Found Deceased MI - Brendan Santo 18, visitor, Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, 29 Oct 2021

[BetteDavisEyes]

Prayers and searches for missing Michigan student (detroitnews.com)

...His disappearance has sparked searches; a multi-jurisdictional investigation including the FBI; an $11,000 reward for tips; more than $90,000 in donations to an online fundraiser aimed at aiding the efforts; and a pledge by MSU officials to immediately install more than 300 new security cameras.

Another wide-scale search was planned Sunday at the university, a day after scores gathered for a vigil at Rochester Adams High School, where Santo graduated.

As time passes, his friends, family and an army of strangers are ramping up their work to spread the word online and across the state, vowing to find him...

 

[annpats]

It's crazy he's been missing this long and no sign of him, despite all the searches.
I do think he may have headed out of the area. Perhaps even in someone's car.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Thoughts and prayers for the searchers today. It's cold, and in metro Detroit, we're experiencing our first snow of the season. I hope everyone stays safe and warm as they continue to look for signs of Brendan Santo.

 

[kathryann]

I live in MI and it's amazing how all the community has come together to help find Brendan. I hope something good comes out of the search today. Praying for this family and Brendan.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 14, 2021
Search for 18-year-old who disappeared from Michigan college campus hindered by camera failure (kolotv.com)
[...]

“The video coverage of an incident is so vital to the investigation,” Timmons said. “In the FBI, I worked bank robberies for several years, and frequently we would go to a bank that had been robbed, go and pull the surveillance photos, and the cameras were malfunctioned and didn’t work or they were unhooked. It’s frustrating.”

Timmons said without this video, investigators have to rely heavily on statements to find the Grand Valley State University student who was visiting friends at MSU the weekend of the big game against Michigan.

“You’re just going to have to keep interviewing and interviewing and put together all the clues,” he said.

Many parents and people in the community are upset, asking why cameras at university aren’t on.

Timmons said it’s not unheard of for cameras to stop working. “In all security, things will happen,” he said.

[...]

“The family should rest in knowing that they’ve got an incredible team working on the case,” Timmons said. “They are very competent and well trained and educated. They are going to get to the bottom of it.”

On Sunday, a search for Santo in East Lansing started at the MSU union building at 10 a.m.

 

[CLGM]

It's crazy he's been missing this long and no sign of him, despite all the searches.
I do think he may have headed out of the area. Perhaps even in someone's car.

But they would have reported their car missing, IMO.

 

[kathryann]

I am still thinking he may have accepted a ride from someone. He was lost, his phone died, he had no coat, it was raining and cold.

 

[annpats]

But they would have reported their car missing, IMO.

When I put I think "he may have headed out of the area in someone's car" I meant if someone else drove him in their car.

Y'know, someone giving him a ride.

 

[CLGM]

When I put I think "he may have headed out of the area in someone's car" I meant if someone else drove him in their car.

Y'know, someone giving him a ride.

Ah, gotcha. There's so much publicity, I can't imagine somebody didn't see something or know something. The LE keep saying that there is no reason to suspect foul play, either. But, until he is found, nothing can really be ruled out for sure, can it...

 

[Razz]

I'd be interested in knowing what the students who he was visiting in the dorm said about their last encounter with him. Ie, where was he headed, why did he leave when it was dark, cold and rainy, was he in control of all his faculties, was he upset? Being in a female dorm, could he have used their facilities? Did he go into the woods to relieve himself and perhaps he walked too far looking for privacy, hence the river. or...the woods surrounding that area...have they been thoroughly searched every which way? Maybe he got turned around and walked further in the woods than anyone thought possible. Could he have become hyperthermic while in the woods and succumbed to the cold?

 

[crumbcleaner]

Is there any recent video that I’ve missed of investigators still searching the river? There’s been a lot of local coverage and I haven’t seen video of the river search in days, maybe a week and haven’t heard about it from those partaking in the searches on campus or friends whose kids go there. I hope they are still searching as to rule it out but it all just seems so strange they have yet to find a single thing that was on him that night…moo.

 

[melissaleon]

As a former (a long, long time ago) MSU student who lived in both the Brody Complex and also Yakeley-Gilchrist hall, I can say that travelling from Yakeley to Brody is straight-forward IF you are an MSU student who knows their way around but probably extremely confusing if you don't and cut across campus. As stated before, there are two ways to go; one along the main roads on the outside of campus that would be easy to follow back to Brody Complex but probably longer (and might take someone in contact with others not from campus, which is always where I thought the danger was) and one to cut through campus that follows the river quite a bit. Also, the reason that the police and others are focusing on the river, which may have been stated before, is that unfortunately students have perished in the river before, and not just once or twice.

 

[Quiet Time]

As a former (a long, long time ago) MSU student who lived in both the Brody Complex and also Yakeley-Gilchrist hall, I can say that travelling from Yakeley to Brody is straight-forward IF you are an MSU student who knows their way around but probably extremely confusing if you don't and cut across campus. As stated before, there are two ways to go; one along the main roads on the outside of campus that would be easy to follow back to Brody Complex but probably longer (and might take someone in contact with others not from campus, which is always where I thought the danger was) and one to cut through campus that follows the river quite a bit. Also, the reason that the police and others are focusing on the river, which may have been stated before, is that unfortunately students have perished in the river before, and not just once or twice.

Do you know why they've perished in the river?
I mean was it because the majority of the time they were intoxicated?

Or, is it a river that people swim and fish in?

Thank you for your information.

 

[Skigirl]

My guess is no better than anyone elses' but my hunch is that he did not leave the area. If he's not in the river, my hunch is that he was cold and wet and tried to seek shelter someplace, got into an unlocked (or propped-open) door or stairwell, and then succumbed to hypothermia.

 

[Allabouttrial]

As a former (a long, long time ago) MSU student who lived in both the Brody Complex and also Yakeley-Gilchrist hall, I can say that travelling from Yakeley to Brody is straight-forward IF you are an MSU student who knows their way around but probably extremely confusing if you don't and cut across campus. As stated before, there are two ways to go; one along the main roads on the outside of campus that would be easy to follow back to Brody Complex but probably longer (and might take someone in contact with others not from campus, which is always where I thought the danger was) and one to cut through campus that follows the river quite a bit. Also, the reason that the police and others are focusing on the river, which may have been stated before, is that unfortunately students have perished in the river before, and not just once or twice.

If this was his first time visiting it would make sense that the route they took to Yakeley would probably be the way he would walk back.

As he was originally with MSU students I imagine they would have cut through campus to get to Brody.

 

[swanniee11]

As a former (a long, long time ago) MSU student who lived in both the Brody Complex and also Yakeley-Gilchrist hall, I can say that travelling from Yakeley to Brody is straight-forward IF you are an MSU student who knows their way around but probably extremely confusing if you don't and cut across campus. As stated before, there are two ways to go; one along the main roads on the outside of campus that would be easy to follow back to Brody Complex but probably longer (and might take someone in contact with others not from campus, which is always where I thought the danger was) and one to cut through campus that follows the river quite a bit. Also, the reason that the police and others are focusing on the river, which may have been stated before, is that unfortunately students have perished in the river before, and not just once or twice.

WELCOME @melissaleon , thank you for your knowledge of the area. I am very concerned with the water issues on this. IMO

 

[I wonder]

The ‘Bring Brendan Santo Home’ Facebook page has been paused. There was another public search yesterday and I believe the police are still searching the river. The pause is rather worrying, because no-one is able to comment, which means of course that no-one can post speculation or rumours.

I hope I’m not breaking any rules by mentioning the Facebook page. It was created by his family and his family run it.

 

[Midge Montana]

It’s maddening when we hear,”Well, that camera wasn’t working at that time.”
Sadly, that is the case too often. Grrr.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

To clarify, there hasn't been any known security footage of him located after he left the dorm, right?

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 14, 2021
Reward grows as search continues at MSU for Brendan Santo (wxyz.com
[...]

“People are crawling around under bushes and they’re looking everywhere and they’re trying so hard," Brewer said. "Our family cannot even express how grateful we are that people feel like this for Brendan.”

Brendan was last seen walking alone from Yakeley hall to Brody near the Red Cedar River. Police say the river has become a key focus area.

“We have not been able to search the entire river," said Chris Rozman, an Inspector with the Michigan State University Police Department. "The river is vast on campus, we’ve searched areas that are of particular interest.”

Divers have been in the river, but Rozman says the search isn’t easy. The river is filled with obstacles like debris, has a current of 5 miles an hour and can have depths of up to 12 feet with visibility of 0-2 feet.

“Our search has kind of continued from the point he was last seen west (downstream),” Rozman said. “I do want to emphasize that’s not the only place we’re looking, we do consider other possibilities at this point.”

[...]

Divers will be out in the river again on Monday. Volunteers are also asking any hunters in the Ingham County area to keep an eye out, especially near the Red Cedar River or Grand River (where the Red Cedar feeds into).

Volunteers are looking for his black red wings hat, blue iPhone, car keys and gold necklace.

[...]