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catherinet11

Someone needs your help..............

catherinet
17 years ago

Hi everyone,

I don't live far from Purdue University in Indiana. I've been hearing that there is a freshman boy there who has gone missing. He was last seen at a party at a fraternity. He apparently is a straight A student, and works hard, has a full scholarship, and is a very dependable kid.

He's been missing since Saturday night. He doesn't have a car, and none of his clothes, laptop or keys are gone. The parents were on the local news and they were crying. I can't imagine being in this situation. This is bothering me so much. Hundreds of people on the campus have been looking for him, and the FBI is now involved.

Regardless of what you believe in, could I ask you to please have good, positive thoughts in his direction? Maybe if enough of us have good thoughts, it can somehow bring him back safe. Thankyou.

Comments (20)

  • fairy_toadmother
    17 years ago

    you got it, cat!

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    THanks FTM. By the way, his name is Wade Steffey. It might help, when calling on the powers-that-be, to have a name....

  • comettose
    17 years ago

    OK, will do Cat. Hope they find him.

    Lots of missing people in this country where people don't look for them for very long.

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Comet......did you hear that story about the 2 kids who were found in Missouri? They were looking for a young boy who had been missing something like a week or 2........and they found him AND a boy who had been missing for 4 years!
    Fortunately, they were both okay (although I can't speak for the emotional trauma they may have suffered at the hands of their captor).
    I feel so helpless against evil sometimes.
    And life is sort of like russian roulette..........I keep wondering when it will be my turn to have something horrific happen to me. :(
    Sorry to be such a downer. I'm just really aching for his parents right now.
    Keep up the good thoughts and prayers everyone!

  • comettose
    17 years ago

    Yes I read about that one. The one boy that had been there 4 years was used to living with the guy since he supposedly had opportunities to get away but didn't. Neighbors thought they were father and son so they never said or thought anything about it. If you think about it, if a child is stolen very young, they just don't remember and the false 'parent' invents their historic memories and then new ones develop. The former family ceases to exist. What would be hard IMO is going back to a family you don't know at all. Major therapy called for I think, but going back is the right thing, as I assume the adult that takes young boys (or girls) is for one major purpose.

    A kid where my sister used to live in Baltimore was taken from his paper route. His name was Billy Artez (sp?). He was gone for months and was only found in FL, taken by a man named Arthur Goode. Billy told the authorities that Arthur Goode had stolen and killed other children right in front of him. It was attributed to the fact Billy was an engaging personality and he talked and worked his way into this nut jobs favor and trust. The man kept his eye on Billy for many months, but as he learned to trust him, and was focusing on this new kid stolen in FL, Billy made his escape and went to the police and told them. It resulted in the man being caught, but unfortunately not soon enough, as the FL boy was already dead. Arthur Goode got the death sentence in FL and I'm not sure if it has ever been carried out but I image it has since it was over 20 years ago. People have a better chance for survival if they can humanize themselves. It's harder to kill someone you know and like.

    Well, this older college boy, no telling what happened there. But, a seemingly focused, responsible college student to just disappear does not forbode well unfortunately. This is why they are still looking. Had he been a troubled young man with a history of running away, a record, or from a poor neighborhood the search would be minimal, if at all. It will take the parents effort to keep the search effort going. Adults that disappear don't get much attention for long, because they ARE adults and it's a big world.

    CT

  • comettose
    17 years ago

    Here is the link to the story - surprised to find it in a search after so long. I got part of the story mixed up. Billy's name and they went to Virginia, not FL. Not surprising after all these years.

    You really need to keep an eye on your kids all the time while they are young. Yet, every time I'm out I see young kids alone all the time. Warning- this story may disturb some readers.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Child Killer Arthur Goode

  • sheepco
    17 years ago

    Supposedly the kid in Missouri that was missing for 4 years sent e-mails to chat rooms that his parents were on to send 'clues' about his whereabouts. ??? Lots more to this than we know about so far, but I didn't watch Oprah today.

    Hate it when I'm so morbid!

    Only good thoughts comin' your way Cat! We'll keep praying.

  • youreit
    17 years ago

    Thank you for posting this, Catherine. We're sending more good thoughts Wade's way.

    Brenda

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, its been about 9 days and still nothing. He has just vanished. A team from the National Center for Missing Children has arrived at Purdue this morning. Hopefully they can help guide the investigation.
    So keep up your good thoughts and prayers for this boy!
    Maybe its my being able to relate to the boy because of my 17 and 20 year old.......but its depressing the hell out of me. :(

  • jeanner
    17 years ago

    I think any mother can relate, it doesn't matter if they are 5 or 35, they are still your kids. I can only imagine what it is like for the family and friends, I do hope they are able to find him soon.

  • youreit
    17 years ago

    I'm so sorry for everyone affected by this. I did a search using Wade's name, and I found this blog with links to other online sites. We're thinking of you, too, Catherine. *HUG*

    Brenda

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wade Steffey blogs & sites

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks jeanner and Brenda,
    I distributed flyers around our town today. It was harder on me than I thought. I'm starting to go crazy.....so I think I should take a day off of thinking about this.......but I'm not sure I can.

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, Still no sign of Wade Steffey after 2 weeks.
    Hundreds of people have helped with searches all over the area in West Lafayette.......but no sign of him.
    This is so darned tragic. But we can still hope for a miracle. Please continue to keep sending Wade and his family your good thoughts, prayers, and positive energies.

  • youreit
    17 years ago

    Catherine, just remember, with stories like the one above about the Missouri kids, there's always hope. It's the not knowing that is so heartbreaking, though.

    We're thinking of him every day.

    Brenda

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks Brenda!

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, I fear the worst is happening. Today on the news they said that they had found a body in the Transformer/high voltage room at the dorm that Wade lived in. They won't identify it yet, but they've had Wade's parents come to Purdue.
    The police supposedly searched the dorm several times over, and with dogs, but found nothing. Surely, they didn't overlook this room? It is supposedly locked and only maintenence people have the key.
    This is truly awful. There's a chance it isn't Wade, but its just too conincidental. Please keep Wade's parents in your thoughts and prayers, as this must be the worst form of hell for them.

  • comettose
    17 years ago

    Catherine - that is awful. I am sorry.

    I cannot fathom why they didn't find a body on the first search. Maybe it was moved to that location after the search to avoid it being found elsewhere. A 'cleared' location is a good place to hide a body as most times they are not searched again and only later does someone come upon it (like Shondra Levy sp?)

    The room is right in his own dorm - unbelieveable. Dogs would have found a live person or body and that room would have been opened I would think in a whole search of the dorm. If not, than that is not much of a search.

    If it turns out to be Wade I hope they can reconstruct what happened and also catch and punish the offender(s). An autopsy should reveal how long someone has been deceased and the manner of death. If that room is locked and only certain people have keys that is where I would start questioning. Random murderers would not put a body there and, if Wade, he was found not far from his dorm room. Strange case.

    Please keep us posted of developments.

    CT

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Hi CT,
    I guess this room was about 50' from where Wade was last seen. We should find out soon if the police just overlooked the room. I certainly hope that isn't the case. It would sure destroy any trust you'd have in the police. Some people are wondering if the body was placed there last week, during spring break. But what a strange place to put a body.......and it must have been hard to place it there without being seen.
    Here's another horrible possibility........tonight on the news, the newsman pointed out that there is a permanent ladder on the side of that building that goes up to the top of this 1-story building/room (high voltage). He said that there was some sort of bin above the room, and he was wondering if someone could fall down into the room from there. He was wondering if Wade might have fallen down and sustained a head injury. That sounds feasible, but Wade was alone, and was a pretty responsible kid. It doesn't seem like something he would be doing at 1:30 in the morning, all by himself.
    There are just so many questions. I just hope he didn't lay there alive for a long time, with no one to help him. Apparently, no one had been in that transformer room since the beginning of January.......

  • catherinet
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well........it was Wade's body. They found it behind a transformer......which electrocuted him. Wade had left his jacket at a girl's room, and he couldn't get in the main door to get it......so he tried other doors. VERY unfortunately, someone had left the door to this extremely dangerous room open, and he walked in there in the dark, and touched the transformer.
    They supposedly searched this room, but only from one vantage point, and they missed his body behind the transformer.
    I'm sure there will be an independent investigation.
    Poor, Sweet Wade. Rest in peace sweetheart.

  • youreit
    17 years ago

    Oh, Catherine, I read that story this morning, before they knew who it was, and Wade was the first person I thought of! I'm so sorry for the family. At the very least, they know now, but it's such a tragedy.

    Brenda

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