Found Deceased MI - Russell Anderson, 56, last seen on mountain bike, Gaines Township, Kent County, 18 Mar 2019

[cybervampira]

Gaines Twp. man missing; last seen on bicycle

Russell Anderson, 56, left his house in Gaines Township on a bicycle Monday morning at about 9:00 a.m. and did not return home. Anderson reportedly rides most mornings looking for returnable cans. He usually returns home to take care of his ailing father.

Anderson was last known to be wearing an orange, reflective vest and jeans. He was also likely wearing a hooded sweatshirt, but the color isn’t known. He was riding a mountain bike, but the make and color are also not known.

 

[PommyMommy]

Police looking for Gaines Township man who left home on bike, never returned
Anderson left his home in the area of Hanna Lake Avenue SE and 76th Street...

Gaines Twp. man missing; last seen on bicycle

The above photo of Anderson is three to four years old, but is the most recent, according to deputies.

Hanna Lake Avenue SE and 76th Street: Google Maps

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Maybe he had a heart attack somewhere along his route.
Where does he keep his bike? In a shed behind the house? Maybe he had a heart attack inside the shed.
Was he turning in his collected cans that morning for money?

 

[doodles1211]

Hoping he wasn't hit by a car and is laying somewhere in need of help!

 

[cybervampira]

Gaines Township man still missing, police release new photos

Detectives located surveillance video from a Gaines Township retail store that shows Anderson just before he went missing. Detectives say the images were taken on March 18 at 10:48 p.m.



[...]

 

[GraceG]

This article stated the purpose of his rides was to collect cans, then he returns home to care for his ailing father. Has anyone checked with the can place to see if he turned any cans in? If he did this regularly for extra income they'd probably remember him. More pictures of missing Gaines Township man

 

[Luckyzmom]

Michigan has can and bottle return kisosks at retailers. I'd guess above footage was from grocery store or discount store where he was last seen. Prayers for Russell and family. Dangerous out there on bike in the dark !! Hoping he's found safe

 

[Trudie]

Hoping he wasn't hit by a car and is laying somewhere in need of help!

Or robbed & killed for a few bucks by a junkie. A junkie that pawned a bike.

 

[Trudie]

How close was he to Grand Rapids?

 

[PommyMommy]

9 a.m. - He left home near Hanna Lake Ave SE and 76th Street... Google Maps

10:48 p.m. - Seen on video at a retail store just before he went missing.

Was it normal for him to look for cans for almost 14 hours?

He was last seen riding his bike near Kalamazoo Avenue SE between 44th and 68th streets shortly after leaving the store.
Gaines Township man still missing, police release new photos

Are there any retail stores along this route with recycling centers? Could this Target be a possibility? It does have a recycling center. Google Maps

360 view: Google Maps

 

[PommyMommy]

How close was he to Grand Rapids?

15 miles or about an hour (one way) by bicycle.
MOO

 

[Trudie]

GR is rough, I fear for anyone missing in that area.
Moo, based on owning a home in the area.
14 hours on a bike is an extended amount of time, for sure.
Interestingly, I canoe, kayak, hike, ride ATVs & horses all over western MI area when I’m there, I rarely see cans & bottles. I’ve always loved MI having the return policy to reduce litter. It works, imo & comparing it to my other home in a dif state without a return policy. So, maybe he did have to be gone for extended periods to get a load?

 

[PommyMommy]

Okay, both of these articles published today are reporting that the photos released were taken in the a.m. so I'm going with that, rather than he was can-collecting for 14 hours.

Search continues for Gaines Township man missing nearly 2 weeks
The surveillance images released Saturday, March 30 were from a Gaines Township store and taken about 10:50 a.m. March 18.

Gaines Township man still missing, new photos spot him on local security footage
Anderson was spotted on security footage at a Gaines Township retail store at approximately 10:48 a.m. the same day he was reported missing. He was shown wearing a bright orange reflective vest. It was also reported that Anderson was last seen between 44th and 68th Street SE on a mountain bike shortly after leaving from the store.

 

[PommyMommy]

9 a.m. - He left home near Hanna Lake Ave SE and 76th Street... Google Maps

10:48 p.m. - Seen on video at a retail store just before he went missing.

Was it normal for him to look for cans for almost 14 hours?

He was last seen riding his bike near Kalamazoo Avenue SE between 44th and 68th streets shortly after leaving the store.
Gaines Township man still missing, police release new photos

Are there any retail stores along this route with recycling centers? Could this Target be a possibility? It does have a recycling center. Google Maps

360 view: Google Maps

REVISED:

9 a.m. - He left home near Hanna Lake Ave SE and 76th Street... Google Maps

10:48 a.m. - Seen on video at a retail store just before he went missing.

Last seen - Riding his bike near Kalamazoo Avenue SE between 44th and 68th streets shortly after leaving the store. Google Maps

 

[Trudie]

REVISED:

9 a.m. - He left home near Hanna Lake Ave SE and 76th Street... Google Maps

10:48 a.m. - Seen on video at a retail store just before he went missing.

Last seen - Riding his bike near Kalamazoo Avenue SE between 44th and 68th streets shortly after leaving the store. Google Maps

Ty this makes more sense.
Robbed? Did someone see him cashing in, leaving on a nice bike and go after him?
Surely he didn’t have an accident, one would think the bike would at least be found or at least parts of it.

 

[oceanstarryeyes]

Or robbed & killed for a few bucks by a junkie. A junkie that pawned a bike.

Agreed. Probably need to check Pawn Shops along that route.

 

[Carja7]

This is where I live. It's a busy, busy, area where he was last reported to be seen. I'm GUESSING he returned cans at Meijer, a grocery/retail store, which is located Kalamazoo/68th. TONS of businesses, restaurants, etc in the area. It's a pretty nice area, and IMO not full of junkies that would kill him for a couple bucks, but you never know.. However, if he rode a bit further North of 44th more towards 28th, I would definitely believe it to be possible. It gets kinda sketchy there. And as a previous poster said, I hardly ever see cans laying around either, EXCEPT this time of year after the snow melts and before the winter debris is cleaned up.

 

[Carja7]

Except I'm fairly certain we had snow still March 18th.

 

[Trudie]

Except I'm fairly certain we had snow still March 18th.

I own property 45mi west, there was a lot of snow in my county.

 

[Luckyzmom]

Continued prayers for Russell and his family. Let him get home safe