Found Deceased IL - Jake Cefolia, 49, jogging, car found, SVP of United Airlines, Chicago, 6 Aug 2020

[LadyL]

am I missing something?
how does a family member seeing him intoxicated once translate into a drinking problem?

 

[GoBuckeyes]

<modsnip>

When isn't social media full of arguments? There is no vetting of information anywhere like there is here at WS. If the chief of police states there is an ongoing criminal investigation which began prior to Jakes disappearance, I believe LE.

Let the chips fall where they may. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if Jake is never found. He's clearly not stupid, and if he chose to walk away from it all, he'll likely be as successful at doing so as he was with his professional life. I just happen to think it's a terrible thing to do when someone has children. When one becomes a parent you buck up and teach your children resilience by demonstrating it yourself. People can and do recover from addiction and mental illness so I really don't consider either an excuse. Everyone is suffering right now, it's the times we live in at the moment.

Just a minor detail, but probably very important to journalists. It's not so much that we, WS users, verify the information, it's that we're constrained to sources that WS owner and mods trust have verified the info that they report. After those sources do their due diligence and write or produce information, then we discuss the details here. But the vetting credit really goes to the journalists imo.

 

[Cubby]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

Jakes NamUs profile.

 

[Cubby]

Elmhurst Missing Person Case Draws Airline's Comment


"While we know many of you are deeply concerned about their well-being, we kindly ask that you continue to respect the family's desire for privacy at this time," the email said.

 

[Kudzu]

Elmhurst Missing Person Case Draws Airline's Comment


"While we know many of you are deeply concerned about their well-being, we kindly ask that you continue to respect the family's desire for privacy at this time," the email said.

Trying to understand why the family wants privacy while he’s still missing....instead of an all-out effort to find him?

 

[tandemcamel]

Trying to understand why the family wants privacy while he’s still missing....instead of an all-out effort to find him?

Is it possible the family and police know he’s alive and doesn’t want to be found, and have been told to respect that? Unless he’s actually charged with a crime, it would seem like there’s not much you could do other than ask for child support and wait until he can be charged with something.

There could actually be activity on his bank accounts; we don’t know there’s not. Or he could’ve accumulated a bunch of cash that goes far in another country — just hire a private plane.

 

[asmi106082]

Is it possible the family and police know he’s alive and doesn’t want to be found, and have been told to respect that? Unless he’s actually charged with a crime, it would seem like there’s not much you could do other than ask for child support and wait until he can be charged with something.

There could actually be activity on his bank accounts; we don’t know there’s not. Or he could’ve accumulated a bunch of cash that goes far in another country — just hire a private plane.

Then why’d they report him missing? IMO

 

[tandemcamel]

Then why’d they report him missing? IMO

Very fair and kinda agree. But without an understanding of this being voluntary, seems unlikely it’d be kept so private. Unless there’s precedent for this type of response that I’m missing.

Maybe he tells someone at some point months earlier: “If I ever go missing, it’s voluntary, here’s roughly what I’d do to disappear, and that’s what I want. Don’t make people think I left them behind, but don’t come for me.” Family reports him missing still because you can only take that kind of statement somewhat seriously, but after time you let it go. Total thought experiment and please pick it apart — certainly a stretch. Not sure how often voluntary disappearances that aren’t self-harm are signaled.

Later edit: Some people are very private or just in the midst of a lot so they don’t want media in their business, and I don’t want it to sound like I have judgments on that. Right now is a stressful time and I wouldn’t want the police/media in my life. I just think the lack of police and other involvement adds to the idea of slightly unusual level of privacy.

 

[hblunt]

Not sure about self harm, why be concerned about your house selling, this was well thought out disappearance. The fact that his family seems calm. Jmo

Suicidal individuals will often sell their belongings and “get their affairs in order” prior to attempting and/or committing suicide in order to achieve closure and be less of a “burden” to their loved ones once deceased.

Often, a person considering suicide will begin to put his or her personal business in order. This might include visiting friends and family members, giving away personal possessions, making a will, and cleaning up his or her room or home.

Suicidal Behavior & Signs

 

[Cubby]

Usually if someone is missing and doesn't want to be found, police will verify the MP's well being and let the family know they are safe, but want no contact. Once it's determined the person is missing by choice the case is closed by police.

It was really the travel industry sites that got the word out. Seems Elmhurst police department were respecting the family's wishes for privacy by originally putting very little information out to the public.

 

[enelram]

Is it possible the family and police know he’s alive and doesn’t want to be found, and have been told to respect that? Unless he’s actually charged with a crime, it would seem like there’s not much you could do other than ask for child support and wait until he can be charged with something.

There could actually be activity on his bank accounts; we don’t know there’s not. Or he could’ve accumulated a bunch of cash that goes far in another country — just hire a private plane.

I totally agree. And since the home sale can be handled by his POA , I wonder who is co-trustee of the trust when he goes missing.

Maybe his ex-wife, which would take care of kid's
expenses and child support.
Execs who travel a lot and have lived overseas
are usually told to have their legal affairs in order
in case of something happening.
Add in his ex-wife's comment that he mentioned going "off the grid", I believe LE
has their most likely answer.

 

[sfomspphl]

Here is a video of Jake in a United webinar July 23, about two weeks before the disappearance. You can choose join anonymously and see the playback. He appears about 37 minutes in. FYI the background doesn't match his home for sale.

Join conversation

Also here's a similar webinar from June 3rd for comparison - here the background matches his home - he looks less stressed in this one.

Join conversation

--------------
The public property record on the source I use still listed Jake - no change since 2016 but maybe there's a lag.

-------------

Re: the organization he's on the board of - that's the GBTA. The CEO there stepped down recently for a laundry list of 'big ego behaves badly' things - but if this somehow involved criminal activity with Jake not sure why Elmhurst would be the one investigating vs federal. So the connection of this to the criminal side seems off.

GBTA CEO Solombrino Under Fire After Anonymous Whistleblower Alleges Misconduct | Business Travel News

------------

Jake's last Linkedin activity was liking a post of an old United commercial that talked about using United to do face to face meetings.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-cefolia-0578102/detail/recent-activity/

Warren R. Wilkinson on LinkedIn: 7L: United Airlines Commercial 1990 "Speech" | 11 comments

He also liked a post about the new CEO of GBTA they installed - they recruited Jake's old boss out of retirement.

Jake Cefolia posted on LinkedIn


On July 30 he wrote the below message to United's sales customers...he had just been forced to lay off a large part of his staff. Red is my emphasis.

I want to believe he is alive - missing deliberately would be a much better outcome. He's been under an incredible amount of stress and his life revolved around the business of biz travel which got unfathomably disrupted in the last few months. Then add whatever investigation going on and it's a heavy load. All that stress could point to either outcome.

"
To our travel partners,

This is by far one of the most difficult letters I’ve ever had to write.

Over the past few months, we’ve said “safe travels” to friends and teammates alike as they made profoundly personal sacrifices and took voluntary separation packages from United. More recently, we’ve made extremely difficult decisions as we become a smaller airline whose size better aligns with today’s deeply decreased demand for travel. These decisions have human consequences, and we are yet again saying goodbye to colleagues who have helped shape us as a company.

As we go our separate ways, we cherish and celebrate good memories, of which there have been so many. Consolation exists in the knowledge that we live in a connected world, and even coronavirus won’t stop us from seeing each other again soon. For those leaving us, I will never be able to do justice to what they have meant to our company, our team and to our customers. I hope you’ll join me in a heartfelt thank you and wishing them the best in whatever the future may hold.

It’s not hyperbole to say that our business essentially went away for a while, but that did provide a moment of pause to look forward and determine how to not just survive but eventually thrive – with you and for you. I’ve committed to transparency, and I’d like to share the ways in which we’ll be reshaping the structure and strategy of Worldwide Sales. We’ve conducted this exercise with three primary goals:

• Create a workforce appropriately sized for expected future demand and built to respond quickly when things meaningfully improve.
• Focus our resources in areas where the most travel and purchasing activity is projected for the next few years.
• Maintain strong relationships with our customers and TMCs while leveraging technology and centralized account management where we may not be as present as before.

I believe we’ve accomplished these goals while concurrently arriving at the best possible outcomes for our business relationship. Our team will be connecting with each of you individually over the next two weeks to address any changes and plot a path forward with minimal disruption to your business.

Not all of the conversations will be easy as the future may not look like the past. Please know that we consider this to be a new baseline from which we’ll listen, learn, adapt and ultimately grow together. We may not get everything right initially, and for that I apologize, but we count on your feedback to help us understand where we should course correct.

Coronavirus has changed so much, but through it all we remain committed to core principles that will not change under any circumstances. We are, above all, committed to the safety and well-being of you and your travelers. We will do everything within our means to deliver best-in-class service and support. We will be consultative and deliver creative solutions and thoughtful answers to today’s extraordinary problems and questions. We will be attentive, caring, and honest. We will never take your business for granted and will earn it every single day.

I encourage you to reach out to me and my leadership team with any concerns or questions as we work through this process. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we chart our new course."

 

[kelsie]

The Find page is unraveling

 

[diggndeeperstill]

An old YouTube I’m just sharing, just because.
https://www.youtube.com/user/jakecefolia

 

[diggndeeperstill]

Here is a video of Jake in a United webinar July 23, about two weeks before the disappearance. You can choose join anonymously and see the playback. He appears about 37 minutes in. FYI the background doesn't match his home for sale.

Join conversation

Also here's a similar webinar from June 3rd for comparison - here the background matches his home - he looks less stressed in this one.

Join conversation

--------------
The public property record on the source I use still listed Jake - no change since 2016 but maybe there's a lag.

-------------

Re: the organization he's on the board of - that's the GBTA. The CEO there stepped down recently for a laundry list of 'big ego behaves badly' things - but if this somehow involved criminal activity with Jake not sure why Elmhurst would be the one investigating vs federal. So the connection of this to the criminal side seems off.

GBTA CEO Solombrino Under Fire After Anonymous Whistleblower Alleges Misconduct | Business Travel News

------------

Jake's last Linkedin activity was liking a post of an old United commercial that talked about using United to do face to face meetings.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-cefolia-0578102/detail/recent-activity/

Warren R. Wilkinson on LinkedIn: 7L: United Airlines Commercial 1990 "Speech" | 11 comments

He also liked a post about the new CEO of GBTA they installed - they recruited Jake's old boss out of retirement.

Jake Cefolia posted on LinkedIn


On July 30 he wrote the below message to United's sales customers...he had just been forced to lay off a large part of his staff. Red is my emphasis.

I want to believe he is alive - missing deliberately would be a much better outcome. He's been under an incredible amount of stress and his life revolved around the business of biz travel which got unfathomably disrupted in the last few months. Then add whatever investigation going on and it's a heavy load. All that stress could point to either outcome.

"
To our travel partners,

This is by far one of the most difficult letters I’ve ever had to write.

Over the past few months, we’ve said “safe travels” to friends and teammates alike as they made profoundly personal sacrifices and took voluntary separation packages from United. More recently, we’ve made extremely difficult decisions as we become a smaller airline whose size better aligns with today’s deeply decreased demand for travel. These decisions have human consequences, and we are yet again saying goodbye to colleagues who have helped shape us as a company.

As we go our separate ways, we cherish and celebrate good memories, of which there have been so many. Consolation exists in the knowledge that we live in a connected world, and even coronavirus won’t stop us from seeing each other again soon. For those leaving us, I will never be able to do justice to what they have meant to our company, our team and to our customers. I hope you’ll join me in a heartfelt thank you and wishing them the best in whatever the future may hold.

It’s not hyperbole to say that our business essentially went away for a while, but that did provide a moment of pause to look forward and determine how to not just survive but eventually thrive – with you and for you. I’ve committed to transparency, and I’d like to share the ways in which we’ll be reshaping the structure and strategy of Worldwide Sales. We’ve conducted this exercise with three primary goals:

• Create a workforce appropriately sized for expected future demand and built to respond quickly when things meaningfully improve.
• Focus our resources in areas where the most travel and purchasing activity is projected for the next few years.
• Maintain strong relationships with our customers and TMCs while leveraging technology and centralized account management where we may not be as present as before.

I believe we’ve accomplished these goals while concurrently arriving at the best possible outcomes for our business relationship. Our team will be connecting with each of you individually over the next two weeks to address any changes and plot a path forward with minimal disruption to your business.

Not all of the conversations will be easy as the future may not look like the past. Please know that we consider this to be a new baseline from which we’ll listen, learn, adapt and ultimately grow together. We may not get everything right initially, and for that I apologize, but we count on your feedback to help us understand where we should course correct.

Coronavirus has changed so much, but through it all we remain committed to core principles that will not change under any circumstances. We are, above all, committed to the safety and well-being of you and your travelers. We will do everything within our means to deliver best-in-class service and support. We will be consultative and deliver creative solutions and thoughtful answers to today’s extraordinary problems and questions. We will be attentive, caring, and honest. We will never take your business for granted and will earn it every single day.

I encourage you to reach out to me and my leadership team with any concerns or questions as we work through this process. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we chart our new course."

A little extra source material for the layoffs can be found in Unites quarterly report. Here is a snippet from it.

Also, if one wanted they could search SEC filings for United employment agreements and find a few that give some insight to compensation. I can’t find one for Jake. May not be necessary to file one for him since he is not a reporter to the SEC on company doc’s I’m not exactly sure.

search SEC docs here.SEC.gov | EDGAR Full Text Search

Document
On July 8, 2020, in order to comply with various labor regulations in certain jurisdictions, including pursuant to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, United informed approximately 36,000 U.S.-based employees, either directly or through a union representative, of plans to implement a workforce reduction at their work locations. These notices are part of the Company's strategic realignment of its business and new organizational structure as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations and cost structure. The Company expects that these actions will take effect on or after October 1, 2020 and may continue through the end of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is an act of nature and is a circumstance beyond the Company's control, which is further compounded by governmental restrictions on travel and stay-at-home orders that have substantially reduced bookings and the demand for airline travel, resulting in the temporary grounding of a substantial number of the Company's aircraft.

 

[enelram]

I'm wondering if Jake's job was part of the company/organizational restructuring and if
he was given notice that his job would be gone
in the near future.
Still holding out hope that his disappearance is
part of his plan to leave the rat race and live off the grid.
Surely someone must know.

 

[carterkatt]

This case kind of reminds me of Robert Mayer, from NY in (I think) 2013. His car was found at a train station. I believe his wallet was left at home. As far as I know, he's never been found. Anyone remember that case?

 

[CaliMar]

This case kind of reminds me of Robert Mayer, from NY in (I think) 2013. His car was found at a train station. I believe his wallet was left at home. As far as I know, he's never been found. Anyone remember that case?

Well, if you go missing and they find your car at a train station that's a strong suggestion that you've taken a train. In this case, there's no evidence (reported at least, as of yet) that he traveled outside the park. If they found his car at a bus station or at the airport, that would be more similar.

 

[cds0902]

Well, if you go missing and they find your car at a train station that's a strong suggestion that you've taken a train. In this case, there's no evidence (reported at least, as of yet) that he traveled outside the park. If they found his car at a bus station or at the airport, that would be more similar.

So I read he was wearing hiking boots and pants (not jogging pants) in the video from the gas station. Then his car is located at the preserve, am I the only one thinking he hiked his way out of the preserve to a pre destined spot with everything he needed, or met someone at the end of the trek.

 

[bestill]

Just reading this case. Has his phone been located?