MN MN - Bryce Borca, 23, college student, seen at 2AM, search focused near Minnesota River, Eagan, 30 Oct 2022

[InternetGhost91]

Heavily intoxicated, but so intoxicated that he walked the streets and lots of the industrial area for a half an hour, FaceTimed his friends for 12 minutes, and shared his location? I think that FaceTime call is key to knowing how drunk he really was. Then he walked for how much longer through trees, on RR tracks, through heavy brush, weeds, and burrs without falling or just laying down to rest? Then around all those ponds? In the dark no less. Did he yell for help anywhere along the way? If so, did anyone hear him? Did he fall and cut himself along the way, and stop at the ponds to wash off and fell in? Was anyone partying at those ponds that night. I did see some garbage and camp chair covers next to those ponds. The homeless encampment is not far. The Greenway Trailhead lot/park is very close to those ponds and right next to Highway 13. Was anyone there? Guessing that area would be lighted at night. Has LE searched that area or did they stop around the ponds because they seem to think he is in the ponds? So many other considerations IMO.

I am going to drive thru later and make note of how well lit the area is after dark.

IMO, I don't think light from the trailhead would reach the ponds enough to significantly light up the area, not enough to be helpful anyway. It was a 15-20 minute walk for me on Saturday through the brush and down the tracks from the parking lot to the ponds, so the lot is not exactly right next to them. I have observed that several businesses in the area are also using the new blue/purple LED lights and they are not as bright. Even on Highway 13 there aren't really any street lights, it's very dark.

It did seem to me like people hang out by the ponds and make campfires, there were remnants of them in the dirt. Lots of random trash that would be left behind by people hanging out there like beer bottles, food wrappers, etc. I am not accusing anyone of attacking him, but there could be a witness that saw or heard something.

It snowed in Eagan this morning, about 1/2 inch, and 2-3 inches are expected throughout the day. I wonder why they have not drained the ponds. Would a person float or sink? I really hope they find him this week. JMO but I think how aggressively LE/SAR pursues finding him in the next few days will be make or break for whether this turns into a long term missing person case.

 

[lassy]

I am going to drive thru later and make note of how well lit the area is after dark.

IMO, I don't think light from the trailhead would reach the ponds enough to significantly light up the area, not enough to be helpful anyway. It was a 15-20 minute walk for me on Saturday through the brush and down the tracks from the parking lot to the ponds, so the lot is not exactly right next to them. I have observed that several businesses in the area are also using the new blue/purple LED lights and they are not as bright. Even on Highway 13 there aren't really any street lights, it's very dark.

It did seem to me like people hang out by the ponds and make campfires, there were remnants of them in the dirt. Lots of random trash that would be left behind by people hanging out there like beer bottles, food wrappers, etc. I am not accusing anyone of attacking him, but there could be a witness that saw or heard something.

It snowed in Eagan this morning, about 1/2 inch, and 2-3 inches are expected throughout the day. I wonder why they have not drained the ponds. Would a person float or sink? I really hope they find him this week. JMO but I think how aggressively LE/SAR pursues finding him in the next few days will be make or break for whether this turns into a long term missing person case.

I looked up the moon that night…was not a full moon, but a partial so not sure how much light was coming from that. I still think he must have been able to see something if he followed those tracks, whether it was the moon or lights from industrial buildings. Would be helpful to be back there on a similar moon night to see for sure.

From what I’ve read about dead bodies in water, they sink first when the lungs fill with water, then after a number of days begin to float up as the body decomposes, but depends on the water temperatures. I think usually float in a week or 2. Unless they are lodged in sludge or caught somewhere, which could be in this case. Don’t know what is at the bottom of that pond/quarry.

I didn’t think the lights from the trailhead would light up the ponds, but maybe he could see a lit up area ahead from the ponds and headed that way farther up the tracks.

 

[MURDERER_SERVANT]

Do we know which route the friends took to look for Bryan and did they come to his shared location which must be very near to the last ping ? I suppose he must have waited there for a while .

My guess is if he noticed the train tracks and heavy woods thereafter , he must have understood he’s not going towards his house , and might have turned back . Aren’t those train tracks and woods a known spot for determining a location there? I ‘ m assuming he was maybe a bit sober after walking fresh air, phone call and with the stress of losing his way . Soo sad case and I wish we knew more about the facetime call . JMO

 

[lassy]

Do we know which route the friends took to look for Bryan and did they come to his shared location which must be very near to the last ping ? I suppose he must have waited there for a while .

My guess is if he noticed the train tracks and heavy woods thereafter , he must have understood he’s not going towards his house , and might have turned back . Aren’t those train tracks and woods a known spot for determining a location there? I ‘ m assuming he was maybe a bit sober after walking fresh air, phone call and with the stress of losing his way . Soo sad case and I wish we knew more about the facetime call . JMO

We do not know any details after the call other than the friends went to look for him and called police the next morning. That’s what the police report said. No idea how long they searched or if they came to his location he shared. I have also heard the friends called police that night after not finding him. No idea if that is true. So much confusion and contradicting information with this case.
IMO, I don’t think he was that out of it where he wouldn’t know going in the woods, RR tracks, brush and marshes was the wrong way. He called his friends that he was lost in the industrial area next to the tree line and his phone was almost dead. Alone, no phone and no light. Why would he go further into no man’s land after that? But who knows. As I said a few times on here, that FaceTime call is key to knowing how intoxicated he really was.

 

[InternetGhost91]

How long does someone have, inadequately dressed outdoors at night in 30 degree F weather, before exposure/hypothermia would become an issue?

 

[lassy]

How long does someone have, inadequately dressed outdoors at night in 30 degree F weather, before exposure/hypothermia would become an issue?

Not sure. Hopefully someone on here knows. I thought it didn’t get that cold that night…maybe mid-40’s was the low? It was quite warm that weekend for MN. Reports said he had a white dress shirt and sweater on. Did he have a tshirt under the dress shirt too? And walking that much should have kept him somewhat warm IMO.

 

[Vail]

Do we know which route the friends took to look for Bryan and did they come to his shared location which must be very near to the last ping ? I suppose he must have waited there for a while .

My guess is if he noticed the train tracks and heavy woods thereafter , he must have understood he’s not going towards his house , and might have turned back . Aren’t those train tracks and woods a known spot for determining a location there? I ‘ m assuming he was maybe a bit sober after walking fresh air, phone call and with the stress of losing his way . Soo sad case and I wish we knew more about the facetime call . JMO

That's the thing...once you're past the tavern on the west side of 13, there would only be lights from buildings and the odd corner street light (such as at Terminal Rd ) and it would be too dark to feel right - even if he doesn't frequent that end of Yankee Doodle, he has to be aware it is lined with shops and businesses all the way to his apartments from where his friends live, and be on the lookout for familiar landmarks. If we go by what is "normal" I'd expect a friend said "just walk down to Coachman and take a right, then you'll hit Yankee Doodle" or he knew the way from having driven there before. But he goes the wrong way on Yankee Doodle, and by the time he is calling his friends somewhere around Terminal Rd. there is absolutely no reason to continue walking down that direction and onto the unlit path after the dead end, because it is painfully clear it isn't the right way (and he knows it). Even if he did keep going west and managed to walk down the path beyond the dead end, it lets out into a construction parking area where the paved road ends, where he would yet again have no reason to continue vs turn back. Turning back would not be difficult, just turn around and walk east. So to get lost, he had to have gone into trees, such as to take a leak or something, and then got turned around. This could have happened somewhere as innocuous as the edge of the Tavern parking lot where there is a large area of reeds and trees, or in the blue cross campus in the little wooded area off Terminal where there is a pond and a bench. But for some reason, according to the dog reports, he went back to the tracks (which requires cutting through the trees). Understanding that behavior is key.

IMO he didnt just get out of a Lyft, and begin walking home like everything was cool and goof off to his friends for 12 minutes on facetime while getting lost in the woods and not finding a single road. There is a big part of this story missing.

 

[Trino]

Heavily intoxicated, but so intoxicated that he walked the streets and lots of the industrial area for a half an hour, FaceTimed his friends for 12 minutes, and shared his location? I think that FaceTime call is key to knowing how drunk he really was. Then he walked for how much longer through trees, on RR tracks, through heavy brush, weeds, and burrs without falling or just laying down to rest? Then around all those ponds? In the dark no less. Did he yell for help anywhere along the way? If so, did anyone hear him? Did he fall and cut himself along the way, and stop at the ponds to wash off and fell in? Was anyone partying at those ponds that night. I did see some garbage and camp chair covers next to those ponds. The homeless encampment is not far. The Greenway Trailhead lot/park is very close to those ponds and right next to Highway 13. Was anyone there? Guessing that area would be lighted at night. Has LE searched that area or did they stop around the ponds because they seem to think he is in the ponds? So many other considerations IMO.

The Greenway Trailhead at Lone Oak is over a mile from Yankee Doodle. I can't see him making it that far in his intoxicated state. There is not a direct walking connection between businesses along Hwy 13. Easier to walk the tracks.

 

[InternetGhost91]

That's the thing...once you're past the tavern on the west side of 13, there would only be lights from buildings and the odd corner street light (such as at Terminal Rd ) and it would be too dark to feel right - even if he doesn't frequent that end of Yankee Doodle, he has to be aware it is lined with shops and businesses all the way to his apartments from where his friends live, and be on the lookout for familiar landmarks. If we go by what is "normal" I'd expect a friend said "just walk down to Coachman and take a right, then you'll hit Yankee Doodle" or he knew the way from having driven there before. But he goes the wrong way on Yankee Doodle, and by the time he is calling his friends somewhere around Terminal Rd. there is absolutely no reason to continue walking down that direction and onto the unlit path after the dead end, because it is painfully clear it isn't the right way (and he knows it). Even if he did keep going west and managed to walk down the path beyond the dead end, it lets out into a construction parking area where the paved road ends, where he would yet again have no reason to continue vs turn back. Turning back would not be difficult, just turn around and walk east. So to get lost, he had to have gone into trees, such as to take a leak or something, and then got turned around. This could have happened somewhere as innocuous as the edge of the Tavern parking lot where there is a large area of reeds and trees, or in the blue cross campus in the little wooded area off Terminal where there is a pond and a bench. But for some reason, according to the dog reports, he went back to the tracks (which requires cutting through the trees). Understanding that behavior is key.

IMO he didnt just get out of a Lyft, and begin walking home like everything was cool and goof off to his friends for 12 minutes on facetime while getting lost in the woods and not finding a single road. There is a big part of this story missing.

a 12-minute call is a relatively long time. I wonder where he was at the end of the call vs. at the beginning, how far he could have gotten in that time. a lot of things were probably communicated to his friends during that call that could be helpful in an investigation, even a little bit more detail would be helpful. I agree that it wouldn't have made sense to keep walking west toward the railroad tracks, even in an intoxicated state.

 

[Trino]

That's the thing...once you're past the tavern on the west side of 13, there would only be lights from buildings and the odd corner street light (such as at Terminal Rd ) and it would be too dark to feel right - even if he doesn't frequent that end of Yankee Doodle, he has to be aware it is lined with shops and businesses all the way to his apartments from where his friends live, and be on the lookout for familiar landmarks. If we go by what is "normal" I'd expect a friend said "just walk down to Coachman and take a right, then you'll hit Yankee Doodle" or he knew the way from having driven there before. But he goes the wrong way on Yankee Doodle, and by the time he is calling his friends somewhere around Terminal Rd. there is absolutely no reason to continue walking down that direction and onto the unlit path after the dead end, because it is painfully clear it isn't the right way (and he knows it). Even if he did keep going west and managed to walk down the path beyond the dead end, it lets out into a construction parking area where the paved road ends, where he would yet again have no reason to continue vs turn back. Turning back would not be difficult, just turn around and walk east. So to get lost, he had to have gone into trees, such as to take a leak or something, and then got turned around. This could have happened somewhere as innocuous as the edge of the Tavern parking lot where there is a large area of reeds and trees, or in the blue cross campus in the little wooded area off Terminal where there is a pond and a bench. But for some reason, according to the dog reports, he went back to the tracks (which requires cutting through the trees). Understanding that behavior is key.

IMO he didnt just get out of a Lyft, and begin walking home like everything was cool and goof off to his friends for 12 minutes on facetime while getting lost in the woods and not finding a single road. There is a big part of this story missing.

Most likely, his friends, having been on the party bus, were also intoxicated. Doubtful they would harm him and doubtful they were able to make the best decisions. Supposedly he was west of Hwy 13 around the businesses. Would be interesting to learn if there had been break-ins attempts to these businesses within the last few months. Have not heard any had security. Seems LE does not feel anyone else is involved, however.

 

[InternetGhost91]

Most likely, his friends, having been on the party bus, were also intoxicated. Doubtful they would harm him and doubtful they were able to make the best decisions. Supposedly he was west of Hwy 13 around the businesses. Would be interesting to learn if there had been break-ins attempts to these businesses within the last few months. Have not heard any had security. Seems LE does not feel anyone else is involved, however.

One thing I thought was interesting, Eagan PD got a search warrant for his apartment within the first week. Would police and a judge issue a search warrant even in situations where they don't believe a crime has been committed?

 

[lassy]

The Greenway Trailhead at Lone Oak is over a mile from Yankee Doodle. I can't see him making it that far in his intoxicated state. There is not a direct walking connection between businesses along Hwy 13. Easier to walk the tracks.

I meant Greenway Trailhead wasn’t much farther from the ponds behind Alexander and Meadow View, which LE must suspect he made it to and is likely in if they have been searching those ponds. If he made it from Yankee Doodle to those ponds on the tracks or ground, why not to Greenway or farther?

 

[lassy]

One thing I thought was interesting, Eagan PD got a search warrant for his apartment within the first week. Would police and a judge issue a search warrant even in situations where they don't believe a crime has been committed?

I thought I read somewhere they got it to check his laptop or other phones he had in case it synced or kept track of his location after his phone died.

 

[lassy]

a 12-minute call is a relatively long time. I wonder where he was at the end of the call vs. at the beginning, how far he could have gotten in that time. a lot of things were probably communicated to his friends during that call that could be helpful in an investigation, even a little bit more detail would be helpful. I agree that it wouldn't have made sense to keep walking west toward the railroad tracks, even in an intoxicated state.

Did his friends tell him to stay put and/or that they were coming to get him? Or give him directions to get back to their house or back to 13 or Yankee Doodle? Again, IMO, that call is key to his mental state and what may have happened next.

 

[annpats]

I can't believe someone would willingly walk into woods, brush and ponds even in an intoxicated state. You'd still know you were not going the right way, and the lack of light in this locations would put 99.9% of people off entering. Even drunk.

What was so difficult about just not heading back towards the industrial area or buildings? At least there, there may be nightshift workers, a truck driver or someone who could help.

It's hard to second guess someone who is drunk and lost, but he was pretty well near civilization. Yet he headed further away.

 

[lassy]

I can't believe someone would willingly walk into woods, brush and ponds even in an intoxicated state. You'd still know you were not going the right way, and the lack of light in this locations would put 99.9% of people off entering. Even drunk.

What was so difficult about just not heading back towards the industrial area or buildings? At least there, there may be nightshift workers, a truck driver or someone who could help.

It's hard to second guess someone who is drunk and lost, but he was pretty well near civilization. Yet he headed further away.

Those have been my thoughts all along. Seems a stretch to head away from buildings/roads/lots. Also, if he walked the RR tracks, I walked them from the point his phone dropped to the pond area. There were many points I could see the industrial buildings…the trees were not thick. IMO, if any of the lots or buildings next to the tracks had lights, he could have seen them I would think. I need to walk that in the dark.

 

[InternetGhost91]

I drove past Essendant on my lunch break today. I did not see any SAR presence, only the people who work there appear to be parked there today. Doesn't necessarily mean no search is happening today, but I'm not feeling hopeful.

I feel like I keep posting the same things, so I'm trying to only post if I have relevant info.

The family has only made the one statement so far? I cannot find Facebook profiles for anyone in the Borca family. It would be helpful to know where they are at, if they want volunteers, if they have contacted other SAR teams, how they feel LE is handling this, etc literally anything. It seems odd that none of them have a Facebook profile, except Bryce, and his looks like it is not in use in 2022 (old pic, only 6 friends added). Maybe they deactivated them when he went missing. Still seems odd. Where are they communicating with the public?

If anything came of searching his residence, or if any information was gleaned from the laptops/old phones, none of the news reports have mentioned it. IIRC a phone can only be logging location data when it is powered on, so that's not surprising since his died while he was on that call.

Sounds like when he called, his friends said, "wait there, we will come and get you". I am basing this off of a news report that says Bryce sent them his location. Friends stated they looked for Bryce themselves before calling the police. But when they went to find him, he wasn't there anymore. Does that mean whatever happened to him, happened in that short time span between when his phone died and when his friends got there? It couldn't have taken them long, just a couple of blocks from their house on 3200 Hill Ridge. I wish they had called LE right then and there.

Once the friends looked for him unsuccessfully, did they just go home and go to bed? Maybe they assumed he made it home? I personally would not be able to sleep knowing my friend was unaccounted for.

If someone attacked him in the woods, they would have had to have been waiting there and anticipating Bryce wandering into the area at 2:30 am. Seems really unlikely. If someone drove past and picked him up and possibly harmed him, same scenario, they would have had to be opportunistically waiting for a person on foot to flag them down on Highway 13, again, to me it just doesn't seem likely. I think he is still in the woods/pond area, even though I have no idea why he would have gone back that way. JMO

What possibilities are left? Aliens? Not trying to make light of the situation at all, but with some missing person cases it truly seems like the person vanished into thin air.

 

[InternetGhost91]

Those have been my thoughts all along. Seems a stretch to head away from buildings/roads/lots. Also, if he walked the RR tracks, I walked them from the point his phone dropped to the pond area. There were many points I could see the industrial buildings…the trees were not thick. IMO, if any of the lots or buildings next to the tracks had lights, he could have seen them I would think. I need to walk that in the dark.

If you decide to walk out there at night, you are braver than me.

 

[lassy]

I drove past Essendant on my lunch break today. I did not see any SAR presence, only the people who work there appear to be parked there today. Doesn't necessarily mean no search is happening today, but I'm not feeling hopeful.

I feel like I keep posting the same things, so I'm trying to only post if I have relevant info.

The family has only made the one statement so far? I cannot find Facebook profiles for anyone in the Borca family. It would be helpful to know where they are at, if they want volunteers, if they have contacted other SAR teams, how they feel LE is handling this, etc literally anything. It seems odd that none of them have a Facebook profile, except Bryce, and his looks like it is not in use in 2022 (old pic, only 6 friends added). Maybe they deactivated them when he went missing. Still seems odd. Where are they communicating with the public?

If anything came of searching his residence, or if any information was gleaned from the laptops/old phones, none of the news reports have mentioned it. IIRC a phone can only be logging location data when it is powered on, so that's not surprising since his died while he was on that call.

Sounds like when he called, his friends said, "wait there, we will come and get you". I am basing this off of a news report that says Bryce sent them his location. Friends stated they looked for Bryce themselves before calling the police. But when they went to find him, he wasn't there anymore. Does that mean whatever happened to him, happened in that short time span between when his phone died and when his friends got there? It couldn't have taken them long, just a couple of blocks from their house on 3200 Hill Ridge. I wish they had called LE right then and there.

Once the friends looked for him unsuccessfully, did they just go home and go to bed? Maybe they assumed he made it home? I personally would not be able to sleep knowing my friend was unaccounted for.

If someone attacked him in the woods, they would have had to have been waiting there and anticipating Bryce wandering into the area at 2:30 am. Seems really unlikely. If someone drove past and picked him up and possibly harmed him, same scenario, they would have had to be opportunistically waiting for a person on foot to flag them down on Highway 13, again, to me it just doesn't seem likely. I think he is still in the woods/pond area, even though I have no idea why he would have gone back that way. JMO

What possibilities are left? Aliens? Not trying to make light of the situation at all, but with some missing person cases it truly seems like the person vanished into thin air.

I have actually thought of an alien abduction. You can tell I am grasping for anything too. Lol
If he happened to make it back to 13 or any of the roads, who knows if anyone saw him or was driving around.

 

[lassy]

If you decide to walk out there at night, you are braver than me.

I would need a group of people with me