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

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His family is working with Crime Stoppers of mid-Michigan to find anyone who can provide credible information that leads to his safe return, according to reporting by WWJ News Radio.

On Nov. 6, the Santo family asked MSU Police to share that they're offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with credible information that leads to bringing Brendan home. This reward will be managed through Crime Stoppers of Mid-Michigan through the existing MSU Police and Public Safety toll-free tip line and tip email, according to a press release issued by MSU police.

"At this point, foul play is not suspected in Brendan Santo’s disappearance, and we have received no other reports of missing persons. We also do not believe that Brendan intended to harm himself," police said in the release.
FBI joins search for Brendan Santo who went missing at MSU on rivalry game weekend
 
CLGM said:
Here's a topographic map of the area. You can see the low area around the river and where he was last located, but not steep drop-offs. I think a steep drop-off would look like a blue area abutting an orange area, for example, with out any other gradations of color. The middle of Michigan is also very, very flat...

East Lansing topographic map, elevation, relief

Even an eight-foot drop-off is a lot though. It could be that he hit his head and was knocked out when he fell. I pray that answers come soon.
Click to expand...

Wow, what a great map, @CLGM!
Very helpful, and the river soundings were around 250 yards or so. With the bends and turns that it has (as do many, many rivers), it could make the current at those turns run fairly quickly, IMO.
This whole thing is so sad and scary. SMH.
 
pamandki said:
It seems that he went to a party at a different dorm, Yakely, with a friend from MSU (this friend would be more familiar with campus) and left to go back to Brody alone. He had messaged a girl from Yakely party saying he was lost but then phone apparently died, she had responded to him. I was in Lansing that weekend and Friday night was cold and rainy. MSU campus is very large, has the river running through it, lots of wooded areas. It is easy to become disoriented especially at night and when you aren’t familiar with the area. That said, it was the night before a huge rivalry game and campus and East Lansing downtown were extremely busy. My adult son and his wife were downtown that night and he said lines for clubs were two blocks long. There are questions as to the route he took, where his phone supposedly last pinged at, and that road has a lot of traffic. He maybe turned back toward Yakely and went a different route?? The other route that normally would have been taken would go thru campus and again, lots of people out and about, even at midnight. It’s as though he just vanished. I am praying for the family. I can’t imagine what they are going through. It breaks my heart, I was down there visiting my 18 year old son that weekend, he attends a college south of MSU
Click to expand...

First I have heard this - how sad and worrisome.
 
I wonder said:
I think the Beale St bridge has a fair drop and on Google maps there is a bit to the side of it where you could gain access to the river. But it’s a road bridge, so unless he was being chased, I can’t see why he wouldn’t just use the bridge. Unless he was trying to discreetly nip to the loo and thought it was just a wooded area and didn’t realise it’s a steep drop. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened.

Aren’t there CCTV cameras everywhere?
Click to expand...

Apparently, many of the cameras weren't working :/ - I cannot confirm, but livestreams I checked are not working right now. This is a rumor and I have very little personal evidence to confirm. I checked publicly accessible cameras around the area and they are offline.
 
CLGM said:
Here's a topographic map of the area. You can see the low area around the river and where he was last located, but not steep drop-offs. I think a steep drop-off would look like a blue area abutting an orange area, for example, with out any other gradations of color. The middle of Michigan is also very, very flat...

East Lansing topographic map, elevation, relief

Even an eight-foot drop-off is a lot though. It could be that he hit his head and was knocked out when he fell. I pray that answers come soon.
Click to expand...

An 8 foot drop off sounds much more realistic than an 80 foot drop off in that area. The river is pretty flush with the trails.
 
From the family- posted on Facebook:

Brendan is still missing.
Our family greatly appreciates everyone’s concern, the continued sharing of this story, messages and continued searching. We are just regular people with no previous knowledge of how to handle this situation and really what family would. We are trying our best to find answers and Bring Brendan Home. We are literally learning on the fly and everyone’s help and concern is heartfelt.
Please keep in mind that this is still an active police investigation. We (the public) are not privy to all aspects of the case. That is to protect the integrity of the case.
A task force has been formed which includes: MSU Campus police, East Lansing Police, FBI, Grand Valley State University Police, Ingham County Sheriffs, Michigan Attorney General, Michigan State Police and Oakland County Sheriffs. Searches by foot, drone, helicopter, K9 units, boats with sonar and divers. We also completed the organized civilian search on Saturday November 6th. They are reviewing cellular and GPS data along with any tips that have been reported.
FACTS
1. Brendan went missing October 29, 2021 shortly before midnight. He was visiting friends at Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, MI. He is a Grand Valley State University student. This is the Friday night prior to the Michigan State vs. U of M football game. For those of you not from Michigan this is an extremely popular game.
2. On the night he went missing Brendan was wearing a black Red Wing baseball hat, a black shirt, gray sweatpants and white Converse shoes. He was wearing a gold necklace with a cross. A picture was taken that night and is on the missing person flyer. He is also carrying a dark brown wallet.
3. The last confirmed place Brendan was seen was leaving Yakeley Hall by himself. We have had tips from people who thought they have seen him after this but is has NOT been confirmed as of yet. Please continue to forward any information directly to the tip line.
4. The last confirmed location of Brendan’s phone was on Beal St. not far from Yakeley. Police were able to confirm his battery drained down to 0%. It was not deliberately shut off. It is a dark color Iphone 11 with a dark or clear case with no screen protector.
5. Brendan drove his vehicle to MSU, parked it and it never moved. Brendan was not carrying his keys to his vehicle and his parents were able to take his vehicle home.
6. Brendan was carrying keys to his FRIENDS vehicle. They are in his back pocket. The picture on the page is the spare set. The friend’s vehicle was parked at Emmons Hall Friday and had not moved until it was towed to the dealership for new keys on Sunday. The boys checked the vehicle throughout the day on Saturday assuming Brendan went to sleep in the vehicle. When it became clear he had not returned they contacted the MSU campus police. The police did search the vehicle.
7. Brendan’s bank/credit card was reviewed and it has not been used since the evening of October 29th. No Uber or Lyft activity.
8. Brendan was not depressed or unhappy with his home or school life. He is very close with his parents.
9. Brendan has several friends at MSU. Most of who are friends he has had for a long time. His friends are cooperating with the police. Please keep in mind, these are young kids and their friend is missing.
10. It has been confirmed that the cameras around the area Brendan went missing were NOT operational.
11. We do have a volunteer that has been checking area pawn shops for Bendan’s necklace.
12. There is a $5,000.00 reward for anyone who supplies credible information that leads to bringing Brendan home. I know some people have already contributed to the reward and our family is just overwhelmed. https://www.crimestoppersofmidmichigan.com/
13. We are looking into a account and will supply information if one is set up.
14. Other avenues to assist in the investigation are also being discussed. Thank you everyone who has made suggestions.
15. We have had offers for billboards, Facebook advertising and posters. We are in the process of getting this worked out.
16. We have been reaching out to several news agencies, foundations, organizations and celebrities and will continue to do so. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. If you know anyone personally affiliated with any of these venues feel free to forward the missing flyer or have them visit Bring Brendan Santo Home.
We do not have any plans right now for another organized search of the campus. If you are still interested in searching we do appreciate it. We only ask that you are careful and do not attempt to access areas that you do not have authority to be in. There have been several recommendations for areas to search and cameras to review. Many of these suggestions are things that need to be done by the police. We will follow up with them.
ANY POSSIBLE SIGHTINGS SHOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE POLICE 844-99-MSUPD (844-996-7873).
Below is the updated flyer. Please feel free to share electronically or print to place in your area businesses.
Brendan’s parents have not gone public because they want all the focus to be on finding Brendan not them. We are asking that you respect their wishes during this difficult time. Brendan’s father is my brother and the Bring Brendan Home team is trying to make sure they can focus all their energy on Brendan. We truly appreciate your assistance in this.
I believe I have touched on many aspects people have been asking about. If I stated something in error please feel free to contact us. I understand there are still going to be questions. Please feel free to continue to contact us. Thank you to all the followers who have answered questions for other followers. This is a great help.
ANY TIPS (they can be made anonymously)
844-99-MSUPD (844-996-7873) or tips@police.msu.edu
Keep the faith, keep sharing and positive vibes.
#Bringbrendanhome
 
Jelee said:
From the family- posted on Facebook:

Brendan is still missing.

Snipped for space...

4. The last confirmed location of Brendan’s phone was on Beal St. not far from Yakeley. Police were able to confirm his battery drained down to 0%. It was not deliberately shut off. It is a dark color Iphone 11 with a dark or clear case with no screen protector.
5. Brendan drove his vehicle to MSU, parked it and it never moved. Brendan was not carrying his keys to his vehicle and his parents were able to take his vehicle home.
6. Brendan was carrying keys to his FRIENDS vehicle. They are in his back pocket. The picture on the page is the spare set. The friend’s vehicle was parked at Emmons Hall Friday and had not moved until it was towed to the dealership for new keys on Sunday. The boys checked the vehicle throughout the day on Saturday assuming Brendan went to sleep in the vehicle. When it became clear he had not returned they contacted the MSU campus police. The police did search the vehicle.
7. Brendan’s bank/credit card was reviewed and it has not been used since the evening of October 29th. No Uber or Lyft activity.
8. Brendan was not depressed or unhappy with his home or school life. He is very close with his parents.
9. Brendan has several friends at MSU. Most of who are friends he has had for a long time. His friends are cooperating with the police. Please keep in mind, these are young kids and their friend is missing.
10. It has been confirmed that the cameras around the area Brendan went missing were NOT operational.
11. We do have a volunteer that has been checking area pawn shops for Bendan’s necklace.

Snipped...

ANY POSSIBLE SIGHTINGS SHOULD GO DIRECTLY TO THE POLICE 844-99-MSUPD (844-996-7873).

Snipped...

844-99-MSUPD (844-996-7873) or tips@police.msu.edu
Keep the faith, keep sharing and positive vibes.
#Bringbrendanhome
Click to expand...

Thank you @Jelee - I snipped and bolded some stuff that I was wondering about myself that may be helpful to others. Prayers all around!
 
Did they ever confirm from anyone where he said he was going when he left the dorm? It's such a shame about his phone dying. My sons are famous for this happening all the time because they use it so much. I bet he was out and about so much that he never let it fully get charged. I'd imagine there's a lot of data to track on that phone, maybe some Snapchats, pics of parties and underage drinking. I think he was heading somewhere and knew where he wanted to go. Why would he leave his friends behind at a party if he had the keys to his friends car? That doesn't make sense at all to me. And why would he not go back to the dorm to his friends knowing his phone went dead. Was he heading back to his friends car?
 
From the recent facebook post, I guess I was wrong about the possibility of pings leading to the river, since the battery was drained to zero. It's really too bad that the security cameras they reviewed were not operational. I hope they find some others.
 
Jelee said:
From the family- posted on Facebook:

Brendan is still missing.
FACTS
3. The last confirmed place Brendan was seen was leaving Yakeley Hall by himself. We have had tips from people who thought they have seen him after this but is has NOT been confirmed as of yet. Please continue to forward any information directly to the tip line.
4. The last confirmed location of Brendan’s phone was on Beal St. not far from Yakeley. Police were able to confirm his battery drained down to 0%. It was not deliberately shut off. It is a dark color Iphone 11 with a dark or clear case with no screen protector.

#Bringbrendanhome
Click to expand...

I previously mentioned that the Beal St bridge has access to the river from the sides through foliage, beyond which is a bit of a steep drop. As this was the last known location of Brendan’s phone, I’m very worried about this.
 
hey-Debbie said:
Sorry for the back to back post. I really don't believe he went in that river at all. There's more to this.
Click to expand...

LE has indicated that foul play is not suspected. What do you think may have happened to Brendan if he didn't fall into the river? The search seems focused on the Red Cedar River. Where else do you think LE should search?
 
hey-Debbie said:
Sorry for the back to back post. I really don't believe he went in that river at all. There's more to this.
Click to expand...
Or it could be (and so often is) he was inebriated, heard the water sounds of the river, decided he needed to urinate and he found the opening into the woods and went to the river to relieve himself.
 
Razz said:
Or it could be (and so often is) he was inebriated, heard the water sounds of the river, decided he needed to urinate and he found the opening into the woods and went to the river to relieve himself.
Click to expand...

Out of respect for this young man and his family, I don't want to speculate about whether or not alcohol played a role in Brendan's disappearance. That said, your summation is likely what might have happened and the reason that the search is focused on the river. JMO
 
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