Found Deceased MA - Achim Bailey, 23, told parents he was going to a bar, Springfield, Hampden County, 11 Jan 2019

[carbuff]

The decedent is too old to be our reporter, I think. I hope.

 

[Mom24]

To be fair, it’s the “drunks” choice to go to a bar with the purpose of drinking/getting drunk. They also can arrange for rides ahead of time like a lot of people do, or limit themselves.

I used to agree with that until I found out that sometimes a person will appear to be drunk because their drink has been tainted or because they have an underlying medical condition.
While I don't agree that bars should be babysitting services, there are times when things go awry and it doesn't have to do with the person having had too much to drink.

 

[Mom24]

I still believe he stumbled into the river. It would help to know how fast it runs so they could determine a good distance to search from where his phone was found.

 

[carbuff]

In New England, at this time of year, the water's so cold that a body usually just sinks and stays there until it starts to warm up in the spring.

 

[Spartygirl]

Sadly, this case has many of the hallmarks of so many others of young men in the prime of life who mysteriously go missing only to be found later in a body of water. Usually, the cause of death, when the autopsy was done correctly, was not drowning. Often, it is "undetermined." The hallmarks are: 1) young man leaves bar or party alone after consuming some alcohol (but not to the point of impaired ability to walk); 2) direction of travel usually seems inexplicable, illogical, or aimless; 3) phone goes dead; 4) travels out of range of CCTV; 5) found deceased in a body of water. Sometimes determination is made that the man was dead some time before his body entered the water, and in some cases, the person was alive for some time between the disappearance and the recovery of his body from water. IMO, something odd is going on and some of these many puzzling cases have too many strange similarities to be mere coincidence. I've read a number of different theories, but none, for me, is convincing. Many smart people investigating, documenting and trying to come up with some answers. I hope plausible answers to most cases are found some day. Many grieving parents and family members are waiting for them. MOO.

Deaths of Male College Students/The River Killers

YES!!! As soon as I started reading about this case, I instantly thought of the River Killers with the young men and also there is a site/book featured in Crime Magazine called the Case of the Drowning men and The Smiley Face Killers. The young men go to a bar, most are "escorted" out by a bouncer(s) only to go missing then found "drowned". Unfortunately, this sounds like what may have happened. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1518780040

 

[Spartygirl]

so what if AB got mugged and his phone was stolen. The mugger wants to turn the phone into cash so he looks to sell it to a fence....or maybe to someone that is known to resell phones online....who in turn realizes its importance in a missing persons case and next thing you know it's found on the tracks...

THIS!!! We must be looking at this phone finding the same way/same page LOL
I was just thinking this exact same thing as I am reading through and catching up

 

[cybervampira]

Wednesday marks one month since Achim Bailey disappeared

 

[StarEyes]

Wednesday marks one month since Achim Bailey disappeared

Hard to believe... If he went into the river, I hope he’s found. It’d be so hard to never know. It’d be hard to know he passed, too, though. Barring some instantaneous amnesia where he’s off in another state not knowing his own identity, I don’t think this will have any type of happy ending. Achim deserves better. His family and friends deserve better. Prayers all around. jmo

 

[StarEyes]

I keep hoping to hear news on this case. Did they ever say for sure that the phone found was Achim’s? If so, surely they got some info off of it. Well, unless they haven’t cracked the password. How frustrating. If he fell into the river, though, I guess the phone won’t likely be very helpful. I hope they find him soon.

 

[Spider92]

I keep hoping to hear news on this case. Did they ever say for sure that the phone found was Achim’s? If so, surely they got some info off of it. Well, unless they haven’t cracked the password. How frustrating. If he fell into the river, though, I guess the phone won’t likely be very helpful. I hope they find him soon.

I'm pretty sure that LE confirmed that it was Achim's phone. I was under the impression, though not at all sure, that they couldn't lawfully look at the contents of the phone due to privacy laws. It's hard to imagine a favorable outcome at this point.

 

[MT_Catt]

Reward increased for safe return of Achim Bailey

 

[The Night Watchman]

Reward increased for safe return of Achim Bailey

Dr. Rob Matthews is a dentist at the Kid's Dentist in West Springfield. It's where Achim Bailey went for the last 20 years.

"I've gotten to know his mom and dad over that period of time and when you know people that long, you kind of form a bond with them," said Dr. Matthews.

When Dr. Matthews heard about Achim's disappearance, it hit home.

"I was absolutely shocked. Achim is a kind of a shy person and I couldn't imagine anybody wanting to wish him any harm, so I was hoping for the best right away," Dr. Matthews added.

Dr. Matthews said it's important for the public to know just what kind of person Achim was and why it's so important for his family to have him back home.

"He's a very soft-spoken guy, great sense of humor, very friendly and outgoing. He would be willing to help anyone in a crisis, just a very nice young man," Dr. Matthews noted.

Knowing that money talks, he gave the family seven-thousand dollars to offer as a reward.

***

You're a good man Dr. Rob Matthews.

Hoping some resolution comes to Achim's disappearance.

 

[Tybrand3750]

Long story short, I grew up in La Crosse, WI...and was still living there when several of the alleged Smiley Face killings took place. Being a college student during that time...I always thought it was very odd and unlikely that solo males would venture down to the river and fall in...really no reason to go down there by yourself.

So, I live in the Phoenix Metro now...there was a another suspicious drowning of a solo male, near downtown Tempe a couple years ago. It was deemed a drowning (just like the other alleged Smile Face killings).

It seems like they have kept this investigation in the Midwest...but this makes me think this is more of a nationwide thing...or at least something to look into.

Just a thought...would love to hear from others

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Long story short, I grew up in La Crosse, WI...and was still living there when several of the alleged Smiley Face killings took place. Being a college student during that time...I always thought it was very odd and unlikely that solo males would venture down to the river and fall in...really no reason to go down there by yourself.

So, I live in the Phoenix Metro now...there was a another suspicious drowning of a solo male, near downtown Tempe a couple years ago. It was deemed a drowning (just like the other alleged Smile Face killings).

It seems like they have kept this investigation in the Midwest...but this makes me think this is more of a nationwide thing...or at least something to look into.

Just a thought...would love to hear from others

Since you asked... I do not put any stock into the smiIey face killer theory. Never have, and I have researched a lot of these cases. There are myriad sites on both sides of this theory - many examining and claiming "proof" of this or that, and others soundly (IMO) debunking the theory. There have been many threads here where a young male is found in water after drinking late at night, and the theory is discussed. But anyway, since you asked, I think there are a few different reasons this happens - none of them nefarious.

Aside, I am also in Phoenix area and there have been several drownings in Tempe Town Lake (lake? ha!) and the canals over the years and this theory rears its head, never to any avail.

Perhaps you might like to read through this thread: Deaths of Male College Students-General Discussion #6

 

[doodles1211]

Achim Bailey's room is just the way he left it January 13th. The exception is a flyer from the night he went missing.

Bailey's room has become a safe haven for his mom Dorothy during a time she said is absolutely surreal for their family.

"I pick up his clothes and I hold it on close to me just to feel like he's here with me.I just miss this kid," said Dorothy Bailey.

Family of Achim Bailey offering separate $1,000 reward for his return

Heart breaking!

 

[carbuff]

Unfortunately it's pretty easy to slip and fall when you're drunk, and if you're near water when you fall, it's easy to fall in and hard to get out. As cold as the water is around here in winter, you're likely to succumb to hypothermia if you don't drown or go into shock.

 

[The Night Watchman]

I stopped at MGM Grand in Springfield this weekend. I drove along Hall of Fame boulevard and pulled in along the way into the parking lots for the BBall Hall Of Fame, Samuels, the Hilton, and the car dealership. Seems like safe area since it is separated from downtown by RT 91, and only has three underpasses along this stretch. It is a commercial/retail area. What I didn't know is that there is a solid 7 ft tall fence between the parking areas and the RR tracks for much of the route. Possible to scale to the fence, but it would be very difficult and it is actually a pretty good barrier.

Achim chose to walk along the tracks outside this barrier. His route never made sense to me, and makes less sense after being there.

I don't think he was in a good place mentally that night.

 

[carbuff]

I stopped at MGM Grand in Springfield this weekend. I drove along Hall of Fame boulevard and pulled in along the way into the parking lots for the BBall Hall Of Fame, Samuels, the Hilton, and the car dealership. Seems like safe area since it is separated from downtown by RT 91, and only has three underpasses along this stretch. It is a commercial/retail area. What I didn't know is that there is a solid 7 ft tall fence between the parking areas and the RR tracks for much of the route. Possible to scale to the fence, but it would be very difficult and it is actually a pretty good barrier.

Achim chose to walk along the tracks outside this barrier. His route never made sense to me, and makes less sense after being there.

I don't think he was in a good place mentally that night.

Yeah, that's a worrisome thought. But possible.

 

[Button6004]

James Villalobos is reporting a body found in the CT River and that Achim’s family was told by police it matches his description.

 

[Button6004]

Sources confirm that body was pulled from Connecticut River in Longmeadow