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

[BetteDavisEyes]

Are they looking anywhere besides the river? As an MSU grad, my instinct is the river. However, if he is not located in the river, do they have other ideas?

When I attended MSU in the early 2000s, a student noticed a person floating in the Red Cedar in the heart of campus. That person called LE immediately and a search ensued. It took about a week, if memory serves, before the person was located not too far down stream. He got caught up on debris under the water. It took that long to search the river with a known location. With no starting point I can't imagine how long the search could take.

Most media reports indicate that the Red Cedar River is the focus of the search, but they always add the caveat that other areas are being searched, as well.

 

[Colorado303]

DEC 2, 2021
Search continues for Brendan Santo | wzzm13.com
A larger search effort began Thursday morning in an attempt to find Brendan Santo, who has been missing since Oct. 29.

[...]

The river has been divided into segments by dive teams, with 35 divers spanning the river.

[...]

An additional team of 50 FBI personnel have continued a ground search away from the river. Police have confirmed that no evidence or personal property belonging to Santo has been located at this time.

[...]

Large law enforcement presence on MSU campus for Brendan Santo search - The State News
[...]

On Dec. 2, an enhanced search operation was conducted east and north of the Red Cedar River located at the Jenison Fieldhouse. There is a similar search site west of Harrison Road, closer to Brody.

[...]

During the search, the river has been divided into sections each team was assigned to search. Of particular interest has been the area of the river on campus from the Kalamazoo Street Bridge west to Harrison Road.

[...]

“This doesn't wrap up our river search operation,” he said. “This is just an enhanced operation we did today to clear a section of the river we really were interested in. We can, then, push west from here, west of Harrison closer as the Red Cedar River goes towards Grand River.”

[...]

I feel silly for even asking this, but ….Is it typical to have 50 “FBI personnel” do a ground search for a missing person? I know it’s not unusual to have hundreds of people involved in these searches but my impression has been the majority aren’t trained professionals but volunteers from the community. And local LE of course. Just wondering if the fact the search is so thorough and so many FBI employees on the ground may signal investigative doubt this was purely an accident.

 

[annpats]

I feel silly for even asking this, but ….Is it typical to have 50 “FBI personnel” do a ground search for a missing person? I know it’s not unusual to have hundreds of people involved in these searches but my impression has been the majority aren’t trained professionals but volunteers from the community. And local LE of course. Just wondering if the fact the search is so thorough and so many FBI employees on the ground may signal investigative doubt this was purely an accident.

It does add anither angle and gives me pause.

How many other missing persons have 50 FBI employees searching for them...?

Not many.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I feel silly for even asking this, but ….Is it typical to have 50 “FBI personnel” do a ground search for a missing person? I know it’s not unusual to have hundreds of people involved in these searches but my impression has been the majority aren’t trained professionals but volunteers from the community. And local LE of course. Just wondering if the fact the search is so thorough and so many FBI employees on the ground may signal investigative doubt this was purely an accident.

IIRC, the FBI is brought into many cases because it is the government agency that has authority to track and retrieve communications data from cell phones, internet/social media, computers, and/or other devices.

 

[Cassady]

IIRC, the FBI is brought into many cases because it is the government agency that has authority to track and retrieve communications data from cell phones, internet/social media, computers, and/or other devices.

IMO local LE can get warrants to track vehicles and obtain electronic data and they do not involve the FBI under most circumstances to obtain these warrants.

FBI also does not assist in cases were someone is believed to have accidentally fallen into a river.

If there were 50 people from the FBI at the search, there is something else at play. Perhaps the Feds are finally looking into all the young college age men that have ended up dead in rivers along the I-94 corridor?

Many of those cases had unusual circumstances and there may have been GHB involved in some as well...IMO.

 

[Steve McQueen]

IMO local LE can get warrants to track vehicles and obtain electronic data and they do not involve the FBI under most circumstances to obtain these warrants.

FBI also does not assist in cases were someone is believed to have accidentally fallen into a river.

If there were 50 people from the FBI at the search, there is something else at play. Perhaps the Feds are finally looking into all the young college age men that have ended up dead in rivers along the I-94 corridor?

Many of those cases had unusual circumstances and there may have been GHB involved in some as well...IMO.

Are the Smiley Face Killers Real?

 

[Cassady]

Are the Smiley Face Killers Real?

The first time I heard the term "smiley face killers" was in 2008ish by a Minneapolis reporter who was discussing some local disappearances and had been interviewing the detectives about the possible connection with other cases. At that time, there were a couple of cases that had "smiley face" graffitti in areas pertinent to the case.

However, as time went on and more cases were looked at it was clear that the graffitti was not the main similarity with the staggering number of cases of college age men ending up dead in water. However, the term SFK has continued to be associatated with this category of missing persons.

In all the cases where the missing person is found in water there are always two basic questions...IMO:

1. What is the condition of the body when it was found (compared to the time lasped between disappearance and discovery of the body)?

2. Was toxicology able to determine BAC or the precense of GHB?

 

[PommyMommy]

I feel silly for even asking this, but ….Is it typical to have 50 “FBI personnel” do a ground search for a missing person? I know it’s not unusual to have hundreds of people involved in these searches but my impression has been the majority aren’t trained professionals but volunteers from the community. And local LE of course. Just wondering if the fact the search is so thorough and so many FBI employees on the ground may signal investigative doubt this was purely an accident.

It depends on the search. There's the river search with sonar and dive teams that has been conducted by local and surrounding LE agencies and then there have been on-campus as well as off-campus ground searches from MSU to Lansing. And, there are two FBI field offices assisting - Lansing and Detroit - so 25 agents per ground search doesn't seem excessive to me. (Not saying that's how they were actually divided up - I have no idea.) But, that's a large area to cover on foot. If they were searching a field or a park, yeah, 50 would be a lot. MOO

 

[doyoulovemepfg]

IMO local LE can get warrants to track vehicles and obtain electronic data and they do not involve the FBI under most circumstances to obtain these warrants.

FBI also does not assist in cases were someone is believed to have accidentally fallen into a river.

If there were 50 people from the FBI at the search, there is something else at play. Perhaps the Feds are finally looking into all the young college age men that have ended up dead in rivers along the I-94 corridor?

Many of those cases had unusual circumstances and there may have been GHB involved in some as well...IMO.

BBM Yes... I believe this started a little under two years ago with Sean Baek in Milwaukee and I can think of 5 or 6 more off the top of my head. The tie in these cases all seems to be that they were going back to their residence or going out for the night, and every single one seemed to have happened on a big party weekend with event(s) that out of towners would be traveling in for.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

This case is losing steam in local and national media, but let's not forget that Brendan is still missing. Praying that Brendan's family and friends get answers soon.

 

[JurassicParker]

Today is the day we find Brendan. I'm going to speak it in to the universe every day in the hopes it listens and brings him home.

 

[amih21]

I live/work in the St. Louis area and was surprised to see Missing Person flyers for Brendan at the gas station by my work this AM.
Hope they get some leads or are able to find him soon!

 

[Mom24]

The Oakland County Sheriff's Department performed another search for missing teenager Brendan Santo on Thursday.

The search focused on the Red Cedar River, with a boat searching near MSU’s main library. Department vehicles were also stationed near the Beal Botanical Garden, west of the library.


The Oakland County Sheriff's Department was unable to provide an update at this time.

Search continues for Brendan Santo near MSU library

 

[CastlesBurning]

Eight years of Dateline's Missing in America: 169 still missing

Brendan Santo, 18, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, went missing just before midnight on October 29, 2021, on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing. The Grand Valley State student, who was visiting MSU for the weekend, told his friends he was heading back to the dorms. It’s believed he left Yakeley Hall and walked toward the Brody neighborhood. His phone last pinged near Michigan and Beal Avenues before the battery died. His vehicle was located in the spot where he had parked when he arrived for the weekend. MSU Police, Michigan State Police and the Ingham County Sheriff’s Office have conducted extensive searches on foot, by drone and boat, focusing on the Red Cedar River, but high water levels have made the searches difficult. Brendan, who had just started his freshman year majoring in cybersecurity, is described as being 5’8” and weighs 160 lbs. He was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a black t-shirt, a black baseball hat, and white Converse high-tops. The reward for information that leads to his whereabouts is more than $17,000. Anyone with information on Brendan’s whereabouts is asked to call the MSU Police and Public Safety tip line at 844-99-MSUPD or email tips@police.msu.edu. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by texting the word MSUPD, along with the message, to 274637.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

The Oakland County Sheriff's Department performed another search for missing teenager Brendan Santo on Thursday.

The search focused on the Red Cedar River, with a boat searching near MSU’s main library. Department vehicles were also stationed near the Beal Botanical Garden, west of the library.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Department was unable to provide an update at this time.

Search continues for Brendan Santo near MSU library

I'm a little confused about why Oakland County Sheriff's Department was searching for Brendan on campus at MSU. Brendan is from Rochester Hills in Oakland County but did not go missing from his home here. He's a student at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI (Ottawa County) and went missing on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI (Ingham County). I realize that search efforts draw from a variety of resources, but I'm wondering why Oakland County officials are being included in the search for Brendan Santo. Oakland County Sheriff's Department is stretched thin due to the Oxford High School shooting on November 30.

Brendon has been missing for six weeks. Praying that he is found soon.

 

[Mom24]

I'm a little confused about why Oakland County Sheriff's Department was searching for Brendan on campus at MSU. Brendan is from Rochester Hills in Oakland County but did not go missing from his home here. He's a student at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI (Ottawa County) and went missing on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI (Ingham County). I realize that search efforts draw from a variety of resources, but I'm wondering why Oakland County officials are being included in the search for Brendan Santo. Oakland County Sheriff's Department is stretched thin due to the Oxford High School shooting on November 30.

Brendon has been missing for six weeks. Praying that he is found soon.

It may be a resources issue. The county Sheriff's dept may have the boats, sonar and specialized staff for that.

 

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[Steve McQueen]

MSU students talk safety on campus following Brendan Santo's disappearance

In the wake of Grand Valley State University student Brendan Santo’s on-campus disappearance, some MSU students have renewed fears of safety in the campus area.

Interviewed near the Oakland County Sheriff Department’s recent search by the MSU main library, political theory and constitutional democracy junior Mahek Khangura discussed her feelings about campus safety.


“It’s definitely felt more unsafe, especially living off campus," Khangura said. "I don’t feel as safe as I did in the dorms and on-campus as I do now, so it’s scary. My parents feel scared too, but it’s just best to keep your location on and let your roommates and your friends know where you are at all times to feel safer.”

“I actually lived on campus last year,” secondary education and English sophomore Katy Anderson said. “I feel like it’s changed a lot in one year. I feel like there’s a lot more confusing stuff going on, and it just seems like every week there’s kinda something new going on.”

A combination of MSUPD, ELPD and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department has been participating in regular searches since Santo’s disappearance Halloween weekend, often in public spaces around the Red Cedar River.

“I don’t think the increased police presence has affected me, but just generally I feel like there’s been a lot of weird stuff on campus,” political theory and constitutional democracy junior Emma Frank said.

MSU students have also shown worry about sex trafficking claims, which were addressed by MSUPD earlier this semester.

One MSU student also recently reported being tracked by Apple's air tag, a product intended to be used for keeping track of the owner's objects.

“I live off-campus, so being physically on campus doesn’t make me feel unsafe, but walking home and as I leave campus, it is a little bit scary,” Frank said.

Frank said safety on campus has been a concern for her and her friends.

“We always make sure someone’s walking home with someone else — especially I feel like for recent events, but generally just being women, it’s safer to kinda stick together,” Frank said.

 

[I wonder]

It’s only just over an hour’s drive from MSU to Grand Valley State University (where Brendan is a student).

I’ve always felt he is sadly in the river and it may be his body has got caught up in something or the opposite and was long gone from the near locality by the time river searches commenced.

But, if he had had a fair amount to drink, his decision making could be significantly skewed and he could have chosen to do something that he wouldn’t have sober.

He didn’t have his own car keys, but he had a friend’s. Say he lost them, they dropped out of his pocket or he fell in the river, managed to clamber out, then realised the keys were lost?

He was frantic about this. He could have re-entered the river, wandered around for a bit (finding keys in a river in the dark is futile), lost his footing, and then been swept away. The distance his body would travel from in the river, must be different to the distance if he fell in, a few feet higher from the top of the bank?

Alternatively, he fell in, managed to get out, had lost his phone? But had his friend’s keys. He may or may not have considered sleeping in his friend’s car, then thought it was a bad idea as he’s wet.

What if, by some strange coincidence (we all know they do happen), a person or car stopped, discovered he was from only an hours drive away and offered him a lift? They looked studenty, maybe had a Uni sticker on his car, or said that’s where they were heading, so it seemed safe, it wasn’t very far and besides, as the driver said, it’s too cold to spend a night outside soaking wet, so Brendan got in.

Then, something happened and it seems most likely it was either intentional harm, or accidental, but resulting from something the driver wants to keep secret, hence not coming forward. Perhaps the driver was drunk and crashed, not a right off, but enough for Brendan (perhaps not wearing a seat belt) to be hurt or worse. Or drugs were involved, or there is always the small possibility that the driver was a trafficker or psychopath.

Or, he was dry, but drunk and he decided to walk back. I’ve known people do this.

This is starting to feel fairly similar to Corrie McKeague. I hope the searchers are searching the route between the Universities and I hope the misery Corrie’s family continue to endure is not replicated in Brendan’s case.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Santo's family update on 45th day since brendan went missing (audacy.com)

(WWJ) -- It has been 45 days since 18-year-old Brendan Santo went missing and his family has provided an update on what has happened in the last month and a half.

Brendan's aunt, Dawn Brewer, provided a letter Monday with a synopsis of the events that have taken place since her nephew vanished on Oct. 29, shortly before midnight in East Lansing, MI...