Found Deceased OR - Owen Klinger, 18, University of Portland, 6 Oct 2019

[PdxErn]

To the best of my knowledge this is the location of the bus stop and direction he was headed in the video.

Yes, this is also my understanding

 

[PdxErn]

Recent UP graduate here, used to frequent Christie hall daily. Been following you all since Owen's disappearance.
A few points here:
1. As someone who has been a student walking on Willamette MANY times -- night, day, dark, light, sober, drunk, you-name-it -- the recent direction change as indicated by the Trimet video has completely altered my idea of what might have happened to him. I used to walk to Fred Meyer's on the regular. It's the only grocery option around, and Willamette Blvd is the only way you would walk there really. Sunday night would be prime time to shop because every other waking moment there are study groups/dorm meetings/ athletic practices. Could have been on his way to purchase something, or meet someone at FM parking lot, and got held up... Recent news about the violent teens in NOPO has me wondering if they were involved. Fred Meyer footage should be investigated, if not already done.
2. The indication that his phone was turned off does not mean he was trying to avoid being tracked. In fact, if he had been meeting someone for controversial reasons, I believe even more that he would have had it charged/accessible for maps/contacting whomever he was meeting with/emergencies. This leads me to believe it was turned off by a third party or destroyed.
3. The hazing theories are utterly unbelievable to me. UP is, relative to other colleges, a VERY tame school. I participated on multiple club and D1 athletic teams there, none of which ever had issues with hazing. There is no Greek system so really the culture for that is non-existent. Compounded with the fact that this was literally hours before midterms, I'd really discount that theory.
4. It does not surprise me that UP has not released more statements, and in fact they may be encouraging students not to post publicly. I worked for the media there and had to deal with tight-lipped admin/corporate PR BS constantly. However, their efforts are likely much more in person than what we have access to online.
5. The access to mental health resources at UP was pathetic, and if he had some sort of mental health crisis (unlikely from descriptions of him, but possible), I am very sorry he did not have access to better services while there.

Hoping for the best for Owen, looks like someone who would've been in my friend group there.

Fellow UP alumni here. I have had the same gut reaction every time someone has brought up the hazing theory. I don’t remember any hazing or even any bullying issues coming up during my three years living on campus. Further, the lacrosse team is a club team at UP, not the typical varsity college sport environment that some may be imagining.

As soon as I heard which direction he was going on willamette I also thought of the Freddie’s. Along willamette and side streets is also where the majority of upperclassmen live in cheap rental houses. I could easily see him headed toward one of these houses to meet up with some people.

 

[rustbeltrose]

Fellow UP alumni here. I have had the same gut reaction every time someone has brought up the hazing theory. I don’t remember any hazing or even any bullying issues coming up during my three years living on campus. Further, the lacrosse team is a club team at UP, not the typical varsity college sport environment that some may be imagining.

As soon as I heard which direction he was going on willamette I also thought of the Freddie’s. Along willamette and side streets is also where the majority of upperclassmen live in cheap rental houses. I could easily see him headed toward one of these houses to meet up with some people.

Right? Hazing doesn't make sense here. The Peninsula Crossing Trail has been my other thought.

 

[88GlavineRC]

RE: Fred Meyer, great insight.
See what erratic characters have been frequenting it that day, guarantee the security there deals with tons of shitbirds. Sometimes the parking lot of FM will have multiple vans/RV's with dealers, addicts, desperate homeless. Also media says the teenage criminals have been shoulder tapping for booze and becoming violent when rejected.

With all the contradictory/fuzzy info about the phone. Maybe he was rolled by a criminal novice enough to be turning the phone on and off, or selling it, passing person to person. If withholding info like this benefits investigators maybe they feel the public doesn't need it spelled so clearly.

Hazing could have been a group thing relating to trains or bridges, really far fetched if it did occur perhaps something with alcohol poisoning. Can't rule anything out, but more folks involved more likely to crack under questioning.

I really wish we had a concrete trail of video showing Owen go far far away from the St Johns Bridge and river. Starting to believe the city may not have any working video cameras on St Johns bridge. Shame on them if that is the case. Not an indicator he used the bridge for self harm, it could have been a path to Forrest Park.

 

[PdxErn]

Some interesting new information came up in the interview with parents:

1) There WAS a lacrosse practice that night. Owen did not attend. He only told his friends it was a meeting after they questioned his lack of gear.

2) He made plans with his roommates to study after he got back from practice. That’s why they waited up for him and became concerned so quickly. It wasn’t like him to bail on plans without notice.

3) Something illicit may have happened on campus involving one of Owen’s friends that he may have been privy to and concerned about. The parents were vague about what exactly this might have been, but suggested that both the University and PPB have further information on the possible event.

 

[Marilynilpa]

Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part, but I believe Owen is okay and just needs to take a time out. As many previous posts have stated, freshman year can be stressful and upcoming exams would make it more so.

I’m sure LE has checked his social media accounts. I wonder if he could have met a like-minded person online and the two of them decided to “escape” for a few days?

Owen is certainly at an age where making mature decisions isn’t always going to happen. JMO.

 

[La Louve]

Local here. I'm not surprised about the PPB screwups on details like the direction Owen was walking, the trainhopping videos, and the phone being turned off.

Fairly par for the course IMO.

I'm so glad Owen's parents are calling out the PPB for their ineptitude.

Owen, where are you?

 

[88GlavineRC]

The hazing angle may be uncharacteristic for UofP, but it's supposed to be done secretively, the penalties are stiff. And even though i can't think of any media about hazing in the PNW recent years all it would take is maybe one idiot who is forcing it on others. Still agree its a least likely angle in this case.

 

[nao]

Some interesting new information came up in the interview with parents:

1) There WAS a lacrosse practice that night. Owen did not attend. He only told his friends it was a meeting after they questioned his lack of gear.

2) He made plans with his roommates to study after he got back from practice. That’s why they waited up for him and became concerned so quickly. It wasn’t like him to bail on plans without notice.

3) Something illicit may have happened on campus involving one of Owen’s friends that he may have been privy to and concerned about. The parents were vague about what exactly this might have been, but suggested that both the University and PPB have further information on the possible event.

How and why would the parents know?

 

[PdxErn]

How and why would the parents know?

They are in communication with police and the university. Not to mention his friends.

 

[88GlavineRC]

As soon as I heard which direction he was going on willamette I also thought of the Freddie’s. Along willamette and side streets is also where the majority of upperclassmen live in cheap rental houses. I could easily see him headed toward one of these houses to meet up with some people.

Upperclassmen, little more life experience, stronger drugs maybe. Private rental homes off campus, can party weeknights, be a little louder. Maybe just some extreme partying drugging went on there. Misadventure with some aspect of kink?

 

[LAborn]

Have they done a thorough search of the train area just before FM? Or the area along the Willamette river on the other side? There's a bridge above the trains, and the St. Johns bridge further down, which leads to Forest Park.

 

[LAborn]

Some interesting new information came up in the interview with parents:

3) Something illicit may have happened on campus involving one of Owen’s friends that he may have been privy to and concerned about. The parents were vague about what exactly this might have been, but suggested that both the University and PPB have further information on the possible event.

If something "illicit" happened with someone else, this would all be known by now. His location would be known. There's little chance a kid witness would not come forward with information after seeing all the concern for his welfare, even if it was anonymously to say he is alive somewhere.

 

[Tutter]

Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part, but I believe Owen is okay and just needs to take a time out. As many previous posts have stated, freshman year can be stressful and upcoming exams would make it more so.

I’m sure LE has checked his social media accounts. I wonder if he could have met a like-minded person online and the two of them decided to “escape” for a few days?

Owen is certainly at an age where making mature decisions isn’t always going to happen. JMO.

A few days, yep I could buy that. 12 days vanished? No.

I want you to be right, though.

 

[PaulR]

A few days, yep I could buy that. 12 days vanished? No.

I want you to be right, though.

This has blown up, though. He may have wanted a few days off. Maybe even just the night - then roommate called parents, and it blew up in the headlines. Now what is he supposed to do?

 

[happyday]

A few days, yep I could buy that. 12 days vanished? No.

I want you to be right, though.

I’m not even buying a few days off. During midterms? No, that’s not when you’d take some time off and come back. I think he either meant to be back that night to study like he had planned OR he didn’t plan to come back at all.

 

[nao]

PaulR..i agree.. His parents may care and love him, but they sure do not have an open honest relationship. OMG they watch his bank account.

 

[PdxErn]

PaulR..i agree.. His parents may care and love him, but they sure do not have an open honest relationship. OMG they watch his bank account.

Owen is from an upper middle class family in Portland. He seems like a pretty sheltered kid. 18 year olds vary greatly in terms of their life experience and independence. From my experience it’s not at ALL uncommon for students at UP to have a bank account that is still tied to their parents. I don’t know Owen’s work history but it wouldn’t be unusual for a kid like him to have gotten a money directly from his parents into a savings account when he is first starting out on his own. He lives on campus at UP - freshman year at this school honestly isn’t a far cry from high school.

I’m not saying it’s impossible that Owen was frustrated and desperate to strike out on his own. But it’s important to temper shock about his parent/roommates’ watchful eyes with context about his life situation.

 

[PaulR]

Owen is from an upper middle class family in Portland. He seems like a pretty sheltered kid. 18 year olds vary greatly in terms of their life experience and independence. From my experience it’s not at ALL uncommon for students at UP to have a bank account that is still tied to their parents. I don’t know Owen’s work history but it wouldn’t be unusual for a kid like him to have gotten a money directly from his parents into a savings account when he is first starting out on his own. He lives on campus at UP - freshman year at this school honestly isn’t a far cry from high school.

Yeah, but that's not the same as monitoring his spending. I got an "allowance" when I was in college, but my parents had no idea what I spent the money on. I would have been a little freaked out if they were watching me that closely.

 

[PdxErn]

Yeah, but that's not the same as monitoring his spending. I got an "allowance" when I was in college, but my parents had no idea what I spent the money on. I would have been a little freaked out if they were watching me that closely.

Do we know that they were monitoring his spending before his disappearance?