NY NY - Colin Gillis, 18, Tupper Lake, 11 March 2012

[Hap]

I thought I would share this story, please keep all of the Gillis families in your thoughts and prayers:

"TUPPER LAKE — A raging house fire destroyed an Adirondack-style home on Byram Road here Sunday.

The cause was still under investigation Monday at the multi-level house that was home to Rob and Lisa Gillis and their two children, ages 10 and 12."...

http://www.pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x1262668790/Blaze-destroys-Tupper-Lake-familys-home

As if this entire family doesn't have enough heartache already. That is awful. Glad nobody was hurt.

 

[Hap]

Although I'm on Twitter, I'm not an active tweeter, is anyone here an active tweeter and if so, would you be interested in creating a Bring Colin Gillis Home or Help Find Colin Gillis or something like that, Twitter page? The more social media, the better! If no one here can do it, I can do it, maybe that will get me on Twitter more lol!

Kadence, do you know the person running the FB page for Colin? There is a way to link Twitter to Facebook/or vice versa... so that any post on that page could show up on the Twitter account. The admin there could set that up. I have one set for a FB page that I manage for where I work. That way, things are automatically posted to match the page and you can also post separate things. Just a thought.

 

[Kadence]

Kadence, do you know the person running the FB page for Colin? There is a way to link Twitter to Facebook/or vice versa... so that any post on that page could show up on the Twitter account. The admin there could set that up. I have one set for a FB page that I manage for where I work. That way, things are automatically posted to match the page and you can also post separate things. Just a thought.

It may be Colin's brother, Lyndon, but I'm not 100% sure, I will check. Great idea to link the two together Hap and I will pass along once I find out who the FB admin is. Thanks!

 

[SunsetGirl]

Hopefully we got the key info correct - if not, we can make changes. These are Google Earth satellite images - I realize it may be difficult to see the roads but it gives an accurate picture of the terrain - such a densely wooded and wet area!



This map is zoomed out to show the area, water and vague vicinity of Colin's home (see bottom, right of center) in relation to the 3 points (approx. party location, where Colin was last seen, where his ID was found in road):



(maps a combined effort - thanks ForesterJake!)

 

[ForesterJake]

Thanks to the "technical computer" skills of SunsetGirl!
Perhaps we can add more information on the maps as it is released by authorities to the public

 

[SunsetGirl]

I may have this completely wrong but I read in one news report on WCAX that they thoroughly searched a 1 mile radius from where Colin was last seen (totally makes sense) ... I'm guessing searches continued much beyond this 1 mile radius but here's a visual of what that area covers:

 

[Wanting2Help]

Kadence - I just want you to know that if there are any formal searches planned in the Spring to please let me know. I am about 2 hours from there and I would be more than happy to drive out and help.

Please let me know as well...

 

[Kadence]

Hopefully we got the key info correct - if not, we can make changes. These are Google Earth satellite images - I realize it may be difficult to see the roads but it gives an accurate picture of the terrain - such a densely wooded and wet area!

View attachment 41095

This map is zoomed out to show the area, water and vague vicinity of Colin's home (see bottom, right of center) in relation to the 3 points (approx. party location, where Colin was last seen, where his ID was found in road):

View attachment 41096

(maps a combined effort - thanks ForesterJake!)

AWESOME!!!! Thank you ForesterJake and SunsetGirl! I am wondering if you can add these locations and distance from Colin's last seen to your wonderful maps, I know, I'm getting pushy lol! This is from the Colin Gillis Search Updates FB page (https://www.facebook.com/colingillissearchupdates) Wish they would update that!

RAQUETTE RIVER CORRIDOR: Walking along sections of the river from Carry Falls Res. to the Piercefield Dam.

PEAVINE SWAMP TRAIL: About 2 miles the other side of Cranberry Lake. Type I search of this trail and the Balancing Brook Trail.

BURNTBRIDGE POND TRAIL-This is the trail head that is 2 miles this side of Cranberry Lake.

MASSAWEPIE BOY SCOUT CAMP: This area is still open to the public. All roads and buildings have been searched. The areas of interest are along the edges of snowmobile trails-main road and Carriage Road.

Can you zoom out and find these on your maps? I'm no good at this! I click on the arrow on the left and somehow end up in Utah!

I have asked about the FB admin info for the Bring Colin Gillis Home FB page, I believe it's his brother Lyndon but am trying to confirm and see if he would be willing to create a Bring Colin Gillis Home Twitter page and link it to FB or I offered to make the Twitter page. I will let everyone know.

I have had very positive feedback from the 15+ emails I sent to various news outlets in NY, lots of nice people there who genuinely seem to care that Colin is still missing, all that I have heard from are very interested, if not already planning, to do a report for Colin for his two year disappearance.

This will be a very difficult time for the Gillis family, they want to keep Colin in the public eye but it is equally difficult to reconcile that it has been almost two years since he's gone missing, it is surreal and, I can imagine, very hard to talk about. Thank you again for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers!

Keep going Team Colin! You're awesome!!

 

[Kadence]

I may have this completely wrong but I read in one news report on WCAX that they thoroughly searched a 1 mile radius from where Colin was last seen (totally makes sense) ... I'm guessing searches continued much beyond this 1 mile radius but here's a visual of what that area covers:

View attachment 41097

Oops, this one isn't working but it's still pretty!

The search area:

"Hundreds of law enforcement officers and hundreds of volunteers have searched 2,000 acres of dense woods and miles of the Raquette River and both Raquette Pond and Piercefield Flow."

http://www.wcax.com/story/21568766/investigators

Where oh where can Colin be?!

 

[Kadence]

Please let me know as well...

Thank you Wanting!!! I know you're in!

 

[ontheclock]

The last link in the op states that, "On March 11, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Gillis's mother reporting her son missing. He was last heard from at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, based on phone records. DEC Forest Rangers and State Police worked through the evening to gather information and organized today's search effort," Winchell said.

Does anyone know who last heard from Colin at 1:30 a.m. (based on phone records)?

 

[ontheclock]

Thanks to the "technical computer" skills of SunsetGirl!
Perhaps we can add more information on the maps as it is released by authorities to the public

You two seem to make a good team. Keep up the good work. Thanks for putting the maps together. I went back to page one, so I'm just catching up current postings.

 

[ontheclock]

Does anyone know the relationship between Colin's ride to the party and Colin? Hometown friend, college buddy, relative, high school acquaintance?

 

[SunsetGirl]

Google Earth street view of Route 3 at county line looking west - you can see clearly the snowplow turn around ... I believe this was the area where Colin was last seen

Also guessing the speed limit is 55mph

 

[SunsetGirl]

More from Google Earth street view (I'm starting to figure out about posting images) ...

Looking west on Route 3, you can see Setting Pole Dam Rd on the left and I believe Colin's items were found in the road just a little ways further ahead (he was heading west as far as eyewitnesses reported so that's the perspective I'm using) ...

You can see what a straight, desolate road this is ... on a moon-lit March night (or was there cloud cover?) even without streetlights, there would be some ambient light - although, traveling at 50+mph, you would come upon someone walking rather quickly ...

 

[SunsetGirl]

I may have this completely wrong but I read in one news report on WCAX that they thoroughly searched a 1 mile radius from where Colin was last seen (totally makes sense) ... I'm guessing searches continued much beyond this 1 mile radius but here's a visual of what that area covers:

View attachment 41097

Let's try this again - this just gives a sense of what a 1 mile radius looks like - what a massive area to cover!

 

[SunsetGirl]

Hopefully we got the key info correct - if not, we can make changes. These are Google Earth satellite images - I realize it may be difficult to see the roads but it gives an accurate picture of the terrain - such a densely wooded and wet area!

View attachment 41095

This map is zoomed out to show the area, water and vague vicinity of Colin's home (see bottom, right of center) in relation to the 3 points (approx. party location, where Colin was last seen, where his ID was found in road):

View attachment 41096

(maps a combined effort - thanks ForesterJake!)

Just trying to refine my posting skills - hoping this will be easier to see (clicking on the above attachments gives you a bigger version of these same pics) ...

and zoomed out a bit for reference:

 

[SunsetGirl]

AWESOME!!!! Thank you ForesterJake and SunsetGirl! I am wondering if you can add these locations and distance from Colin's last seen to your wonderful maps, I know, I'm getting pushy lol! This is from the Colin Gillis Search Updates FB page (https://www.facebook.com/colingillissearchupdates) Wish they would update that!

RAQUETTE RIVER CORRIDOR: Walking along sections of the river from Carry Falls Res. to the Piercefield Dam.

PEAVINE SWAMP TRAIL: About 2 miles the other side of Cranberry Lake. Type I search of this trail and the Balancing Brook Trail.

BURNTBRIDGE POND TRAIL-This is the trail head that is 2 miles this side of Cranberry Lake.

MASSAWEPIE BOY SCOUT CAMP: This area is still open to the public. All roads and buildings have been searched. The areas of interest are along the edges of snowmobile trails-main road and Carriage Road.

Can you zoom out and find these on your maps? I'm no good at this! I click on the arrow on the left and somehow end up in Utah!

...
Keep going Team Colin! You're awesome!!

Happy to 'help' ... we'll try to revise the maps to include those areas once we figure them out! Wish we had a good Delorme NY Atlas (we have ME, VT, NH, MA, PA but no NY - go figure). Jake will be able to reference his Adirondack hiking maps.

I just learned how to use Google Earth street view tonight - it's a pretty handy feature! It's not available for every road but gives you a great sense of the area!

 

[deca]

thanks for the maps. This just brings me again to how densely wooded the area is. Yes, I know that they searched! And I am sure they did a great job-
but I live in an area similarly wooded to this and people get lost/missing/whatever all the time and are never found or found years later. If he was able to walk just outside the heavily searched perimeter, or burrowed himself he still could be out there.
Of course, there are other scenarios- stranger abduction, getting hit by a car and moved somewhere, etc. but I still think hypothermia is a possibility. JMO

 

[Kadence]

The last link in the op states that, "On March 11, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from Gillis's mother reporting her son missing. He was last heard from at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 11, based on phone records. DEC Forest Rangers and State Police worked through the evening to gather information and organized today's search effort," Winchell said.

Does anyone know who last heard from Colin at 1:30 a.m. (based on phone records)?

LE does have this info but I can't share at the moment.