media that the level of decomposition was too advanced for the Klamath County medical examiner to be able to determine a cause of death. However, the body bore no obvious signs of trauma, so it is suspected the Finchum might have drowned. Klamath County Sheriff's Office has officially suspended the case, but Leigh Finchum, Ryan Finchum's mother, says she will continue to stay in touch with investigators.

Leigh Finchum, lives in Texas where Finchum's father and younger sister reside. His eight-month-old daughter and her mother, live in Medford.

"You know that this is hard," Leigh Finchum told NewsWatch 12. "But the years to come is what will be harder, trying to explain to his daughter, our granddaughter, where her daddy is and why he's not here," Finchum said.


About Ryan Finchum

Ryan Finchum grew up in a military family and lived in several spots across the country, including Norman, Okla., where he still has friends. He served a brief stint in the Army before he was discharged with a medical issue. In the days before he went missing, he was looking for a job.

Ryan Finchum had faced some adversity in his life in recent years, his mother told the Mail Tribune, but was proud of his daughter and would often take her on walks to the Rogue Valley Mall.


Facts of Interest
Name/age: Ryan Finchum, 25
Last seen: 6/3/10, Medford, Oregon
Recovered:  6/8/10 (found 6/7), Klamath River
Physical Description: 6'4", 250 pounds, red hair, several tattoos, including "FINCHUM" splayed across his should blades, a large Celtic cross with praying hands clutching dog tags across his back, two M-16 rifles on his left bicep and a skull with a rattlesnake on his right bicep.
Investigating Agency: Klamath County Sheriff's Department, 541-883-5130.

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

George DeLany

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

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

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

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

02/21/11: Barrett Snyder, 24, Biloxi, MS

Barrett Snyder

Barrett Andrew Snyder, 24, was last seen in the early morning hours of Feb. 21, 2011. The Montgomery, Alabama resident was a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and had just graduated U.S. Air Force Officer Training School on Feb. 18. Three days later (2/21), Snyder was on his way to Texas, where he was assigned to begin intelligence training. On his way to Texas, he visited Biloxi, Mississippi, checking in at the Kessler Air Force Base on Feb. 21. He contacted his family that day. That was the last time they heard from him.

Snyder’s fully-clothed body was found floating face-down at the edge of a sand bar in Mississippi Sound at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, February 27, 2011. The location was about 30 yards from the shore of Miramar Park. People walking on the beach at first thought they were seeing a dolphin; and it wasn’t until they got closer that they saw shoes and realized it was a person.

Biloxi police said there were no obvious signs of foul play.

An autopsy, performed by Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove, showed that Snyder had drowned and had likely been dead for about six days.

Donald Snyder said, "The coroner told me today that they don't believe there was any foul play and that it was probably an accidental drowning," Snyder's father said Monday night. "The police are asking some of the businesses in the area if they have cameras that might have recorded what happened ... because they don't know what happened."

Hargrove said Barrett Andrew Snyder last spoke with a friend in the early morning hours of Feb. 21 and forensic tests indicate Snyder died soon after that.

Police found Snyder’s black 2009 Subaru Legacy about 2-1/2 miles away. The car was parked in the parking lot of Venues, a nightclub on Caillavet Street, in an area where there are piers.

How Snyder reached the area where he was later found remains unclear.

"I know I'm sounding like a grandmother, but Barry, he was a very caring kind of person, and a super guy," grandmother Janet Snyder of Hollidaysburg said. "We are just all in shock, and I can't imagine what happened to him."

Police say the investigation is ongoing.


About Barrett Snyder

Barrett Snyder, a native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, is the son of Altoona optometrist Donald G. and Sandy Snyder and a 2004 graduate of Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School. Snyder played soccer in high school and later went on to play for Grove City College and then became a girls' soccer coach for Mount Aloysius College.

Snyder was living in Altoona until October when he moved to Montgomery, Alabama, and enrolled in U.S. Air Force Officer Training School.

"He delayed going to the training in Alabama so he could finish the soccer season at Mount Aloysius," Donald Snyder said. "He just loved coaching that team."

He graduated from U.S. Air Force Officer Training School on Feb. 18 during a ceremony his parents attended at the Maxwell Air Force Base.

Snyder said the Air Force is assisting with funeral arrangements, which are pending.

"This has been quite a shock for the whole family," Snyder said. "We've just been trying to make sense of it all."

If you have any information about Barrett Snyder, call the Biloxi Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division at (228) 435-6112 or Police Dispatch at (228) 392-0641.

11/01/09: Russell Plummer, 20, Bloomer, WI

Russell Plummer

On November 1, 2009, 20-year old Russell J. Plummer, a private in the National Guard, disappeared after leaving the Mornings Corner Tavern, east of Bloomer, Wisconsin.

His mother, Penny Hetke, said her son said hello to a friend, took $20 out of the ATM, bought either a beer or a soda, and left the bar. It was the last time he was seen.

His family reported him missing on November 8 after he did not report for weekend training with the Guard.

Plummer's Honda Civic
Photo credit: WQOW.com

A search party located Plummer's yellow Honda Civic parked deep in the Chippewa County Forest, north of Bob Lake. The car was found on a path off a dirt trail where he often drove. The ignition was on, and the battery was dead.

Plummer's body was found by Chippewa County Sheriff's deputies near a pile of brush, 30-40 yards down the hill from his car in the Hay Meadow Flowage area of the forest. He had on a coat, but his pants were unzipped and around his thighs. There were no outward signs of traumatic injury or a struggle.

The body was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office where it was autopsied by Dr. Michael McGee. McGee noted that Plummer had non-life threatening contusions and abrasions to the face, arms, legs and back, but no traumatic injuries. He ruled that Plummer's death was caused by hypothermia due to exposure--his death was an accident.

Jay North, Russell's father, said that the Sheriff's Department told him that his son's injuries were consistent with having fallen down the hill.

But for Plummer's family and friends, the investigation and subsequent ruling left them with more questions than answers.

Plummer was a tough outdoorsman who loved to hunt and fish and who knew those woods "like the back of his hand." He had also been through training with the National Guard and was scheduled to go to Afghanistan.

They questioned how Plummer could have died from exposure, just feet from the car containing his cell phone and a bag full of warm clothes.

Plummer's toxicology results had been negative for drugs and alcohol.

The family also received some conflicting information.

Since Russell was in the National Guard, the U.S. Army does a companion investigation. The Chippewa County Sheriff's department provides the Criminal Investigation Command at Ft. McCoy with information, and asks questions surrounding the case.

In one set of documents it was reported that, "the location and position of the body were inconsistent with a fall down the hill." In other reports, it shows Russell's injuries were "consistent with a tumbling fall or slide."

North says, "(The Chippewa County Sheriff's Department) told us all the injuries were consistent with him taking a tumble down that hill."

An investigator with Chippewa County reported to the Ft. McCoy office that there were too many trees on the hill that would've stopped Russell's body from reaching the bottom of the hill.

- WQOW.com, 11/16/10.

In late November 2010, a two-part investigation by Fox 9 News Twin Cities aired, questioning the way some death investigations had been handled by the Ramsey County Medical Examiners Office. After seeing that report, the Plummer family contacted Fox 9 investigators. They wondered whether Russell's death had been reviewed as carefully as it could have been.

The family also hired Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a hypothermia expert from Canada. Giesbrecht told Fox 9 that, "something killed him immediately and he cooled thereafter, or something inhibited him and he cooled until he died."

The Fox 9 investigation noted that tissue samples of Plummer's heart and brain were never tested to look for medical conditions that might have caused him to die suddenly.

And tests for "date rape" drugs like chloroform, GHB, and Rohypnol--which might knock a person out--were never done, even though Plummer had last been seen at a bar and his pants were partially down. Routine specimens were collected as part of a sexual assault examination, but those tests were not tested to determine if another person's DNA was present.

Fox 9 asked two other forensic pathologists to review the records from Plummer's autopsy--both said they would not have come to the conclusion that Plummer's death was hypothermia until all other facts had been ruled out.

You can watch the Fox 9 video here.

About Russell Plummer

BLOOMER - Russell J. Plummer, age 20, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, in the Chippewa County Forest in Wisconsin.

He was born March 24, 1989, in Rice Lake to Penny Plummer and Jay North. He attended St. Paul Lutheran School and Bloomer High School. He was a member of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and a recent graduate of Army Specialty Training in artillery weapons repair. He was also the honor graduate for his class at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. He enjoyed being in the Army, hunting, fishing, being outdoors, working on and riding motorcycles, cars and snowmobiles, spending time with his family and friends.

He is survived by mother, Penny (Vinnie) Hetke, of Cornell; father, Jay (Rochelle) North, of New Auburn; maternal grandparents, Russell (Clancy) Plummer of Weyerhaeuser and Ruth Hetke of Bloomer; paternal grandparents, Jeanette (Kenneth) Bell of Cameron and Elmer (Eileen) Dahlberg of Barron; brothers, Vinny Hetke III of Cornell, Chad (Katie) Manor of Monroe, Casey Manor of New Auburn and Nathan Peterson of New Auburn; sisters, Dustine (Eric) Gass of New Auburn, Sachel Hetke of Cornell and Kaysa North of New Auburn; numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins; and friends.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfathers, Vinton Hetke Sr. and Allen "Whiskers" North; and best friend, Chip Rands.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, 2009, at Seventh Day Baptist Church in New Auburn, with the Rev. Wayne North officiating. Interment will be in the New Auburn Cemetery with full military rites.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Olson Funeral Home in Bloomer, and one hour prior to services on Monday at the church.

Online condolences may be expressed at olsonfuneralhomebloomer.com.

- Eau Claire Leader-Telegram obituary, 11/13/09.

Facts of Interest
Last Seen:  11/1/09, Mornings Corner Tavern, 18982 State Highway 124 # 64, Bloomer, WI
Recovered: 11/10/09, Chippewa County Forest, Chippewa County, WI
Physical Description: 5'5", 145 pounds, slim build, brown eyes and brown hair in a crew cut
Investigating Agency: Chippewa County sheriff's office, (715) 726-7701.

01/31/10: Bryce Tarter, 19, Savannah, GA

Update (12/14/10): The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has released its investigative findings into the death of Bryce Tarter. Investigators say the missing student drowned in his submerged pickup truck, possibly after running off the road. According to WTOC.com, "The Georgia State Patrol accident reconstruction team estimates Bryce's truck was traveling between 25 and 45 miles per hour down the road leading to Bell's Landing. The report speculates Bryce may not have noticed that the road ended, and plunged right into the water....A toxicology report was inconclusive, saying the body was too badly decomposed to test for drugs or alcohol."

The GBI is currently working with the family to return any of Tarter's belongings, after which, they say, the case will be closed. According to GBI's Micah Ward, the case file is complete.

Sources:

http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=13654821 

http://www.wtoc.com/Global/story.asp?S=13652861

10/02/10: Arsim Leku, 29, James Bay, BC, Canada

Arsim Leku

Arsim Leku, 29, was last seen by his brother, Arber, on Oct. 2 at 10:30 p.m. who lives on Michigan Street in James Bay, British Columbia. Leku had stopped at his brothers for pizza and beer, and decided to stay the night, as he often does. When Arber got up in the morning, Arsim was gone. His cellphone went to message mode.

"That's very unusual," Arber told The Times Colonist. "He never turns his cellphone off."

The family checked with the police and the hospital, and found nothing.

Arber and another brother, Arton, then spotted their brother's 1995 dark green Neon on the side of the road. The car, which has an "N" on the rear window, was on the 500 block of Beach Drive, near Transit Road in Oak Bay, B.C. It was empty and unlocked, and all that was found in the car was a pack of cigarettes.

A closed-circuit surveillance camera showed Arsim leaving Arber's apartment building at 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 3. It is unknown why Leku left or what occurred after that.

"He just vanished," said Arber.

In early October, divers scoured the waters off Beach Drive near Kitty Islet in an unsuccessful search for Leku.

On Oct. 31, Ursu's body was discovered by boaters in the waters in Oak Bay near Cattle Point around 1:30 p.m. The Times Colonist reported, "Oak Bay police and two Canadian Coast Guard auxiliary vessels responded and were on scene for about two hours."

The clothes and shoes on the body are the same as the ones last worn by Leku--a black fleece jacket, blue jeans, white and yellow runners. His cellphone and keys were found in a pocket.


About Arsim Leku

Arsim Leku has been described as quiet, hard-working and even-tempered. He was a second-year plumber's apprentice working on the Royal Jubilee construction site. He had no history of drug use, history of mental illness, and had never disappeared before. He always kept in touch with his family and others in the tightly-knit Kosovar-Canadian community in the Victoria area.

"He led a very normal life," says Arber.

Arsim shared a home in Gordon Head, B.C., with his his parents, brother Arton and Arton's wife and child.

The family immigrated to the area after being expelled from the home in Pristina, Kosovo during the violence of the Kosovo Conflict. After spending a few months in a Macedonian refugee camp, the family was taken to Canada with just the clothes on their backs. Arsim, who was 18 at the time, ended up graduating from Vic High. He got a job at Victorian Epicure right out of school, where he worked while studying plumbing at Camosun College. He talked about saving enough money to visit Kosovo someday.

Leku's family says his disappearance doesn't make any sense.

"We can speculate all we want," said Arber, "but we have no clue. We just hope somebody saw him that night with the car."

If you have any information, call Sgt. Chris Horsley, Saanich Police, 250-475-4321.


Case Details 
Name/age: Arsim Leku, 29
Last seen: 10/2/10, Michigan Street, James Bay, BC
Recovered: 10/31/10, near Cattle Point, Oak Bay, BC
Residence: Cattle Head, BC, Canada
Physical Description: 5'8", 160 pounds, with short, dark brown hair. He was wearing a black fleece jacket, blue jeans, white and yellow runners.
Investigating Agency: Saanich Police, 250-475-4321, Sgt. Chris Horsley.

01/10/10: Paul Foster, 28, Hamilton, ON, CAN

Paul Michael Foster, 28, of Hamilton, Ontario, was last seen at his parents' Burlington home on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at approximately 6:00 p.m. before he left to see a movie. It was the last time he was seen.

Foster's family became concerned about his well-being after learning that his faithful dog had been barking and howling for 3 days. It was out of character for him to leave his dog unattended. He had also not accessed his bank accounts or made contact with his friends, which was out of the ordinary for him.


Paul Foster recovered

On September 3, 2010, Foster's eroded truck was found in Hamilton Harbour with the license plate still intact. Fosters body was still inside. Police told the Hamilton Spectator that they believe the truck went through or over the guard rail, which is about 7.8 inches (20 centimeters) in height. They said they "have no reason" to believe it hadn't been there since Foster disappeared in January.

According to the Spectator, a crew of divers from the Department of National Defence Dive Team had been preparing the docking site for the arrival of HMCS Fredericton, a 4,750-ton ship due to arrive at the Catharine Street North pier on September 7. The crew was searching for scrap metal in the area when they discovered the fully submerged pickup truck. The vehicle was pulled up around 7:30pm at Pier 9 of Catharine Street North.

The autopsy results show no signs of foul play.

04/25/10: Josh Blahna, 26, Kensal, ND

Josh Blahna

Twenty-six-year-old Josh Blahna was last seen on Sunday, April 25, 2010. Blahna disappeared after he blew a tire and pulled off the road just outside his mother's rural home about 10 miles northwest of Kensal, ND.


The search for Joshua Blahna

After Josh Blahna disappearance, posters were hung, a Facebook page was created, and Josh's family posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to his discovery. Officials and volunteers were also out searching for the young man.

On Wednesday, April 28, authorities found Blahna’s car near his mother’s farm and tracks leading to the nearby James River. One of Blahna's shoes was found near the river, and it was identified by his mother. The shoe was also not far from his mother's house. Further search efforts by water and air on Wednesday were hampered by cold temperatures and strong winds. Spring flooding had also created high water and strong currents in the James River, making a river search unsafe. Crews were only able comb the banks of the river on all-terrain vehicles.

The following day, searchers returned to drag the river, yet the seven hour search turned up nothing.

On Monday, May 3, The Red River Search and Rescue dog unit joined Dakota Search and Rescue Dogs in the search for Blahna. The search for Blahna was ongoing until May 10, 2010, when Blahna's body was found in the James River by family members at about 11-a.m.

The case perplexed local sheriff, Mike Tufte, who told WDAY News 6, “This just doesn't happen like this here.” The paper reported, "Tufte says it's been more than 20 years since Foster County has had a drowning. That one was accidental, he's not so sure about this one. If there was foul play, Tufte says family members don't know who would be behind it. They tell him Joshua had no enemies."

The body was found in Foster County about nine miles northwest of Kensal, ND. The location was a mile and a half south of where he is believed to have entered the river. After it was recovered, it was sent to the North Dakota Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy.

 

On May 12, 2010, the Foster County sheriff announced that the death had been ruled an accident. Preliminary autopsy results showed that Joshua Blahna drowned.

About Joshua Blahna

Joshua's obituary read:

"Joshua James Blahna is the son of James Blahna and Donna (Hoffman) Mack, and was born on June 11, 1983, in Carrington, ND. He was raised and attended school at Kensal, graduating in 2002. Josh attended Moorhead Tech and recently was farming with his father and brother, Jeremiah, in the Kensal and Carrington areas. Josh worked on wind tower construction near Valley City, ND, and in Iowa, and installed fiber optic underground cable near Jamestown, ND. He was a hard worker.
Josh liked hunting, boating, fishing, was a great downhill skier and had awesome boxing abilities - he was like greased lightening! He worked at body building and weight lifting. He especially enjoyed hanging out with his friends and had a special relationship with his brother, Jeremiah and sister, Casey. Josh was very proud of Jeremiah and Casey, they had many good times camping, cowboying and wrestling. Casey made special gifts just for Josh that he loved.
Josh loved to travel and wanted to see the world. One of his favorite stories he told his friends was about teasing crazy cows- he’d laugh because the cows couldn’t catch him. He loved all animals and couldn’t pass by a lamb or newborn calf without petting it and marveling at how soft it was.
He will be remembered most for his wonderful smile, big heart and his defense of those in need of help. He is home now with Jesus, but will always be here in the hearts of those that loved him. He is a special person who leaves us- On the Wings of Eagles!
Josh will be remembered and deeply missed by his parents, James Blahna and Donna (Bob) Mack, both of Kensal; his brother, Jeremiah, Carrington; his sister, Casey Mack, Kensal; grandmother, Irene Blahna, Kensal; grandfather, Marvin Hoffman, Carrington; special friend, Jennifer Schultes, Fargo, ND; step-brothers, Chris (Lisa) Mack, Williston, ND, and Mike (Jess) Mack, Fargo; step-sisters, Cheri (Perry) Brubaker, Arvilla, ND, and Melissa (Eric) Gauthier, Cavalier, ND; Aunts/Uncles, Jackie (Steve) Blahna-Becker, Minot, ND, Betty Blahna, San Francisco, CA, Suzanne (Rod) Mathwich, Prescott, WI, Christie (Ric) Herman, Moorhead, MN, Cynthia (Donnie) Colvin, Sylvania, AL, Loretta (Harry) Kaatz, Denver, CO, Marlys (Gary) Stangeland, Garland, TX, Marlene (Robert) Smith, Carrington, ND; Cousins, Shauna, Rick, Matt, Erin, Logan, Rhys, Justin, Blaine, Eric, Alicia, Hailey, Chris, Angie, Kenny, Sara, Amanda, Nick, and Amy.
He was preceded in going to Jesus, by his grandfather, Bill Blahna; grandmother, Lucy Hoffman; and Uncle Bill Blahna." (Source: Obituary)

A funeral was held for Josh on Saturday, May 15, 2010 at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Kensal, ND with a burial at Kensal Cemetery.


Quick Facts:
Name/age: Joshua Blahna, 26
Last seen: 4/25/10, Kensal, ND
Recovered: 5/10/10, James River, Kensal, ND
Physical Description: 5'9," 150 lbs., black hair, hazel eyes
College: had attended Moorehead Tech

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

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

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

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

His family reported him missing the following Monday.

The search for Syed Naqi

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

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

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

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

Naqi found

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

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

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

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

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

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


About Syed Naqi

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

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

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


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


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