NY NY - Colin Gillis, 18, Tupper Lake, 11 March 2012

[ninij9]

Thanks for the clarification Kadence. It is a small detail that was itching me. I check in every day. This is too sad. Also my condolences to you in the loss of your father.

 

[PastTense]

After 2 Years of Hoping, Upstate New York Family Has Few Leads on Man Who Vanished

“I just think there’s something out there that somebody knows,” Lyndon Gillis said. “It’s just a matter of finding out the right person.”

Bob Russo, an investigator at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which aids law enforcement in missing persons investigations, said Mr. Gillis “just disappeared.”

“We haven’t generated any leads at all,” Mr. Russo said of his organization’s own investigation.

“It’s like he dropped off the face of the earth.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/nyregion/two-years-later-few-answers-in-a-mans-vanishing.html

 

[SunsetGirl]

After 2 Years of Hoping, Upstate New York Family Has Few Leads on Man Who Vanished

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/nyregion/two-years-later-few-answers-in-a-mans-vanishing.html

A BIG Thank You! to PastTense for linking this new article. It's interesting what this article finally revealed that was never mentioned in the news before. And what is being presented as fact.

 

[SunsetGirl]

Quote from New York Times article Nov. 30, 2014

Mr. Gillis’s relatives said it took 30 to 60 minutes for the authorities to respond to the sighting, near the border of Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties. By the time a state trooper arrived, Mr. Gillis was gone. (bbm)

I had wondered about the time frame between the last admitted sighting by RR (newspaper editor) and when the state police actually drove along that road. Previous news reports varied but all implied a much quicker response than stated here. So this is interesting.

 

[SunsetGirl]

Hi tarabull! Thank you for the very warm welcome back and for your words of comfort - it is so appreciated!

The Gillis family has shared that all areas in the vicinity have been searched very thoroughly and searched again - they know most of the owners of the areas so it leads me to believe that Colin has been taken to someplace off of the "likely" grid - we just need to figure out where that is. Andalso is on to some good stuff I believe - check it out. I don't believe this was a random abduction. (bbm)

That's very unsettling ... it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. I think Tarabull alluded to the same thing a page or two back from Andalso's post.

Have the Gillises hired their own private investigator?

 

[Kadence]

Hi SunsetGirl -

They, to my knowledge, have not hired a private investigator, as they are relying on, and have confidence in, the local and state police. I know they have been working with some outside search and rescue agencies.

I came here to post the NY Times article, but it's already been posted, thank you PastTense! You stay up way later than me lol! Many things are clarified in the article, the police response time to Colin's last known location was never shared with me but I never asked (dummy here - I always assumed it was immediate! Wouldn't one think it would be?! Or is that just me?). Please keep the Gillis family in your prayers, I feel doors are opening which I have been closed for too long - he/she/they can't live with this forever, it's not possible to live with the guilt - we will bring Colin home!

 

[tarabull]

After 2 Years of Hoping, Upstate New York Family Has Few Leads on Man Who Vanished

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/nyregion/two-years-later-few-answers-in-a-mans-vanishing.html

Ultra interesting...

Snipped...

...But as temperatures hovered in the teens, Mr. Gillis, dressed in long sleeves, a jacket and wearing a backpack, turned left onto State Route 3 at the top of the hill.

Going back to the beginning - literally - snipped from the first post of this thread...

Lake Placid News Editor Rich Rosentreter reported seeing a young man in the road on state Route 3 at about 1:45 a.m. Sunday as he was heading back from Massena to Tupper Lake with his mother, who lives in Tupper Lake.

Rosentreter said the young man was walking against traffic close to the white line on the side of the road and flailing his arms. At first it looked like the man was hitchhiking, but then it looked like he wasn't.

He wasn't wearing a jacket, only a long-sleeved shirt, and the temperature was in the teens, Rosentreter said. Rosentreter said state police went to look for the man after he reported the incident to them at the Tupper Lake village police station, but to no avail.

Gillis attends SUNY Brockport, according to his Facebook page. He is the son of John and Patricia Gillis.

:thinking:

 

[tarabull]

Where u at Colin?

:candle:

 

[Hap]

Time to find Colin before another winter is upon us....

 

[Kadence]

Ultra interesting...

Snipped...


Going back to the beginning - literally - snipped from the first post of this thread...



:thinking:

Hi Tarabull-

I was told Colin did NOT have his jacket or backpack, I have read the NYT article probably 10 times and I never noticed it says he did, what? My reading comprehension needs some obvious work! Nice work Tarabull! I'm going to mention that to Patty as the article needs to be corrected, I mean they couldn't even get Colin's Uncle's name correct and he was right there! They added a correction regarding that as well as the location of Colin's last reported telephone outreach. While I'm VERY appreciative of Mr. Rosen's interview, at this stage, I feel it is critical/imperative to communicate 100% correct information. Not doing so, only slows, if not stalls, Colin's case. I don't know about any of you but it seems that I'm in the minority when it comes to reading the corrections section of the newspaper, most go with what they read in the original article and take it as fact

 

[andalso]

Hi tarabull! Thank you for the very warm welcome back and for your words of comfort - it is so appreciated!

The Gillis family has shared that all areas in the vicinity have been searched very thoroughly and searched again - they know most of the owners of the areas so it leads me to believe that Colin has been taken to someplace off of the "likely" grid - we just need to figure out where that is. Andalso is on to some good stuff I believe - check it out. I don't believe this was a random abduction.

That's very unsettling ... it wouldn't be the first time something like that happened. I think Tarabull alluded to the same thing a page or two back from Andalso's post.

Have the Gillises hired their own private investigator?

BBM: Wow, thanks guys. Haven't been here in a bit, glad to see you all have been busy and that you agree my ideas/theories may not be totally off base!

Kadence...I am so terribly sorry for your loss.

I must admit, I do kinda think I am onto something...and it is a little scary that if I am on the right track that LE hasn't been able to piece more together.

I think a Private Investigator is the way to go for the family.

Does the family have a copy of the police report from that evening? I have said before, I would sure like to see it.

Where is Colin?

 

[andalso]

Guess this answers my question about the police report, but I could swear I have seen police reports made available in other cases that were still being investigated. Am I wrong? Heather Elvis case comes to mind, I think we definately saw the police report for the evening she went missing whilst the investigation was going on. Didn't we?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/nyregion/two-years-later-few-answers-in-a-mans-vanishing.html?_r=1

Because the investigation is continuing, police records on Mr. Gillis’s case were not made available

 

[andalso]

Bumping for Colin

Let's find him!

 

[SunsetGirl]

There is a photo in the most recent NY Times article showing a topographical map with markings of areas searched ... I wish we could get a better photo to post here ... if you enlarge that photo and really examine it - it's very impressive to see all the areas covered!

In the absence of any evidence except the 2 items found on the roadside - it would seem that Colin must have gotten into someone's vehicle (willingly or by force) at that spot. How could there not be a single other piece of evidence if he kept walking - especially if he went into the woods.

I cannot imagine the distress & frustration of the Gillis family and all the searchers to find absolutely nothing!

I know I've said it before a few times but in my mind, the missing backpack & coat absolutely should've turned up if ... 1) Colin had them at home before leaving for the party and ... 2) IF he was definitely not wearing/carrying them when he was 'last' seen by the newspaper editor. I'm pretty confident his family searched every square inch of their own house/property so if they never turned up ... well, someone has (or had) them and had a reason to hide/dispose of them. Did someone at the party take the backpack from Colin (with coat inside perhaps?) and refuse to give them back to him?

I think if he was 'last' seen walking with them then I wouldn't be stuck on this. It just seems the newspaper editor wouldn't have noticed Colin’s shirt had he been wearing his coat.

Sorry for going on and on about this. I know I had quoted the Tupper Lake Free Press somewhere earlier in the thread where searchers were told Colin was seen wearing his coat black side out. It was the only mention of it in any news report but it stood out to me ... who would even know the color of his coat if it was stuffed in his backpack and he wasn't wearing it? Where (or I should say who) that piece of info came from seems important.

 

[SunsetGirl]

Sorry again for the long-winded post re: Colin's missing coat & backpack ... I just re-read all our posts from 8-24-14 through 9-6-2014 and this topic was well covered with very interesting 'theories' ... I just have to patiently trust that LE has also considered all of this.

 

[andalso]

There is a photo in the most recent NY Times article showing a topographical map with markings of areas searched ... I wish we could get a better photo to post here ... if you enlarge that photo and really examine it - it's very impressive to see all the areas covered!

In the absence of any evidence except the 2 items found on the roadside - it would seem that Colin must have gotten into someone's vehicle (willingly or by force) at that spot. How could there not be a single other piece of evidence if he kept walking - especially if he went into the woods.


I cannot imagine the distress & frustration of the Gillis family and all the searchers to find absolutely nothing!

I know I've said it before a few times but in my mind, the missing backpack & coat absolutely should've turned up if ... 1) Colin had them at home before leaving for the party and ... 2) IF he was definitely not wearing/carrying them when he was 'last' seen by the newspaper editor. I'm pretty confident his family searched every square inch of their own house/property so if they never turned up ... well, someone has (or had) them and had a reason to hide/dispose of them. Did someone at the party take the backpack from Colin (with coat inside perhaps?) and refuse to give them back to him?

I think if he was 'last' seen walking with them then I wouldn't be stuck on this. It just seems the newspaper editor wouldn't have noticed Colin’s shirt had he been wearing his coat.

Sorry for going on and on about this. I know I had quoted the Tupper Lake Free Press somewhere earlier in the thread where searchers were told Colin was seen wearing his coat black side out. It was the only mention of it in any news report but it stood out to me ... who would even know the color of his coat if it was stuffed in his backpack and he wasn't wearing it? Where (or I should say who) that piece of info came from seems important.

All good points SunsetGirl and re: the bold by me, I 100% agree!

As far as what Colin was wearing...I would imagine AT & JA, who asked him if he wanted a ride that eve, would/should be able to corroborate the newspaper editors story. Right? Wonder what they say. I hadn't considered that angle. http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ke-2am-on-11-March-2012&p=7689677#post7689677


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/nyregion/two-years-later-few-answers-in-a-mans-vanishing.html?_r=3

All that was ever found were his driver’s license and a tobacco pipe.

This is new info, right? No judgement here on the fact that the pipe was more likely used for pot, but I wonder...whose pipe was it? Can they test a pipe for dna? Did they? Would be interesting to know.

We had heard about the license before. Still wonder why he would have had that out.

 

[SunsetGirl]

All good points SunsetGirl and re: the bold by me, I 100% agree!

As far as what Colin was wearing...I would imagine AT & JA, who asked him if he wanted a ride that eve, would/should be able to corroborate the newspaper editors story. Right? Wonder what they say. I hadn't considered that angle. http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...ke-2am-on-11-March-2012&p=7689677#post7689677


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/nyregion/two-years-later-few-answers-in-a-mans-vanishing.html?_r=3


This is new info, right? No judgement here on the fact that the pipe was more likely used for pot, but I wonder...whose pipe was it? Can they test a pipe for dna? Did they? Would be interesting to know.

We had heard about the license before. Still wonder why he would have had that out.

Yes, the 'tobacco' pipe info is new ... it's not a big surprise all things considered. I can also understand why it was kept quiet.

I'm curious if Colin kept his license in a wallet or carried it loose in his pocket. Would his family or girlfriend know? I could see keeping a wallet in either his coat pocket or backpack while at the party. I imagine the family has picked all these details apart already.

Good question Andalso ... under what circumstances would he have his license out or did these 2 items fall out of his pocket in a struggle? (I know ... we've already discussed this.) If he had these 2 items tucked in a pocket would they have been in his jeans back pocket? Or did his t-shirt have a pocket?

 

[SunsetGirl]

Question for Kadence ... are there any other details the family would be able to share? Please extend our best wishes to the Gillis family the next time you speak!

 

[SilentSleuth]

I actually think at this point, that if Colin was in the North Country, the searchers would've found him. What Colin needs is national attention, he could be anywhere. Some of these witness reports are misleading, I have to say!

 

[andalso]

Just revisiting some articles/facts of the case.

Article from 2013
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20130312/DCO01/703129876

“We’ve developed new leads; we’re revisiting old leads,” Lt. Scott Heggelke of the state police Bureau of Criminal Investigation said Monday. “Do we know where Colin is right now? Unfortunately, no.”

The BCI lieutenant added that investigators recently spoke with someone they learned had seen Mr. Gillis on the night he disappeared, but he wouldn’t comment except to say that there is “no information that has led us to make another organized search.”

and

Since the young man went missing, police, family, friends and strangers have searched thousand of acres — they were only able to turn up some of his personal effects on Setting Pole Dam Road.

Setting Pole is a little over a mile from Paskungameh Rd.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/44....28,-74.534934,2461m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e2