Found Deceased MO - Gift Kamau, 20, Florissant, 30 March 2017

[los2188]

Police need help in finding a woman who went missing from Florissant

Gift Kamau, 20, left her Florissant home on the morning of March 30 for class at St. Louis University.
Her vehicle was found that evening in Madison County.
Footage from a surveillance camera showed her walking across the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_bb29c626-b823-55b5-8199-f396671e113a.html​

 

[Dr.Strangelove]

Oh no I may be off but I think madison county is at least an hour from Florissant and not in the direction of SLU

 

[lymom3]

Wow. That's definitely not on the way to SLU. Hoping for the best for this young lady.

 

[Dr.Strangelove]

Nevermind i think theu meant madison county IL which makes a lot more sense. It's right across the river, I think it's technically where east St Louis is. I'm pretty sure it's the county on the other side of chain of rocks bridge.

 

[KJ's Mamu]

Footage from a surveillance camera showed her walking across the Chain of Rocks Bridge from about 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. that day, but it's unknown if she crossed to the Missouri side.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-need-help-in-finding-a-woman-who-went-missing/article_bb29c626-b823-55b5-8199-f396671e113a.html

Two hours to walk across this bridge? Is it intended to be a walking bridge? Are the locals able to answer these two questions?

Was her car disabled? Out of gas? Did she have a cell phone? Was she depressed? Overwhelmed with school? So many questions...I hope answers come quickly and she is found safe very soon!

 

[Whiskers16]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-need-help-in-finding-a-woman-who-went-missing/article_bb29c626-b823-55b5-8199-f396671e113a.html

Two hours to walk across this bridge? Is it intended to be a walking bridge? Are the locals able to answer these two questions?

Was her car disabled? Out of gas? Did she have a cell phone? Was she depressed? Overwhelmed with school? So many questions...I hope answers come quickly and she is found safe very soon!

Here's a webpage about the bridge. Looks like pedestrians and bikes are normal.
https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/chain_of_rocks_bridge_illinois_missouri.html

Not getting warm fuzzies after reading this part:
"Access to the bridge from the Missouri side is CLOSED due to severe issues with car vandalism. Free parking is available at the Illinois Bridge entrance and at North Riverfront Park, south of the Bridge along the Riverfront Trail. It is strongly advised to avoid leaving any valuables in your car. Park at your own risk."

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[Jems]

It's exclusive to pedestrians, no vehicle traffic. It's also quite long, if you include pedestrian sections not on the bridge itself its probably about 2km in length. If she wasn't able to exit at the missouri side and had to return she could have been on the bridge for at least an hour. You can see from the image that it would not be difficult to fall off the bridge, even accidentally.

 

[thekarmabus]

This is troubling. From her instagram page she looks like she loves to travel and adventurous spirit.


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[vulture]

The bridge is not on the way to SLU, but probably only 20-25 minutes from Florissant.

 

[vulture]

The bridge is not on the way to SLU, but probably only 20-25 minutes from Florissant.

Here is some information about the bridge. This is a very interesting and historic area. Also has some tragic history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_of_Rocks_Bridge

I'm really into Route 66 and have been to the bridge many times since it reopened as a pedestrian and biking trail. I have driven across it a few times too - Trailnet lets the Route 66 Associaion of Missouri caravan across it occasionally during our motor tours.

I canoed over the "chain of rocks" in 1990 - not something I necessarily recommend, but it was a thrill! This is a beautiful and wonderful landmark. I hope there is not yet another tragedy associated with it and that this young woman is found ok.

 

[Paddleboarder]

https://www.facebook.com/MissingPiecesNetwork/posts/1660146274291544:0

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[skysky]

I actually go here often. It is a mile each way to walk across it and if you stop to take pictures/look at the view you can spend quite a long time on it.

I'm assuming they didn't get footage of her coming back? If you cross the entire bridge there isn't a lot on the Missouri side, a riverfront park to the east that typically is pretty empty and a highway to the west. It's possible that you could walk across the bridge and keep going on the riverfront trail all the way to downtown St. Louis, but I would think very few people would do that - it's a bit sketchy. There are also some neighborhoods in the area also.

As for the bridge, this is not a place you just accidently end up at (on the Illinois side) - you have to drive down a long road, then there is a one-way bridge you have to cross and then more road before you even get to the Chain of Rocks bridge. When I have been there recently, typically I pass around 6 to 10 people walking or riding bikes on the bridge but you are alone for large stretches usually. Almost every time I've gone, there are people below the bridge fishing who would have a good view of the entirety of it. They would probably not here anything thought because the water is pretty loud there.

As for SLU - this wouldn't be my first way to SLU but it would be possible to take a round-about drive and stop at Chain of Rocks first - it would be a very long drive though.

I really hope she is found safe and soon.

 

[thekarmabus]

Have they done any searches ? Along the waters edge or with dogs? Assuming there are not cameras on the other side of the bridge.


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[skysky]

Here are a few pics from the bridge.

 

[skysky]

Her family is saying school could have been stressing her out: https://www.yahoo.com/news/mother-missing-college-student-pleads-173020199.html

IDK - It would take a lot to jump from that bridge - very high up and very scary when you are up there.

 

[Dr.Strangelove]

Her family is saying school could have been stressing her out: https://www.yahoo.com/news/mother-missing-college-student-pleads-173020199.html

IDK - It would take a lot to jump from that bridge - very high up and very scary when you are up there.

That's true. Also wouldnt cameras have seen something?

 

[Cubby]

According to the following link, Gift had not been enrolled at SLU since 2015. I'm really concerned she harmed herself rather than what she may have perceived as disappointing her family. Especially if they were expecting her to graduate this spring.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_bb29c626-b823-55b5-8199-f396671e113a.html

 

[skysky]

Oh no, that's not good. Truly hoping she didn't do anything to herself. If you look on Saint Louis University's facebook page there is a lot of confusion about this in the comments on the post they put up about her. Saint Louis University eventually says that they have no records that she is enrolled but a few other people are saying she is still a student after they say that but no one has yet identified how they know that.

 

[Dr.Strangelove]

According to the following link, Gift had not been enrolled at SLU since 2015. I'm really concerned she harmed herself rather than what she may have perceived as disappointing her family. Especially if they were expecting her to graduate this spring.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_bb29c626-b823-55b5-8199-f396671e113a.html

I wonder where she was actually going (If jumping wasn't her intent at first)

 

[skysky]

One of the people who commented on her facebook feed saying "Gift definitely still attends SLU!!" works for the office of admissions and is a student there from what her profile says.