CT- Annie Le, 24, Yale Student, Missing 9/8/09 #1

[SeriouslySearching]

Angel Who Cares..You are an Angel for posting all the videos & links..Thanks so much! :blowkiss:

Today, so far, we know a professor & another man (?) may possibly be involved..That is some progress at least..I still believe the fire alarm plays a role no matter what LE says..I just read the story re: woman found in duct..They even checked landfill (in PA?) where the trash is dumped within 4 days..LE did this yesterday outside the lab but where else? Unless the trash was not removed since Tuesday? That is hard to believe especially since it contains ?? from the research center..A poster (?) wonders if that really is Annie & now I wonder too cos of the clothes..This Asian woman is dressed very dowdy-ish & that is not her style from the many pix of Annie I have seen..Maybe it is not her & she never made it to the lab..As far as I know it has never been confirmed by anyone there but it could be we just have not heard.

Her co-workers and 2 lab partners saw her before she went missing. They would have verified what she was wearing at the time and the reason it is posted on her billboard, in the media, and by LE. They hopefully would have asked this very important question and not gone by what was wearing on the tape alone. For this reason, I have to believe it is her on the tape.

Many grad students don't dress for classes since it is not important to them. The main focus is on what they are doing for the day and not being stylish, but comfortable instead. To me, her photo almost looks like she is wearing house shoes, but I am sure they are probably those ugly shoes people wear for safety working around a lab.

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Yale Professor Questioned in Graduate Student's Disappearance
Updated: Saturday, 12 Sep 2009, 1:16 PM EDT
Published : Saturday, 12 Sep 2009, 8:46 AM EDT
<snipped>
Detectives questioned a Yale professor Friday who suddenly canceled class about the same time graduate student Annie Le vanished, a police source told the New York Daily News.

Le, 24, a doctoral student in pharmacology at the Ivy League university, was supposed to attend the class Tuesday afternoon. But the course was canceled shortly before Le was reported missing, according to the News.

A New Haven police source told the paper that investigators grew suspicious about the timing and questioned the professor. It wasn't known whether that person is considered a suspect or what came out of the interview.

Le was last seen about 10 a.m. Tuesday morning on surveillance camera outside a lab in the Yale School of Medicine complex, less than a mile from the main campus in New Haven, Conn.

About the same time, she swiped her Yale ID at the facility's entrance. There was no footage of her leaving the building, in spite of a fire alarm that went off about 12:40 p.m. The alarm isn't thought to be connected to her disappearance.

Photos:
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2009/09/12/yale-graduate-student-disappears

Article:
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/new...d_in_Graduate_Students_Disappearance_52160708

:angel:

 

[Chili Fries]

If you look at the building, 10 Amistad St, on Bing maps bird's eye view it's a huge facility. It has a parking deck attached to the building and there is a large loading dock area. It also looks like you might be able to access the surrounding buildings through enclosed walkways without having to go outside. There are probably a lot of different ways you could leave the area.

It's the big building on the corner of Amistad and Cedar, right across from the big grassy lawn with the circular sidewalk.

 

[jamiect]

According to this article, the professor cancelled the class "shortly before she was reported missing."
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/new...d_in_Graduate_Students_Disappearance_52160708

According to the article, Le, 24, a doctoral student in pharmacology at the Ivy League university, was supposed to attend the class Tuesday afternoon. But the course was canceled shortly before Le was reported missing.

Then why would Anton Bennett send out an email at noon? Something is wrong


Pharmacology Department chair Joseph Schlessinger said he first learned of Le’s disappearance from her faculty advisor Anton Bennett, an assistant professor in the pharmacology department. A 2007 graduate of the University of Rochester, Le is studying for a Ph.D. in pharmacology and molecular medicine.

Schlessinger said that Bennett e-mailed him yesterday around noon informing him that Le had not come in to work and that no one knew where she was. Police confiscated all of Le’s materials from the Anton Bennet Lab in the Sterling Hall Department of Pharmacology, where she worked.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/ci...-goes-missing/

 

[KaylynnCouture]

No record of her ever leaving the building and now a Professor is being questioned. Doesn't sound so good for this poor little lady does it?

No, it doesn't

 

[eyes4crime]

Bennett labs - welcome pics, staff etc Click on... 'people'.. and you will see how young Bennett is...and the names of the students who have been in the lab.

http://info.med.yale.edu/pharm/bennett/

 

[Dogface]

If Annie was killed on Tuesday, the odor of decomp would be unbearable. Unless she was placed in a freezer or refrig I can't imagine anyone not tearing up from the odor. I remember that case, but can't remember what led LE to the body.

My heart goes out to Annie's friends, family, and loved ones. Can you imagine having to deal with your daughter gone missing and taking care of cancelling a wedding that has taken over a year to plan. You have nurtured her and taken care of her to be the best she can be and ...poof...she's gone!! How terrible.

Not to sound crude, but there are lots of things in a lab that can accelerate decomposition and reduce odor, most labs do have incinerators(how our lab disposes of plastic ware and certain contaminants they might hold) and they have incubators/freezers as well, and incubators usually smell HORRIBLE to begin with(all those beef broth cultures do not smell well after being in the heat) so its all a possibility. Since we are discussing highly intelligent people, who would understand olfactory response and what chemicals would over ride other odors in the air...but after the Fiore murder, it seems someone her size could fit into a very small bag/container...and if she was put in some type of acid (HCl is in every lab - and a very strong acid) it wouldn't take long for their to be little to no evidence of her left behind....

As for the chance of an affair with the Prof, while I do not know the character of either, I know I have been shocked to learn of student-professor affairs at my small woman's university, which included a geriatric professor and several of the grad students TA's....so it is a possibility- we have talked so much about competition in the lab, and it seems sometimes, people might feel pressured to participate in these relationships to just get in the door in their field - which in itself is disturbing.

I am still just keeping my fingers crossed they find her, and soon. I can't imagine what her fiance must be going through...what is suppose to be the greatest weekend of your life is now a nightmare.

ETA - most lab incinerators I am familiar with are pretty small (shoe box size) - so I am not sure that that is too likely a option.

 

[STEADFAST]

According to the article, Le, 24, a doctoral student in pharmacology at the Ivy League university, was supposed to attend the class Tuesday afternoon. But the course was canceled shortly before Le was reported missing.

Then why would Anton Bennett send out an email at noon? Something is wrong


Pharmacology Department chair Joseph Schlessinger said he first learned of Le&#8217;s disappearance from her faculty advisor Anton Bennett, an assistant professor in the pharmacology department. A 2007 graduate of the University of Rochester, Le is studying for a Ph.D. in pharmacology and molecular medicine.

Schlessinger said that Bennett e-mailed him yesterday around noon informing him that Le had not come in to work and that no one knew where she was. Police confiscated all of Le&#8217;s materials from the Anton Bennet Lab in the Sterling Hall Department of Pharmacology, where she worked.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/ci...-goes-missing/

It seems strange to me that Bennett would say Le had "not come in to work" when she actually had been in her office at Sterling Hall and left her stuff there. Seems like he would say, "She must be around somewhere because her things are here. I'm sure she'll show up for her class. She's probably in the bathroom."


". . . Le began the day Tuesday working in her lab at the Sterling Hall of Medicine, said University Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer.
Le left the lab sometime Tuesday morning to walk the three blocks to the Amistad Street facility where she frequently works on experiments, according to Lorimer.
She brought her Yale identification card with her &#8212; records show that she swiped it at the building's entrance about 10 a.m. &#8212; but left her purse with her cell phone, credit cards and money in her Sterling office, Lorimer said."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,548904,00.html

 

[eyes4crime]

Not to sound crude, but there are lots of things in a lab that can accelerate decomposition and reduce odor, most labs do have incinerators(how our lab disposes of plastic ware and certain contaminants they might hold) and they have incubators/freezers as well, and incubators usually smell HORRIBLE to begin with(all those beef broth cultures do not smell well after being in the heat) so its all a possibility. Since we are discussing highly intelligent people, who would understand olfactory response and what chemicals would over ride other odors in the air...but after the Fiore murder, it seems someone her size could fit into a very small bag/container...and if she was put in some type of acid (HCl is in every lab - and a very strong acid) it wouldn't take long for their to be little to no evidence of her left behind....

As for the chance of an affair with the Prof, while I do not know the character of either, I know I have been shocked to learn of student-professor affairs at my small woman's university, which included a geriatric professor and several of the grad students TA's....so it is a possibility- we have talked so much about competition in the lab, and it seems sometimes, people might feel pressured to participate in these relationships to just get in the door in their field - which in itself is disturbing.

I am still just keeping my fingers crossed they find her, and soon. I can't imagine what her fiance must be going through...what is suppose to be the greatest weekend of your life is now a nightmare.

ETA - most lab incinerators I am familiar with are pretty small (shoe box size) - so I am not sure that that is too likely a option.

You are absolutely right! Cultures and incubators do smell horrible, proteins in general smell sickening. And hydrochloric acid would do away with the body without the odor. What a horrible thought!! My heart goes out to all those who love and cherish Annie, what a huge loss. Her research would have been a great gift to society as well as her presence as a loving human being. This is so tragic.

 

[STEADFAST]

Here's a quote from Anton Bennett from earlier in the case (Published Thursday, the 10th):

Bennett, for his part, said he was first contacted by police late Tuesday after Le’s roommate reported her missing.
He emphasized that his eight-person laboratory team, of which Le is a member, works closely together and, as such, her colleagues noticed her absence quickly.
“There was certainly immediate concern about her whereabouts,” Bennett said. “And they grew over the course of the day,” especially after she missed a pathology class for which she is a teaching assistant.
http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2009/09/11/ten-hours-days-and-still-smiling/

 

[jamiect]

It seems strange to me that Bennett would say Le had "not come in to work" when she actually had been in her office at Sterling Hall and left her stuff there. Seems like he would say, "She must be around somewhere because her things are here. I'm sure she'll show up for her class. She's probably in the bathroom."


". . . Le began the day Tuesday working in her lab at the Sterling Hall of Medicine, said University Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer.
Le left the lab sometime Tuesday morning to walk the three blocks to the Amistad Street facility where she frequently works on experiments, according to Lorimer.
She brought her Yale identification card with her — records show that she swiped it at the building's entrance about 10 a.m. — but left her purse with her cell phone, credit cards and money in her Sterling office, Lorimer said."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,548904,00.html

Very suspicious to me. She leaves Sterling where I believe Anton Bennett has a lab, arrives at Amistad and 2 hours later he starts emailing his concerns before Annie's class is scheduled to begin. Makes no sense.

 

[STEADFAST]

Very suspicious to me. She leaves Sterling where I believe Anton Bennett has a lab, arrives at Amistad and 2 hours later he starts emailing his concerns before Annie's class is scheduled to begin. Makes no sense.

I agree. Plus, earlier he was quoted as saying she "missed" the pathology class and that is when he became concerned (see my post below). But there was no class that day to miss, since he had cancelled it.

 

[Chili Fries]

To think it could be some one she knew instead of what she was really worried about...street crime.

 

[amysmom]

Her co-workers and 2 lab partners saw her before she went missing. They would have verified what she was wearing at the time and the reason it is posted on her billboard, in the media, and by LE. They hopefully would have asked this very important question and not gone by what was wearing on the tape alone. For this reason, I have to believe it is her on the tape.

Many grad students don't dress for classes since it is not important to them. The main focus is on what they are doing for the day and not being stylish, but comfortable instead. To me, her photo almost looks like she is wearing house shoes, but I am sure they are probably those ugly shoes people wear for safety working around a lab.

TY! for the confirmation..Your explanation re: clothes makes sense altho I am still somewhat surprised at how she looks.

 

[jamiect]

New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington and an inspector from his office, Timothy Reardon, arrived at a research lab at 10 Amistad St. as police continue to look for Annie Le, 24, inside the building. Investigators were seen bringing in blueprints of the building.

http://www.courant.com/community/new-haven/hc-yale-missing-0912.artsep11,0,4181908.story

Is this common?...meaning SA

 

[jyram]

I don't think its odd that they would be alarmed early on. If a coworker of mine was not where they were supposed to be, especially if I worked closely with them, it would not take me long at all to be alarmed. I'm confused as to if there were two classes or just one. And if Anton Bennett's class was the one that was canceled.
The blueprints being brought in is what is alarming to me. I think they are either looking for where her body could be hidden or trying to find a way she could have left (by herself or forcibly) without being detected by security footage.

 

[Angel Who Cares]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJaoiOZjdFk"]YouTube - Wedding Called Off for Missing Yale Student[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0t1umyzDjQ"]YouTube - Time ticks on as Yale student remains unfound[/ame]



:angel:

 

[Jersey*Girl]

New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington and an inspector from his office, Timothy Reardon, arrived at a research lab at 10 Amistad St. as police continue to look for Annie Le, 24, inside the building. Investigators were seen bringing in blueprints of the building.

http://www.courant.com/community/new-haven/hc-yale-missing-0912.artsep11,0,4181908.story

Is this common?...meaning SA

I wonder if the reason for LE going over blueprints is b/c they can't find ANY evidence of her leaving campus. This article states that LE are checking frame by frame security videos. It also states they haven't found any signs of foul play and that a man was seen being questioned & rode in the front seat of a police car. Please refer to the following link and portions of the article written.
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20090910/US.Missing.Yale.Student/

Wedding canceled amid search for Yale student

Police say fiance Jonathan Widawsky, a Columbia University graduate student, is not a suspect and is assisting with the investigation.

Investigators were spotted Saturday questioning a man outside the lab where Le worked. When they finished talking, the man got in the front seat of the unmarked car and one of the FBI agents got in the back seat. The car then drove away.

Investigators were examining security camera footage from some 75 cameras near the building where Le was last spotted. They had not yet found any footage of her leaving the building.
"They are going frame by frame, looking at every image," Yale spokesman Tom Conroy said Friday.
They also examined blueprints of the building to make sure nothing was missed in their search, and they searched Le's e-mails and her computer, he said.

This is a pharmaceutical lab she was working in. I wonder if Annie could have stumbled upon something and became incapacitated b/c of it. There's been no word of chemicals gone missing. I wonder if a "true" inventory has been done. I know they searched Annie's belongings and her lab (including computers, etc), but I do wonder if inventory was taken and compared to order forms for certain chems. Just thinkin'...

 

[eyes4crime]

To think it could be some one she knew instead of what she was really worried about...street crime.

And a mentor at that!!! I know people say all students at Yale are brilliant, but I believe Annie was exceptional. She had just picked the topic for her dissertation and that alone, might have triggered extreme jealousy in a cohort or professor. I believe Annie was at NIH for the summer and that also could trigger extreme envy. Research is very competitive and there is a fight for every dollar...some have to work harder than others and I think Annie has a mind like a sponge - she is focused and brilliant. guess that's my take on her from what I've learned. Let's all hope Prof Bennett isn't at all involved.

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Search intensifies for missing Yale student
September 12, 2009
<snipped>
The search intensified Saturday for a missing Yale University student who was to be married in Syosset on Sunday, as law enforcement agencies scoured the university research building where she was last spotted by a surveillance camera.

Officers used German shepherds to search the building while authorities continued to question anyone who knows Le, including professors, colleagues, friends, roommates and campus workers, authorities said.

A man entered the lab early Saturday afternoon carrying a map that showed the interior of a building, with numbered rooms, and what appeared to be blueprints - several rolls of oversize white sheets.

"If I happened to know this student, they'd interview me," Yale spokesman Tom Conroy said.

Le's roommate reported her missing Tuesday night when she did not return home to their apartment. Le used her university identification card to enter the lab building about 10 a.m., but left her purse, cell phone, credit cards and cash in her office, located in another Yale building about three blocks away.

Late Saturday morning, investigators were seen questioning a man wearing a T-shirt outside the research lab at 10 Amistad St.

The man covered his face when he spotted reporters, then got into the front seat of the agents' vehicle, with one agent getting into the backseat. The vehicle drove away.


FBI Helping in Search for Missing Yale Student
http://www.newsday.com/news/fbi-helping-in-search-for-missing-yale-student-1.1439882

PHOTOS: Yale student disappears before LI wedding
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/yale-student-disappears-before-li-wedding-1.1437883

Article:
http://www.newsday.com/news/search-intensifies-for-missing-yale-student-1.1441863
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missing grad prof questioned
Last Updated: 2:45 PM, September 12, 2009
Posted: 3:29 AM, September 12, 2009
<snipped>
One of missing Yale grad student Annie Le's professors reportedly was questioned by cops after they learned he canceled a class the bride-to-be was due to attend the same day she mysteriously disappeared.

The prof called off the class Tuesday, well before anyone raised an alarm that Le had vanished -- just five days ahead of her scheduled Long Island wedding, Fox61-TV in Connecticut reported. The professor has not been charged.

Meanwhile, The Post has learned that Le's mom, Vivian, told a woman at a New Haven supermarket that her daughter's disappearance was "not cold feet," while handing out missing-person fliers Wednesday.

The somber mom also told the woman that "it's not the boyfriend" -- Columbia University physics grad student Jonathan Widawsky -- who's to blame for Le going missing.

"Less than one week til the big day!" Le, 24, wrote on her Facebook page last Sunday.

Her page also read, "Lucky I'm in love with my best friend ," under a photo of her and Widawsky.

Le was "hellbent on getting married," her uncle Minh Nguyen told the Yale Daily News.

And Yale Pharmacology Department chair Joseph Schlessinger told the paper, "She was always talking about the wedding."

Article:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/missing_grad_prof_questioned_pV7XnCBBRVJrcA5jETSFeP

:angel: