Found Deceased MA - Michael Doherty, 20, Franklin, 14 May 2017

[DatelineFan]

I agree 100%. It is not uncommon for college kids with goals to experiment with drugs.

Yep. I drank and partied a lot for two of my college years. My group of friends and myself got good grades, worked out at the gym every day, and from appearances we had it all together. Years later, those girlfriends told me and one other member of our group of friends we often partied with, that most of them were also doing cocaine and other drugs regularly. They just hid it from the two of us because they knew we would not be cool with it.

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[msphilosopher]

Exactly Blythe. He texted his brother for a ride at 12:30. But left at 1:30 without texting his brother again. If his phone was low he could have used a friends phone before leaving. Something happened at that party. LE needs to go back to the beginning.

Agreed, what kid looking for a ride turns down a ride?

I know it's been mentioned that if they were drunk maybe he didn't want to ride with them but I think that's baloney. I find it hard to believe that every person who was leaving at that time was too intoxicated to the point where Michael didn't even want to risk A MILE, literally just down the down and instead walks?

 

[creepcrusher]

I wonder weather there were any discrepancies in the stories of the 30 odd people they interviewed from the party, and I wonder how many of those 30 people were still there when the party ended.

And how many of those 30 kids were sober. I'd like to know that. If they were all drinking pretty good they may not have paid the best attention to his condition the time he left.

 

[Justmexyz]

We don't know if he really did leave the party alive.

 

[Jmoose]

Perhaps like other's have suggested... he was under the influence of drugs as well? I have never done acid, but my friends have, they said it makes the landscape look incredible and they wandered around outside a lot. That doesn't change the fact he probably fell into water, but maybe that's why he was outside in the cold, dark, without a coat and refusing rides.[/Q

Yeah-I just can't understand why, when he was a mile from home, he set off in the wrong direction; and there are lots of reasons why everyone at the party would say that he was essentially sober. If he was sober, it would make even less sense that he walked in the opposite direction from his home. There is no way he could not have been impaired, in my opinion

 

[Xara]

Nothing found today. Search will resume tomorrow.

How long would it take to be hypothermic?

 

[Blythe]

No you don't need to be an eagle scout. But why would any one decide to rough it when the weather is terrible., you're not prepared in clothing, you have been offered rides, your phone is almost dead and then decide to wade through six foot high marshes. If this wasn't so sad it would almost be comical. This story smells. Something happened at that party.

And why would a friend allow that with or without knowledge of drug use? Someone knows something. Might explain how the reporting has shown little shock and grief from peers, if not, friends. IMO, a person missing from a party I attended would cause me emotional turmoil. IMO, even a missing pet sends people into overdrive with theories, searches and information. MOO

 

[DatelineFan]

Nothing found today. Search will resume tomorrow.

How long would it take to be hypothermic?

IMO, it varies. There are factors such as outside temperature, is the person wet, what's their body fat %, etc.

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[msphilosopher]

It's interesting that the MSM articles do not say the address of the house party, who's house party it was, and also that some articles down play the fact that it was a party and instead say "gathering" or "small gahering". 30 people is not small or let alone a "gathering" in the wee hours...

I find it odd that there's really no additional details about party.

 

[Blythe]

It's interesting that the MSM articles do not say the address of the house party, who's house party it was, and also that some articles down play the fact that it was a party and instead say "gathering" or "small gahering". 30 people is not small or let alone a "gathering" in the wee hours...

I find it odd that there's really no additional details about party.

The homeowners, presumably parents, would be liable for underage drinking and consequences.

Speaking to the fact that all of the party goers were heavily intoxicated, which JMO I would doubt, that means the likely underage drivers were driving drunk. It also means that such information was held back. At the very least, IMO, people are not forthcoming.

 

[UnderSea]

My heart goes out to his family. What a terrible place for them, to be trapped waiting to hear something.

I have to say that, FWIW, none of my thoughts about what might have happened suggest any kind of foul play. College students often drink, and in the rain, in the dark, in a marsh, a little impairment can go a long way. Sometimes college students do drugs, sometimes drugs are spiked with something more than what you expect, or are stronger than you expect, and you're back to a little impairment mixed with a cold wet night. And lastly, sometimes college is the point when some psychiatric conditions begin to poke through in more obvious ways. Again, mix in a little impairment, and everything is heightened.

Hypothermia in someone thin and not dressed for a cool rain (or traveling through water) is certainly a possibility. Again, it would just have to be enough to impair judgment. It's one of those snowball things: you start to make decisions that are a little off and each one compounds the next.

All of those things are possible for anyone's child, so I guess I'm back to feeling terrible for his family. I would love to hear that he has been found and brought to safety.

 

[DatelineFan]

Undersea, I'm on the fence, but I agree with you. Especially the mental illness and hypothermia. If I recall correctly, there's a stage of hypothermia when the individual actually thinks they are hot, and they start removing clothing, which obviously makes it worse.

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[UnderSea]

DatelineFan, I think the clothes shedding is generally a late-ish stage move with hypothermia, but possible. Certainly I could see thinking that it might help to take wet clothes off (in some groggy chain of thought). I will add that I know a fierce outdoorsman whose only brush with real hypothermia (confusion, needed friends to rescue him) was in moderately cool and wet weather, not snow and freezing temps. Again, I think it doesn't have to be a fatal level, but enough to skew judgment.

 

[cdogstu99]

I agree 100%. It is not uncommon for college kids with goals to experiment with drugs. Especially marijuana.

Or even worse- synthetic marijuana. People get MESSED up from that stuff. All it would take is one puff.


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[Curiosity7]

What struck me re hypothermia is that it was reported yesterday that Michael's shirt and shoe were found fairly close to Phyllis Lane. A map had the location marked in what looks like a back yard or wooded area behind a Phyllis Lane home. Unless the report/map is not accurate, odd.

 

[Curiosity7]

In thinking more, why would LE continue to raise the issue of hypothermia unless they have reason to believe it could be a factor.
Still, it was reported on WCVB tonight that Homeland Security foresenic experts were examining Michael's computer & other devices and that no clues had yet been uncovered.
Seems LE isn't entirely convinced that he succumbed to hypothermia and a tragic accident.
I feel for this family and continue to hope for a miracle for this kid.

 

[Spider92]

Why so much focus on potential drug use? Are there any reports indicating that was a factor? Unless reported otherwise, I'm inclined to believe that he was a good kid who fell victim to hypothermia on a nasty night in a nasty swamp. His poor mother - to wake up to this on Mother's Day.

 

[CookieM]

Was there a link to a facebook page for Michael? Apologies if I missed it!

 

[ladeda7777]

I wonder why they don't use drones over water and have when there is something to look at.State Police would probably lend.Would allow more ground coverage.They should organize and get the volunteers out into the area if they don't find something tomorrow.

 

[Jmoose]

Why so much focus on potential drug use? Are there any reports indicating that was a factor? Unless reported otherwise, I'm inclined to believe that he was a good kid who fell victim to hypothermia on a nasty night in a nasty swamp. His poor mother - to wake up to this on Mother's Day.

I think people are just speculating about alcohol and drugs because he was at a house party with 30+- other people, and that is typical for the age of partygoers; we really don't know anything about him or his friends, so it is conjecture, with an educated guess. It will likely eventually come out. A few years ago, someone who was in my son's high school graduating class, with whom my son was friendly, died at a house party like this one, perhaps. My son didn't hang with the crowd at this party, so I don't know for a fact, but the local rumor mill had a lot of drinking and drugs at the party. It makes sense, because my son's friend was a pretty high achiever, and yet still ended up in the swimming pool and nobody could find him for a couple of days. His parents were in Italy at the time and had to fly back not knowing where their son was-the pool was dirty and murky, so nobody could see him, but he was there right near the house for a few days before they found him. I wouldn't have thought drugs would have been the issue, but you never know