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Student's disappearance baffles community
Police: 580 tip-line calls yield no suspects, credible information
Saturday, November 29, 2003 Posted: 10:25 AM EST (1525 GMT)
Sjodin, 22, has been missing since late Saturday afternoon.
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota (AP) -- In a small state that boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the country, Dru Sjodin's disappearance is as baffling as it is troubling.
Authorities believe the 22-year-old University of North Dakota senior may have been abducted while she was talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone.
Even though they have received more than 580 calls to a tip line since she disappeared Saturday, police say they have no suspects or anyone who has any credible information.
Grand Forks, a city of about 49,000 people, is a place where people tend to know their neighbors and where the low crime rate is mentioned along with the cold weather.
"You think something like that wouldn't happen in a town like this," said Andy Juris, 24, who works at the Grand Forks airport. "It kind of hits close to home, especially in this town where somebody probably knew somebody who knew her."
Friends spent holiday searching
While most University of North Dakota students went home for Thanksgiving, about 30 of her friends stayed to search for her.
"We're going to be up here as long as it takes, until we find something," said Hans Tweed. "We haven't slept barely and haven't done anything but worry about her."
Sjodin's family thanked police and volunteers and pleaded for her return.
"Dru, we know you're out there," cousin Charity Pankonin said at a Thursday police briefing. "Our hearts are breaking. We just want you to know we love you so, so much."
Authorities remain optimistic that Sjodin is alive, holding up the example of Elizabeth Smart. Smart, who turned 16 this month, was abducted at knifepoint from her Utah home June 5, 2002, then was found and her alleged kidnappers arrested nine months later.
"The way we do investigations, we do it on a positive note," said police Lt. Dennis Eggebraaten. "We're not doing it on a negative note. It's going to be as if she is alive. Period."
The FBI is assisting in the search but has referred calls for comment to local authorities.
Sjodin had finished her shift at Victoria's Secret at the Columbia Mall and had gone shopping at another store in the mall.
Phone line went dead
Hundreds of volunteers have searched areas around Grand Forks.
Her boyfriend, Chris Lang, told authorities he was talking to Sjodin on the cell phone when the conversation abruptly ended. Eggebraaten said Lang reported that Sjodin said "something to the effect of 'Oh my God,' or 'Oh no"' before the line went dead.
That was about 5 p.m., said Sjodin's mother, Linda Walker. Lang later got another call that was only static and the sound of number keys being pressed.
Police said Lang called Sjodin's roommate, Meg Murphy, who called police after Sjodin failed to show up for her second job at a nightclub later that night.
Sjodin's car was found in the mall parking lot. Eggebraaten said a package she apparently bought at the mall was inside. "There was no sign of a struggle that we could determine," he said.
The search has been centered on Fisher, Minnesota, about 10 miles east of Grand Forks, where the Saturday night call was traced to her cell phone. It has been widened to the area of Crookston, Minnesota, about 25 miles southeast of Grand Forks, because the cell phone signal could have carried that far, officials said.
Police were investigating calls to Sjodin at the Victoria's Secret store. They said she had received at least one call from a man she did not know, who asked for her by name.
Victoria's Secret officials are keeping a low profile "out of respect for the family and to assist with authorities," said Anthony Hebron, a spokesman for the parent company of Victoria's Secret. "We are very concerned about our colleague and friend."
Sjodin graduated in 2000 from Pequot Lakes (Minnesota) High School, where she was an honor student, homecoming queen and a varsity basketball player and golfer. She is a graphic arts major at UND.
Passing out ribbons
Members of UND sororities and fraternities joined hundreds of other volunteers to help search the area east of Grand Forks.
"The support from the other houses has been unbelievable," said Erinn O'Keefe Hakstol, adviser to Sjodin's sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. "They are passing out pink and white ribbons and putting up signs. The fraternities have put up a list of phone numbers for the girls to call if they want an escort."
Sjodin's sorority sisters are holding up well, although some of them fear for their safety, sorority member Paulette Pommrehn said.
"We're being so careful of each other that we don't really have time to think about it," she said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Here's the http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/11/28/missing.student.ap/index.html
Police: 580 tip-line calls yield no suspects, credible information
Saturday, November 29, 2003 Posted: 10:25 AM EST (1525 GMT)
Sjodin, 22, has been missing since late Saturday afternoon.
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota (AP) -- In a small state that boasts one of the lowest crime rates in the country, Dru Sjodin's disappearance is as baffling as it is troubling.
Authorities believe the 22-year-old University of North Dakota senior may have been abducted while she was talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone.
Even though they have received more than 580 calls to a tip line since she disappeared Saturday, police say they have no suspects or anyone who has any credible information.
Grand Forks, a city of about 49,000 people, is a place where people tend to know their neighbors and where the low crime rate is mentioned along with the cold weather.
"You think something like that wouldn't happen in a town like this," said Andy Juris, 24, who works at the Grand Forks airport. "It kind of hits close to home, especially in this town where somebody probably knew somebody who knew her."
Friends spent holiday searching
While most University of North Dakota students went home for Thanksgiving, about 30 of her friends stayed to search for her.
"We're going to be up here as long as it takes, until we find something," said Hans Tweed. "We haven't slept barely and haven't done anything but worry about her."
Sjodin's family thanked police and volunteers and pleaded for her return.
"Dru, we know you're out there," cousin Charity Pankonin said at a Thursday police briefing. "Our hearts are breaking. We just want you to know we love you so, so much."
Authorities remain optimistic that Sjodin is alive, holding up the example of Elizabeth Smart. Smart, who turned 16 this month, was abducted at knifepoint from her Utah home June 5, 2002, then was found and her alleged kidnappers arrested nine months later.
"The way we do investigations, we do it on a positive note," said police Lt. Dennis Eggebraaten. "We're not doing it on a negative note. It's going to be as if she is alive. Period."
The FBI is assisting in the search but has referred calls for comment to local authorities.
Sjodin had finished her shift at Victoria's Secret at the Columbia Mall and had gone shopping at another store in the mall.
Phone line went dead
Hundreds of volunteers have searched areas around Grand Forks.
Her boyfriend, Chris Lang, told authorities he was talking to Sjodin on the cell phone when the conversation abruptly ended. Eggebraaten said Lang reported that Sjodin said "something to the effect of 'Oh my God,' or 'Oh no"' before the line went dead.
That was about 5 p.m., said Sjodin's mother, Linda Walker. Lang later got another call that was only static and the sound of number keys being pressed.
Police said Lang called Sjodin's roommate, Meg Murphy, who called police after Sjodin failed to show up for her second job at a nightclub later that night.
Sjodin's car was found in the mall parking lot. Eggebraaten said a package she apparently bought at the mall was inside. "There was no sign of a struggle that we could determine," he said.
The search has been centered on Fisher, Minnesota, about 10 miles east of Grand Forks, where the Saturday night call was traced to her cell phone. It has been widened to the area of Crookston, Minnesota, about 25 miles southeast of Grand Forks, because the cell phone signal could have carried that far, officials said.
Police were investigating calls to Sjodin at the Victoria's Secret store. They said she had received at least one call from a man she did not know, who asked for her by name.
Victoria's Secret officials are keeping a low profile "out of respect for the family and to assist with authorities," said Anthony Hebron, a spokesman for the parent company of Victoria's Secret. "We are very concerned about our colleague and friend."
Sjodin graduated in 2000 from Pequot Lakes (Minnesota) High School, where she was an honor student, homecoming queen and a varsity basketball player and golfer. She is a graphic arts major at UND.
Passing out ribbons
Members of UND sororities and fraternities joined hundreds of other volunteers to help search the area east of Grand Forks.
"The support from the other houses has been unbelievable," said Erinn O'Keefe Hakstol, adviser to Sjodin's sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. "They are passing out pink and white ribbons and putting up signs. The fraternities have put up a list of phone numbers for the girls to call if they want an escort."
Sjodin's sorority sisters are holding up well, although some of them fear for their safety, sorority member Paulette Pommrehn said.
"We're being so careful of each other that we don't really have time to think about it," she said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Here's the http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/11/28/missing.student.ap/index.html