Found Deceased CO - Kevin Rudnicki, 20, hiker, Mount Herman, Pike National Forest, 3 Sep 2018

[crhedBngr]

I have done quite a bit of searching for this in the news or on the Monument police website, but have not found anything yet. If people could search the internet for anything regarding the stolen 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse out of Monument, Colorado, from very early September, 2018, this would be a huge help.

A couple of questions, please:

1. Was there anything distinctive about the Mitsubishi Eclipse, such as dents, scratches, missing hubcaps?

2. Did your friend do any customization of this vehicle, such as pin-striping, tinted windows or a custom stereo set? Anything unique about this Mitsubishi would be helpful.

I'm thinking the license plates have been replaced by now, so that the car doesn't look like it's stolen, but I could be wrong.

 

[zecats]

I have done quite a bit of searching for this in the news or on the Monument police website, but have not found anything yet. If people could search the internet for anything regarding the stolen 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse out of Monument, Colorado, from very early September, 2018, this would be a huge help.

I found a list from El Paso County Sheriff Blotter (correct county?) but I could only go back to beginning of November. Anyone know a way to access archived info? Or September info?

 

[Carja7]

I'm sure it's too long ago to have them pulled now, but, when the friend had their car stolen with the fake cash I wonder if police looked at any security footage? Since it is a well known business I would imagine they would have cameras. I'd hope.

 

[chaz]

I have done quite a bit of searching for this in the news or on the Monument police website, but have not found anything yet. If people could search the internet for anything regarding the stolen 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse out of Monument, Colorado, from very early September, 2018, this would be a huge help.

There's not one listed here recently that I could find.
Stolen Car
Wish I could be of more help.

 

[PalmerLakeAnon]

PalmerLakeAnon
Has anyone been able to personally speak face-to-face with the teacher that saw and supposedly talked to him on the trail? (I might’ve missed this in earlier posts, and I apologize if I have, maybe it will help to bring to bring it forward again.)
The last person that sees a missing person may really hold a clue they don’t even know they do. In this case, a conversation with his mother and/or brother may trigger other thoughts or ideas for them.

We spoke with the teacher very early on in the search. She told us everything she knew: her and Kevin talked for a minute or so on the trail before going their separate ways. She said he was very nice, and she noticed no red flags. She took us to the exact spot on the 2nd day.

 

[PalmerLakeAnon]

A couple of questions, please:

1. Was there anything distinctive about the Mitsubishi Eclipse, such as dents, scratches, missing hubcaps?

2. Did your friend do any customization of this vehicle, such as pin-striping, tinted windows or a custom stereo set? Anything unique about this Mitsubishi would be helpful.

I'm thinking the license plates have been replaced by now, so that the car doesn't look like it's stolen, but I could be wrong.

I just asked. He said the rear driver's side window was broken. Nothing else.

 

[crhedBngr]

I just asked. He said the rear driver's side window was broken. Nothing else.

Thanks, that's at least something. Even if the window was replaced, it probably wouldn't show the wear that the other vehicle windows show (pitting, scratches, etc.). The replacement window might even be a slightly different tint.

Hopefully, we can find the September stolen vehicle list.

 

[zecats]

UPDATE:

I recently got in touch with a friend of mine from high school. We had been texting back and forth, on and off, for the last couple months. It was the 2nd week of September, the week after the initial search for Kevin, and my friend mentioned how his car was stolen; he was given counterfeit money and the guy who he was selling it to drove off before my friend noticed. The car was a matte black 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse.

My mom recently mentioned how Kevin had very little money in his bank accounts, indicating he probably withdrew most of it. One of the "rules" of disappearing is to only pay for things in cash.

Also, remember how I mentioned the SAR dogs were able to track Kevin's scent all the way down Mt. Herman Road, only to lose it suddenly near the Monument Hotshot Center? As if Kevin got in a car. Maybe he had a ride prearranged.

My friend said the man who he was selling his car to was dropped off by someone in a white pick-up truck. My mom mentioned how Kevin knew someone from working for the town of Monument who would give him rides to and from work. This coworker supposedly drove a white pickup. I know, there are many people who own white trucks, but his just adds to the coincidence here.

I decided to pursue this further and asked my friend several questions. My friend said the transaction occurred around 8pm, Sunday, September 2, in the Monument Safeway parking lot. The man appeared to be in his 20s or 30s, though he admitted he was rather bad at judging age. The man had long-ish, brown hair, a bit of scruff, average height, about average weight, and didn't talk much. He asked the man his name, and the man hesitated, then replied something "very generic." My friend thought nothing of it, though. This description somewhat matched that of Kevin. Although he does have red hair, it is a dark-red, that could easily appear brown in the dark, or when its just long and greasy. I showed my friend Kevin's picture, and he said "Yea the guy kinda looked like that." The man was wearing a dark hoodie, pants, and generic black shoes. Kevin could have easily had these clothes with him to change in to. My friend also said that the man was terrible at driving stick-shift. As far as we know, Kevin didn't know how to drive a stick, unless he had learned back in Wyoming. He may have also had a Wyoming ID.

My friend had also removed the plates prior to selling the car.

As far as I know, this friend knew who Kevin was, but did not know him very well. I do not think he would be able to recognize Kevin in his appearance at the time: long hair, some facial hair, taller, and heavier than Kevin was back in high school, when this friend would have been most likely to see him the most.

So here is a theory, and I must emphasize that this is just a THEORY:

-Kevin left for a hike Sunday, September 2, at 8:00 am
-Kevin was picked up on Mt. Herman Road by his coworker. Maybe he had another cellphone to arrange this, or maybe he just hitchhiked with some stranger. Regardless, he was driven to Safeway to buy this car which he found on Craigslist.
-Kevin buys the car from my friend around 8:00 pm, gives him fake money, and then speeds off.
-My friend calls the police, but Kevin is long gone, probably out of the county.

I think this was a very strange coincidence; that all of this happened the day Kevin went missing.

Curious as to how Kevin would have counterfeit money? Do you know how much money was given to your friend for the car? Perhaps there is a trail that leads to the money. I’m betting LE confiscated it.

 

[crhedBngr]

@PalmerLakeAnon : Just did a mental head-smack (I don't know why I didn't think of this before, when I was asking questions about the Mitsubishi!)

Does your friend have a copy of the original license and registration? I'm thinking a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) would be helpful.

Mind you, the person who took the vehicle may have removed this, but again, this is more information with which to trace the car.

 

[Valiant]

The biggest clue is the car being matte black. Cars are shiny, not matte.
So the fact this one has been repainted a matte color is going to make it distinctive.

Also, the broken side window will make it a target for law enforcement. That is the window usually broken when a car is stolen (though that's not how it was stolen in this case).
Most likely, if it was him, the car was used for temporary transportation and abandoned somewhere or a stolen license plate was put on it so it doesn't stand out.

 

[PalmerLakeAnon]

I am working on getting as much information about the car and the transaction from my friend. He's still in high school, and this is kind of like pulling teeth; since it is almost 3 months since this happened, many of the replies I get are "I don't remember" or "I don't know." My friend said another one of his friends was present when the car was stolen, so I will work on contacting him.

As for Kevin and the possibility of him getting counterfeit money: it is very likely he would. I mean, he was buying experimental drugs from other countries, so counterfeit money and fake IDs are entirely likely. I think the biggest issue with this theory is that I personally don't know why Kevin would steal a car (risking legal trouble) if he was trying to disappear. Maybe to give himself an incentive to never return to the public? Given his mental state, I guess anything is possible. I would not put this past him.

 

[PalmerLakeAnon]

I questioned the other friend. He only saw the man from the seat of his car while my friend dealt with the man. He described the man as about 6 feet tall, dark hair, and kind of heavy-looking. When I showed him the picture of Kevin, he said he didn't think he looked like that. Again, it was 8 at night when this all happened, and this guy was in his car and did not interact with the man. The two accounts are both consistent, but while my friend said Kevin kind of resembled the man, the other guy said he did not. Both of them said the man was heavy/average weight, which Kevin was certainly more thin, about 140 lbs for a 5'9" person. Maybe Kevin was wearing a bunch of clothes? I think they would be able to tell if that were the case.

 

[crhedBngr]

I questioned the other friend. He only saw the man from the seat of his car while my friend dealt with the man. He described the man as about 6 feet tall, dark hair, and kind of heavy-looking. When I showed him the picture of Kevin, he said he didn't think he looked like that. Again, it was 8 at night when this all happened, and this guy was in his car and did not interact with the man. The two accounts are both consistent, but while my friend said Kevin kind of resembled the man, the other guy said he did not. Both of them said the man was heavy/average weight, which Kevin was certainly more thin, about 140 lbs for a 5'9" person. Maybe Kevin was wearing a bunch of clothes? I think they would be able to tell if that were the case.

Thanks for all of your help and patience.

 

[windrower]

The content of the vial is important. Maybe pay for a private lab to test the substance? Might be faster than waiting behind other cases at the LE facility.

If the original substance was granular and needed to be dissolved and injected for suicide, that is a bit more involved for using out in the woods than ingesting. But certainly not impossible. Although why were the vial and sunglasses left close to the trail? Appears like Kevin wanted them found, if indeed they were his.

Depression can be insidious, and adding mind-altering drugs makes almost any scenario possible.

 

[PalmerLakeAnon]

The content of the vial is important. Maybe pay for a private lab to test the substance? Might be faster than waiting behind other cases at the LE facility.

If the original substance was granular and needed to be dissolved and injected for suicide, that is a bit more involved for using out in the woods than ingesting. But certainly not impossible. Although why were the vial and sunglasses left close to the trail? Appears like Kevin wanted them found, if indeed they were his.

Depression can be insidious, and adding mind-altering drugs makes almost any scenario possible.

I will find out where the vial ended up. I am considering taking the vial to the Colorado School of Mines chemistry lab and see if they can do some testing. I'm sure they would be quicker than the Sheriff's office.
From what I have found online, Nembutal can be dissolved in water and is taken orally. However, in high doses, it can cause the person to vomit, so the bitter taste must be masked by a syrup or something. Thus, it is possible to take the drug in the woods.
I would also agree that the vial and the sunglasses were kind of in an obvious place. Kevin might have left those to make us think he killed himself in the forest. I see two scenarios here:

1) Kevin bought Nembutal, ingested it, and died. His body is somewhere within about 15-20 minutes walking distance from where the vial was found.
2) Kevin left those clues to deceive SAR. He actually left the area entirely, maybe bought a car (or stole my friend's), and is somewhere completely different.

 

[zecats]

I will find out where the vial ended up. I am considering taking the vial to the Colorado School of Mines chemistry lab and see if they can do some testing. I'm sure they would be quicker than the Sheriff's office.
From what I have found online, Nembutal can be dissolved in water and is taken orally. However, in high doses, it can cause the person to vomit, so the bitter taste must be masked by a syrup or something. Thus, it is possible to take the drug in the woods.
I would also agree that the vial and the sunglasses were kind of in an obvious place. Kevin might have left those to make us think he killed himself in the forest. I see two scenarios here:

1) Kevin bought Nembutal, ingested it, and died. His body is somewhere within about 15-20 minutes walking distance from where the vial was found.
2) Kevin left those clues to deceive SAR. He actually left the area entirely, maybe bought a car (or stole my friend's), and is somewhere completely different.

Are the sunglasses definitely his? Did you or your mom recognize them? Do you know if either the glasses and/or the vial were tested for fingerprints?

 

[PalmerLakeAnon]

Are the sunglasses definitely his? Did you or your mom recognize them? Do you know if either the glasses and/or the vial were tested for fingerprints?

I was not the one who found them; my step-dad was. I wouldn't have known if they were Kevin's of not, but my step-dad and mom were pretty certain they were his. I went back to the area with one of Kevin's friends and he told me that Kevin had found a pair of sunglasses in that area a while ago on a hike. I would make sense that he came back to return them. As for fingerprint testing, I don't think that's an option now since so many people have handled them.

 

[Vail]

I have done quite a bit of searching for this in the news or on the Monument police website, but have not found anything yet. If people could search the internet for anything regarding the stolen 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse out of Monument, Colorado, from very early September, 2018, this would be a huge help.

None of the blotters have anything and Monument PD appears to need someone that is good at facebook but their last post back in May happens to be about counterfeit cash Monument Police Department

(O/T but wow frequent officers down in Monument)

So here is a theory, and I must emphasize that this is just a THEORY:

-Kevin left for a hike Sunday, September 2, at 8:00 am
-Kevin was picked up on Mt. Herman Road by his coworker. Maybe he had another cellphone to arrange this, or maybe he just hitchhiked with some stranger. Regardless, he was driven to Safeway to buy this car which he found on Craigslist.
-Kevin buys the car from my friend around 8:00 pm, gives him fake money, and then speeds off.
-My friend calls the police, but Kevin is long gone, probably out of the county.

Some questions to help solidify this one way or the other:

1. Has LE spoken with the coworker? (Make sure you share these tips with them!)
2. What if the end of the dog trail was actually the start of Kevin's hike?
3. Have you contacted Safeway to ask them about surveillance?
4. Does your friend have a case record? Is the car theft being investigated by Monument PD or El Paso County Sheriff?
5. Where would Kevin have obtained the fake cash?
6. How much real money should Kevin have had access to?
7. With all his careful planning and diversion, why would Kevin risk stealing a car? (stolen cars get a bolo that is interstate, so he would not have been safe for quite a ways unless he drove into Wyoming)

You mentioned once that he had a dream of living in Wyoming. It may be useful to research communes in Wyoming and Yellowstone and make sure they are all aware he is officially missing. Here is a place to start (I'd check New Mexico for good measure):
Communities Directory - Find Intentional Communities
http://www.hummingbirdtlc.org/

Have you been in touch with the Vanished Podcast yet? This is exactly the kind of case Marissa likes to cover.Case Submission Form — The Vanished Podcast

 

[MissMYB]

I truly hope Kevin's family has closure soon.

 

[heartgoesout]

I questioned the other friend. He only saw the man from the seat of his car while my friend dealt with the man. He described the man as about 6 feet tall, dark hair, and kind of heavy-looking. When I showed him the picture of Kevin, he said he didn't think he looked like that. Again, it was 8 at night when this all happened, and this guy was in his car and did not interact with the man. The two accounts are both consistent, but while my friend said Kevin kind of resembled the man, the other guy said he did not. Both of them said the man was heavy/average weight, which Kevin was certainly more thin, about 140 lbs for a 5'9" person. Maybe Kevin was wearing a bunch of clothes? I think they would be able to tell if that were the case.

Do you trust these two people?