Found Deceased MI - Brendan Santo 18, visitor, Michigan State University campus, East Lansing, 29 Oct 2021

[I wonder]

Nothing I can add other than hope and prayers for Brendan’s safety. But the involvement of water chills me to the bone.

 

[abeaman02]

Was visiting my daughter at MSU this morning, there a quite a few people searching for Brandon. Hope this is the day they find him.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 6, 2021
Hundreds lend a hand in public search for missing GVSU student | wzzm13.com
[...]

More than 2,000 have joined the Facebook page 'Bring Brendan Santo Home,' where a search effort was publicized. The huge showing of support has uplifted Santo's aunt, DB, after what has been a harrowing week.

[...]

The crowd was divided into small groups of people. Each mini search party was given a map and designated an area of the MSU campus to comb through, specifically looking for Santo's black Detroit Red Wings hat or his iPhone, the color of which DB did not know.

[...]

"They're able to cover so much more ground," DB said of the hundreds that came out."

Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the line to get a map and start searching was never less than 20 people deep.

[...]

 

[JerseyGirl]

Dozens spread out at MSU in search for missing student Brendan Santo

 

[JerseyGirl]

‘He’s a sweet kid’: search continues for missing teen, family offering reward | WLNS 6 News

The Santo family is additionally offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with “credible information that leads to bringing Brendan home.”

The reward will be managed through Crime Stoppers of Mid-Michigan via the existing MSU Police and Public Safety toll-free tip line 844-99-MSUPD or tip email which is [email protected].

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Loved ones of missing Rochester Hills student not giving up hope as search continues (clickondetroit.com)

Loved ones, family and friends are not giving up hope that Brendan Santo will come home. This all despite the teenager being missing now for over a week now.

“Something happened to cause him to go missing and we just need to find out what that something, so we can bring him back” said Dawn Brewer, Santo’s aunt.

The search goes on for Santo, a native of Rochester Hills and Grand Valley State student who went missing last week during a visit to Michigan State University...

 

[borndem]

What numbers of people have come out for this young man and his family! No surprise that they have, but it's still good to see it.
We are still people who care deeply.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Dozens spread out on MSU's campus in search for missing student Brendan Santo

 

[I wonder]

I don’t know why this has got to me so much, but it has. If I wasn’t thousands of miles away across the pond, I’d join the search myself. It’s lovely that so many people are looking for Brendan. I’m still hoping and praying for a happy ending.

 

[Mom04061012]

In response to water search questions, I can tell you.. visibility is very surprisingly clear in some areas, like by the bridges… and the clarity is much more poor in other areas, in particular where they are focusing their search. I can confirm, the current is pretty strong. I know they are doing a pattern search in 3 foot increments. It’s not a fast process… made further complicated by all their gear getting tied up in the underwater debris, like tree branches etc that they are constantly having to untangle.
This whole situation is just awful across the board. My heart breaks for the family waiting anxiously for news, and for all the officers working endlessly doing whatever they can in hopes of bringing this kid home. Praying he is found soon and these parents get their baby back.

 

[Angelcat13]

I don’t know why this has got to me so much, but it has. If I wasn’t thousands of miles away across the pond, I’d join the search myself. It’s lovely that so many people are looking for Brendan. I’m still hoping and praying for a happy ending.

This has really gotten to me, too. He so much resembles my 18 y/o son, who is also a soccer player.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

In response to water search questions, I can tell you.. visibility is very surprisingly clear in some areas, like by the bridges… and the clarity is much more poor in other areas, in particular where they are focusing their search. I can confirm, the current is pretty strong. I know they are doing a pattern search in 3 foot increments. It’s not a fast process… made further complicated by all their gear getting tied up in the underwater debris, like tree branches etc that they are constantly having to untangle.
This whole situation is just awful across the board. My heart breaks for the family waiting anxiously for news, and for all the officers working endlessly doing whatever they can in hopes of bringing this kid home. Praying he is found soon and these parents get their baby back.

Thanks for the information about the river in your first post. Welcome to Websleuths!

 

[CLGM]

In response to water search questions, I can tell you.. visibility is very surprisingly clear in some areas, like by the bridges… and the clarity is much more poor in other areas, in particular where they are focusing their search. I can confirm, the current is pretty strong. I know they are doing a pattern search in 3 foot increments. It’s not a fast process… made further complicated by all their gear getting tied up in the underwater debris, like tree branches etc that they are constantly having to untangle.
This whole situation is just awful across the board. My heart breaks for the family waiting anxiously for news, and for all the officers working endlessly doing whatever they can in hopes of bringing this kid home. Praying he is found soon and these parents get their baby back.

Thanks so much for this information!! Do you know if the river is pretty much the only place LE is focusing their search? Also, I'm curious about why there is a specific interest in looking for Brendan's hat, his phone, his necklace, and now the key fob? Wouldn't those things be on him? They have said that if any of these are found by the volunteers to call 911. Does that point a little back to the possibility that there might have been a crime? Based on LE saying several times that they don't suspect foul-play or that he intended to hurt himself, MOO is that he fell in the river, but I just thought it was odd that they'd want people to call 911. Maybe that's just a common procedural kind of thing for searches like this.

ETA: Thanks to all the LE who are working so hard in these conditions. I'm sure they are desperate to do all they can to reunite Brendan with his family.

Looking at the water gauge this morning (linked in earlier posts), it looks like the both the water level and the current have decreased, so hopefully that will help the search go more easily.

 

[PommyMommy]

NOV 7, 2021
Reward offered in search for Rochester teen Brendan Santo, still missing in East Lansing (wxyz.com)
The FBI is now one of many agencies involved with the search for missing Rochester teenager Brendan Santo ...

[...]

Saturday roughly 300 volunteers combed MSU's campus ...

[...]

MSU police say 7 different agencies including State Police and the FBI are helping with the search, which has included drones, helicopters, boats and dive teams searching the Red Cedar River. ...

[...]

Police don’t suspect foul play and don’t believe Brendan intended to harm himself. ...

[...]

The family is also asking for anyone who was in East Lansing for the game last week to check their photos or videos from the weekend to see if Brendan can be seen in them.

[...]

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Thanks so much for this information!! Do you know if the river is pretty much the only place LE is focusing their search? Also, I'm curious about why there is a specific interest in looking for Brendan's hat, his phone, his necklace, and now the key fob? Wouldn't those things be on him? They have said that if any of these are found by the volunteers to call 911. Does that point a little back to the possibility that there might have been a crime? Based on LE saying several times that they don't suspect foul-play or that he intended to hurt himself, MOO is that he fell in the river, but I just thought it was odd that they'd want people to call 911. Maybe that's just a common procedural kind of thing for searches like this...

If Brendan fell into the river and struggled to stay afloat, anything that he might have had on his person could have fallen out and would not be with him if he is in the water. (I hate saying that!) LE would not want volunteer searchers to handle anything that might belong to BS because of its evidentiary value. Better to call 911 and have someone from LE come and properly bag whatever might be found that could be related to the missing young man. JMO

 

[Mom04061012]

Thanks so much for this information!! Do you know if the river is pretty much the only place LE is focusing their search? Also, I'm curious about why there is a specific interest in looking for Brendan's hat, his phone, his necklace, and now the key fob? Wouldn't those things be on him? They have said that if any of these are found by the volunteers to call 911. Does that point a little back to the possibility that there might have been a crime? Based on LE saying several times that they don't suspect foul-play or that he intended to hurt himself, MOO is that he fell in the river, but I just thought it was odd that they'd want people to call 911. Maybe that's just a common procedural kind of thing for searches like this.

ETA: Thanks to all the LE who are working so hard in these conditions. I'm sure they are desperate to do all they can to reunite Brendan with his family.

Looking at the water gauge this morning (linked in earlier posts), it looks like the both the water level and the current have decreased, so hopefully that will help the search go more easily.

In the name of attempting to tread lightly…obviously, anything is possible. It’s my understanding the water is still the main focus for LE, based off the last ping of his phone being in very close proximity of the water, among other things.
That said, it’s still a needle in a haystack trying to narrow down, bc if he went in… they just can’t be for certain where he went in at. Of course, battling a fast current could change his whereabouts by the minute. Even if he went in where they are thinking he did, and even if he got caught on the same debris the divers are, it doesn’t necessarily mean he would stay caught up…
In regards to his hat and phone… if something were to be discovered, that would greatly aid as a starting reference of where to search bc right now there is strong speculation, but little…concrete evidence to go off.
It’s presumed, if he fell in, his hat likely floated away, and his phone/necklace/fob would still be on him.
Of course, goes without saying, should his necklace etc be found elsewhere, that could obviously shift to a more possibility of foul play, in which a possible crime scene would need to be preserved. They certainly would not want someone discovering a hat and removing it from the area to drop it off at a police station themselves.
Speaking honestly from experience, and in this case with all the likely possible scenarios, unfortunately when a person is missing for days, 99.9% of the time… if water is nearby, they are most likely in it, and it’s almost always accidental. Even worse, time is grossly against them. If he’s in there and not recovered soon, and/or the search called off… the chances greatly increase that he would not be recovered until Spring, when the water temps rise.
I would say, although the divers have been unsuccessful thus far, it unfortunately is still strongly suspected that he’s in the water… though I’d love more than anything to be proven wrong about that. My heart is in pieces for this family, and hits home so hard having a graduating teenager at home. This could be any of our kids at any time. Just pray they find him soon.

 

[CLGM]

In the name of attempting to tread lightly…obviously, anything is possible. It’s my understanding the water is still the main focus for LE, based off the last ping of his phone being in very close proximity of the water, among other things.
That said, it’s still a needle in a haystack trying to narrow down, bc if he went in… they just can’t be for certain where he went in at. Of course, battling a fast current could change his whereabouts by the minute. Even if he went in where they are thinking he did, and even if he got caught on the same debris the divers are, it doesn’t necessarily mean he would stay caught up…
In regards to his hat and phone… if something were to be discovered, that would greatly aid as a starting reference of where to search bc right now there is strong speculation, but little…concrete evidence to go off.
It’s presumed, if he fell in, his hat likely floated away, and his phone/necklace/fob would still be on him.
Of course, goes without saying, should his necklace etc be found elsewhere, that could obviously shift to a more possibility of foul play, in which a possible crime scene would need to be preserved. They certainly would not want someone discovering a hat and removing it from the area to drop it off at a police station themselves.
Speaking honestly from experience, and in this case with all the likely possible scenarios, unfortunately when a person is missing for days, 99.9% of the time… if water is nearby, they are most likely in it, and it’s almost always accidental. Even worse, time is grossly against them. If he’s in there and not recovered soon, and/or the search called off… the chances greatly increase that he would not be recovered until Spring, when the water temps rise.
I would say, although the divers have been unsuccessful thus far, it unfortunately is still strongly suspected that he’s in the water… though I’d love more than anything to be proven wrong about that. My heart is in pieces for this family, and hits home so hard having a graduating teenager at home. This could be any of our kids at any time. Just pray they find him soon.

This is all such helpful information. As I mentioned earlier in thread, my DS is a freshman at MSU and his dorm is not very far away from this area. College freshman aren't always those most careful and are still learning the campus. It's frightening that the river can so easily take someone if it turns out that's what happened. My heart aches for his poor family.

 

[borndem]

I don’t know why this has got to me so much, but it has. If I wasn’t thousands of miles away across the pond, I’d join the search myself. It’s lovely that so many people are looking for Brendan. I’m still hoping and praying for a happy ending.

Same here, @I wonder. Still hoping for a good outcome. <sigh>

 

[borndem]

In response to water search questions, I can tell you.. visibility is very surprisingly clear in some areas, like by the bridges… and the clarity is much more poor in other areas, in particular where they are focusing their search. I can confirm, the current is pretty strong. I know they are doing a pattern search in 3 foot increments. It’s not a fast process… made further complicated by all their gear getting tied up in the underwater debris, like tree branches etc that they are constantly having to untangle.
This whole situation is just awful across the board. My heart breaks for the family waiting anxiously for news, and for all the officers working endlessly doing whatever they can in hopes of bringing this kid home. Praying he is found soon and these parents get their baby back.

Same here. Thanks for the detailed update, and helping us know why the searches are tedious and dangerous.
What an outpouring of help and positive thoughts for this young man and his family.
Are you in or near the area?
One more thing,

Welcome to Websleuths,
Mom04061012 !!​

 

[pamandki]

It seems that he went to a party at a different dorm, Yakely, with a friend from MSU (this friend would be more familiar with campus) and left to go back to Brody alone. He had messaged a girl from Yakely party saying he was lost but then phone apparently died, she had responded to him. I was in Lansing that weekend and Friday night was cold and rainy. MSU campus is very large, has the river running through it, lots of wooded areas. It is easy to become disoriented especially at night and when you aren’t familiar with the area. That said, it was the night before a huge rivalry game and campus and East Lansing downtown were extremely busy. My adult son and his wife were downtown that night and he said lines for clubs were two blocks long. There are questions as to the route he took, where his phone supposedly last pinged at, and that road has a lot of traffic. He maybe turned back toward Yakely and went a different route?? The other route that normally would have been taken would go thru campus and again, lots of people out and about, even at midnight. It’s as though he just vanished. I am praying for the family. I can’t imagine what they are going through. It breaks my heart, I was down there visiting my 18 year old son that weekend, he attends a college south of MSU