Awareness=Answers

Since the mid-1990’s, more than 100 young American men with bright futures and vibrant personalities have either drowned or disappeared under similar circumstances.

Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter Kristi Piehl first exposed the theory of a possible connection between the mysterious drowning deaths in 2008 on Good Morning America. In 2009, she appeared on GMA, CNN and many radio programs with Bill Szostak, a former fire investigator trying to solve his son’s death.

During her interviews with families and extensive research of public documents, this became more than a story to Kristi. She saw a serious national problem claiming the lives of young men that was virtually unknown to the public and law enforcement.

Kristi now works with families who are searching for answers and continues to see disturbing patterns in how drowning investigations are handled. In many cases, the police investigation is closed before key evidence is gathered and before the toxicology findings are completed. She wants to see law enforcement handle an unexplained drowning like an unexplained shooting or stabbing. She also wants to keep the public informed about missing men.

Exclusive Awareness=Answers content:

Despite new evidence in Todd Geib’s case, Michigan authorities refuse to reopen the case. Click here to see the documents.

What happened to Josh Szostak after he left a bar? His bizarre behavior is caught on tape.

Are college-aged men at a higher risk for drowning? Click here to read Kristi’s research.

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Michael Philbin

The tragic death of Michael Philbin, son of  Green Bay Packers coach Joe Philbin, is raising many questions and new awareness surrounding the mysterious drowning deaths of dozens of college-aged men.

The families and friends of other men who disappeared and were recovered in water are closely watching developments and praying the Philbin family gets answers.

Here is what ABC News is reporting:

Michael Philbin, the 21-year-old son of the Packers offensive coordinator, was reported missing Sunday by his family. League sources told ESPN that a body recovered from an Oshkosh, Wisc., river on Monday was identified as the missing son.

The body was discovered after an employee at a nearby business reported hearing cries for help from someone on the icy Fox River around 2:30 a.m Sunday. Police, fire and dive team patrols searched the area, but did not find anyone on Sunday.

A fresh search was conducted on Monday and the body was found around 3:15 p.m., according to Police Officer Joseph Nichols.

Packers coach Joe Philbin spent Monday in Oshkosh, where his son had been reported missing after an outing with friends at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh campus, according to ESPN. Michael Philbin is the second-oldest of six children.

“The Philbin family’s obviously going through a tough time right now, and as we always have, we’re a family-first philosophy with our organization, with our program,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said early on Monday. “So we’re supporting Joe and his family the best we can, and we’re holding out hope that this comes to a positive conclusion.”

McCarthy noted that he had plans in place to prepare for Sunday’s NFL playoffs NFC Divisional round against the New York Giants if Philbin remained away from the team, ESPN reported. The Packers are seeded first in their division.

“We’re prepared to do whatever we need to do as a staff to make sure our team’s ready to go,” McCarthy said. “We’ll be ready to go.”

Packers players offered supportive messages on Twitter throughout the day.

“As children we all have to someday say goodbye to our parents, but a parent should never have to say goodbye to their child,” said offensive lineman T.J. Lang.

Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji wrote that “life is too short.”

“Live in the present,” he tweeted.

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Jay Polhill

The CBS station in Chicago is reporting that Jay Polhill’s family is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Jay’s death.

Jay, 20, was killed in early March 2010. His body, naked from the waist down, was found in the Calumet River at 126th and Stony Island. Initially, police ruled his death “undetermined”. Jay’s parents hired experts to take another look at the case and they determined that skull fractures suggested Jay was the victim of an assault. Based on information from the outside experts, Jay’s cause of death was officially changed to ”drowning due to multiple injuries due to assault,” a homicide.

If you have information that could help investigators solve this mystery, call a toll-free tip line at 866.514.4459, text information to 312.985.5642 or send an email to  centinv@chicagopolice.org.

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Travis Trowbridge

There’s a tragic case of deja vu in Muskegon County, Michigan.  WZZM reports that Travis Trowbridge, 20, was last seen in the early hours of October 1 after leaving a party held in the woods on Wolf Lake Road, near Evanston Avenue in Fruitport. His body was recovered near the party in shallow water.

Despite the fact that the toxicology report was not yet complete, the cause of death was determined. According to Mlive.com, “Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler said the autopsy revealed that drowning is the cause of death, but an investigation into the man’s death is ongoing.”

The case is eerily familiar and deeply disheartening for the family of Todd Geib. In 2005, Todd was recovered in a body of water in Muskegon County after leaving a party. Last week, Kathy, Todd’s mom, had a letter published in the local newspaper urging authorities to take a close look at Travis’ death. For the past several years, we’ve uncovered new evidence in Todd’s case and presented it to Michigan authorities. Despite the opinion of a well-respected Forensic Pathologist, authorities have been unwilling to consider the compelling evidence that suggests Todd’s death may not have been an accident. Click here to read more and see some evidence.

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Ricardo Gonzales

The co-captain of the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire wrestling team was recovered in the Chippewa River on Friday, September 2.  According to reports, 22-year-old Ricardo Gonzales was last seen drinking with the wrestling team on Wednesday, August 31.

Ricardo graduated from high school in South Carolina. He was well liked and known for his wrestling skills. His death is hitting his former coach, John Hollman, hard.  Hollman told a SC newspaper, “Everyone is devastated. I’ve been coaching 20 years and I’ve been lucky enough to never ever have to deal with this kind of pain. Now I have to mourn the loss of a kid who was very much like a son to me.”

Authorities say Ricardo’s blood alcohol level was .19. They didn’t find any signs of trauma and say foul play does not appear to be involved in his death. Authorities say Ricardo’s cause of death was drowning. Complete toxicology results are pending.

His father is UW-Eau Claire’s director of facilities planning.

It’s unfortunate to see that authorities are not waiting for complete toxicology results before concluding foul play was not involved. It’s also too bad that newspapers are reporting that Ricardo is one of five people to drown in the Chippewa River this summer. While that is a true fact, there should be a distinction made between someone who drowned while engaged in a water sport and someone who had no reason to be in the water. My hope is that eventually death records will be kept differently so the number of drowning mysteries can be quantified and compared. Let’s hope Ricardo’s death will be fully investigated and police will figure out how Ricardo ended up from being with friends to being in the water.

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Jeremy Peck

Progress is being made to solve the mysterious disappearance and death of Jeremy Peck.  The 24-year-old was last seen about 1:00 am leaving a West Seattle pub on Christmas Eve, 2010. Several weeks later, his body was recovered on Bainbridge Island.

At the end of January, a man called police to report that he saw two “Hispanic-looking” males dump something, that appeared to be body parts, from a bridge on the day Jeremy disappeared. The tip caller was able to provide police with a description of the men’s vehicle. Thanks to a combination of good old-fashioned police work and DNA testing, detectives found the car. It had signs of a struggle and Jeremy’s blood inside.

The two men are persons of interest in the case, but arrests have not been made.  Right now, Jeremy’s death is classified as “suspicious”.

Click here to read more about the latest developments in the case.

I echo what I wrote in a previous post about Jeremy’s case, “It appears that investigators did not jump to conclusions or make assumptions based on circumstances, gender or age.  Isn’t that refreshing?  Let’s hope that more departments will follow the lead of the West Seattle Police Department.”

*Many thanks to the tipster who is keeping tabs on this case. I appreciate all the support of people around the country who frequently send me details about drowning mysteries.

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A tragic ending in the search for Zach Green.  The 33-year-old was last seen in Kingston, NY on January 2, 2011 after an evening out. His family, friends and law enforcement launched countless searches for Zach, but failed to find any answers. A boater spotted his body on Sunday, June 12 in Esopus Creek, near the New York armory in Kingston.

The “Daily Freeman” reported :

Detective Lt. Egidio Tinti of the Kingston Police Department said the investigation will, indeed, move forward. “Obviously, our job is to find out what happened,” Tinti said. Tinti said there was no indication of how long Green’s body had been in the creek, though he noted the clothes found on the body on Sunday were the same ones Green was wearing the night he vanished.” The police official also reiterated his department’s belief that Green was not the victim of foul play, noting the autopsy revealed no apparent fractures or other bodily damage.

Again, I’m bothered by how quickly law enforcement determined Zach was not the victim of foul play.  Sure, there were not obvious gun shots, knife wounds or broken bones, but that does not mean Zach’s death was or wasn’t accidental. Medical Examiners probably still haven’t determined how long Zach had been dead; this is critical information. The toxicology reports will take weeks to complete. These tests will likely give police a better idea of what happened to Zach. Now that police know where Zach’s body ended up, they can begin determining where it entered the water and where it has been for the last six months. In my opinion, these questions should be answered before the media and family are told that there is no sign of foul play. I hope that investigators do keep searching for answers and that all possibilities are considered.

During the search for Zach, I followed the Facebook group that was devoted to him. It is clear that Zach was loved by many and is deeply missed. Prayers go out to all those who are affected by his death.

This is not the first time people in Kingston, NY have been affected by a drowning mystery.  David Reilly disappeared in November 2007 and was found in 2008.

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Jay Polhill

Jay Polhill was last seen February 27, 2010 after telling friends he was going to a party on the other side of Chicago. According to reports, he sent his girlfriend a text message that he spent the night at the party and that was the last she heard from him. The 20-year-old Columbia College student was found in the Calumet River on March 2.

Despite new evidence that points to homicide, Jay’s death is still classified as undetermined. Jay’s case was profiled in a recent news investigation done by the CBS affiliate in Chicago. The report focused on Chicago’s crime numbers where police proudly proclaimed that murders in the city are down. Is the decrease in homicide a classification shell game? Is it nothing more than an artificial decrease due to not classifying cases like Jay’s as homicide?

Here is an excerpt from the local CBS report:

Take the case of Jay Polhill. The body of the 20-year-old Columbia College student was found in the Little Calumet River naked from the waist down, according to police.

“He didn’t have his camera. He didn’t have his laptop. He didn’t have his wallet,” said Polhill’s friend, Taylor Streiff. “I believe he was murdered.”

Polhill’s autopsy report describes “extensive skull fractures” on both sides of his head and a broken neck bone. But the medical examiner’s office said the cause and manner of death was “undetermined.”

Unsatisfied, Polhill’s parents spent $15,000 on a private detective who they say helped them get the police and medical examiner to take another look.

Polhill’s parents showed the autopsy report to a pathologist in another state. He told Zekman the documented head injuries don’t support an accident or suicide theory.

In fact, he said, “It really shouts out as an  assault.”

Last October, the Polhills then met with the pathologist assigned to their son’s case in Cook County. A month later, after consulting with other pathologists in the medical examiner’s office, she amended her findings.

The amended cause of death is now  ”drowning due to multiple injuries due to assault,” a homicide.

But five months later, Chicago police still list Polhill’s case as a death investigation.

Thomas Byrne, chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department, says its cold case unit is now taking a fresh look at the case.

“It could turn into a homicide,” Byrne said.

Asked if detectives feel pressured to help keep serious crime statistics down, Byrne replied, “Absolutely not.”

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Devon Minor

A tragic ending to the search for Devon Minor, 18, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. The body of the Geneva College student was recovered in the nearby Beaver River. Police are still investigating the cause of death; detectives found no signs of foul play.

Devon was last seen in his dorm room on January 20. His disappearance baffled his friends because Devon’s wallet was missing, but his keys and coat were left behind.

Geneva is a private Christian college and the community has diligently searched for Devon. The President of Geneva College released a statement today. It says, “We are deeply saddened by Devon’s passing. This is a painful time for Devon’s family, friends, our community, and so many others. It is a time to recall the words of Christ Jesus: ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’ As we mourn the loss of Devon, we pray for a comfort and peace that only the Lord can provide.”

Click here to read the full statement from President Ken Smith.

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Alan Sun-Long Lin

Alan Sun-Long Lin,22, was last seen leaving an Orange County bar and grill in early February. He was recovered 8 days later in the nearby Rhine Channel. Alan was a mechanical engineering student at the University of California.

Investigators found no sign of foul play and no trauma to his body. The blood alcohol content (BAC) test results were just released to the public. According to the Orange County Crime Lab, Alan’s BAC was between .16 and .19 percent.

This is the first time that I’ve seen a range given for the BAC. Usually the lab results are a specific number. This range gives me hope that the amount of time a victim is in the water is figured into the BAC level. Based on the information released by investigators, there is no way to know if this is the reason a range was determined in Alan’s case.

There are many studies that show that decomposition increases BAC in drowning victims.  Essentially the body creates alcohol after death. The conclusion is that it would be difficult and nearly impossible to accurately determine the amount of BAC in a drowning victim at the time of death. The amount of time the victim is in the water and the water temperature are factors in how BAC is impacted after death.

In a 2003 study by National Study Centre for Trauma and EMS, School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, researchers stated, “. . . that production of alcohol can occur in bodies recovered from the water as early as 12 h after death.”  Click here to read more from the study.

In my work with families and law enforcement, I’ve seen that many investigators aren’t aware that BAC increases after death. Certainly knowing this could make an impact on determining if a victim was intoxicated at the time of death. Many young men that I’ve written about, have BAC levels between .10 and .14.  If you decrease their BAC by .03, some of these young men would not be considered over the legal driving limit. Would this piece of information have changed the police investigation?

One of my goals is to educate people and law enforcement professionals about BAC. I’ve written about this before. Click here to read an earlier post.

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