GA GA - Brian Wehrle, 39, Carrollton, 23 Sept 2009

[webrocket]

We have tried gay advocacy groups but they say there is nothing they can do. We have tried to organize rallies and motivate involvement but the fact of the matter is is that people care about as little when it's an older white male as they do if he were a minority.

Advocacy groups aside, I don't know if Jeff and Brian were into the Atlanta bar scene at all but did they at least plaster the bars with flyers? If so, did they get any feedback at all?

I don't know what to make of the silence or indifference. The media is easy to figure out - if you are young, white, female and attractive it is news. Anyone else is lucky to get any mention at all. The only time I saw people posting comments in a public forum (other than these missing persons sites and FB) was one article. There someone suggested that his departure was "one of 50 ways to leave your lover" and that prompted friends of Brian or the family to post comments on his behalf. It makes me wonder why the lack of commentary other than these few missing persons sites.

I'd like to think if something happened to someone I knew that there would be more out there. I hope never to have to find out for real.

I am curious about the reference to the minorities and why they think an older white male would get less coverage than a black person. The fact of the matter is missing minorities get tragically little press.

 

[cluciano63]

I am thinking by minority, they were referring to as member of gay community? That interest would not be as widespread as the typical, as you say, pretty white college female...

 

[webrocket]

I am thinking by minority, they were referring to as member of gay community? That interest would not be as widespread as the typical, as you say, pretty white college female...

After you commented I reread what the family said.

I now read it to mean that mature white men get as little attention as minorities do.

Translation, they are describing the "missing white woman syndrome" and how only they get real media attention.

 

[cluciano63]

Well, I am still thinking about what could have happened to Brian and wish more people would latch onto his case, the more eyes, ears and brains the better.

 

[webrocket]

I guess this is my final words on this thread unless something new develops. Wishful thinking is not going to help find an answer to the question of where is Brian Wehrle.

If Brian is deceased then it is really up to LE to try to find a body. If Brian is alive, LE is not really going to look for him as it is not a crime to disappear.

So my suggestion to the family is to get a quality pdf version of Brian's missing poster, try to get a current email address of EVERY gay bar in the ENTIRE south and send it off to them asking that they post it in their establishment.

If Brian is alive, he is not likely surrounded by just straight people nor is he likely anywhere near Atlanta. Also unless he is in a cave or dungeon someplace, then other people must have run into him somewhere at a bar, restaurant, party, who knows where else.

Unless they get his name and face out there to a targeted audience, then no one outside of Carrollton, Atlanta and maybe Chattanooga, will ever know anything about him.

 

[carbuff]

How about sending flyers to gay-oriented and alternative publications in the region?

 

[dreamweaver]

That latest from Brian's partners FB page:
re: GBI
3/5/2010
He did speak to the Carrollton detective and one person at GBI.
They tell him that evidence like what was found in Brian's car is not analyzed until there is a suspect.
Carrollton techs will process the fingerprint. There was only one good print, no result yet.
Fibers are being looked at.

3/10/2010
Jeffery posts that
GBI crime lab will not process until there is a suspect.
There are no body fluids, just hairs.
But,
Carrollton PD sent a letter to America's Most Wanted yesterday asking to air this case because they believe someone in Chattanooga knows something.
He asked the police dept. to let him know if they hear anything.
He asks that the public contact AMW also.

I am a little confused by the statement that 'they' do not process evidence until there is a suspect. But, maybe that is GBI' s rules.
Good news that Carrollton PD is contacting AMW.
I know from two other cases I have worked on, that if a police dept. contacts AMW it is the best way to get the show aired.
I also know that in the criteria about what shows get picked, AMW says that
they try to get shows from all over and different situations.

 

[webrocket]

They tell him that evidence like what was found in Brian's car is not analyzed until there is a suspect.
Carrollton techs will process the fingerprint. There was only one good print, no result yet.
Fibers are being looked at.

I really think this family is being jerked around by LE. How does LE expect to find a suspect unless they check out hairs and fingerprints?

Of course hairs could belong to anyone, including Brian's own family. However, if the hair is certainly not family, then why not process it?

 

[dreamweaver]

I really think this family is being jerked around by LE. How does LE expect to find a suspect unless they check out hairs and fingerprints?

Of course hairs could belong to anyone, including Brian's own family. However, if the hair is certainly not family, then why not process it?

eeeeeee.. frustrating...

 

[cluciano63]

I hope AMW will cover this case; have they done a case before where they were seeking a gay or lesbian person, openly, I wonder? Would some people be "offended"?? I hope that the show would not ignore it for that reason, depends upon their audience I guess, which might well be conservative...

You never know, sometimes they can get DNa from hair and it could be someone with DNA on file, probably a long shot, but how to know if you do not try? I wonder if his family could request testing if they paid, but it is probably a lot of $$ and not much chance of sucess. What a terrible position to be in, anyone who is a family member of someone missing.

 

[webrocket]

I've not watched AMW in ages. They profiled people who were wanted for killing gays or lesbians. Not sure about missing persons. I don't think there is any issue on that score.

 

[watcher9]

I noticed that Brian is not listed on the GBI missing persons page. Wonder why?

 

[webrocket]

I noticed that Brian is not listed on the GBI missing persons page. Wonder why?

very good question. Maybe this is part of their "trying to find the case". If they lost the file it might be difficult to add a name.

 

[dreamweaver]

I noticed that Brian is not listed on the GBI missing persons page. Wonder why?

I noticed that as well.
I don't know the answer to that.
Usually the state police bureau lists a person missing within of days of their disappearance.

Will check.

 

[cluciano63]

I am thinking about Brian and his loved ones on this Easter night...and sending out prayers for a resolution.

 

[webrocket]

this was posted on the Find Brian Wehrle facebook page:

The GBI did send the portable crime lab down to gather samples. It appears that Carrollton kept them and did nothing with them.There was only 1 fingerprint - don't know if they ran that and the local police department did nothing with the fiber samples (eg checking for dna etc). Told Jeff yesterday that he fixed it Tue...sday and they are now running the samples - 3 months later.

pretty sad that no one did anything with the findings if you ask me.

 

[cluciano63]

it doesn't take long to run a print...wonder if it will get a hit at all, wouldn't that be a move forward anyway...
i feel that brian must not be alive...i can't imagine any other outcome...sad to say

 

[webrocket]

What I find odd is that there is only one print. They did not say one unidentified print as they had not run it yet.

How does anyone drive a car and leave only a single fingerprint behind?

I don't see that as a case of a perp cleaning up after himself, after all, there was a container of cash left behind.

 

[cluciano63]

Well, i guess if they stole the vehicle, they might take a swipe at steering wheel...and i thought it was a bucket of change in the car? They might not take that, if it was only change and they planned to take off on foot...?

 

[webrocket]

There has been no update on the "Find Brian Wehrle" facebook page since March 4 when it was posted that the GBI was going to run a DNA test for fibers found in the car.

Nothing more since then?