EAST LANSING, Mich. — The family of a Grand Valley State University student who went missing while visiting friends at Michigan State University has received the go ahead for civilians to start searching.
18-year-old Brendan Santo was last seen Friday, Oct. 29 leaving Yakeley Hall on MSU’s campus shortly before midnight. His vehicle remains in the last location it was parked, and he has been missing ever since.
In the last week, police have conducted searches on foot, by helicopter, by drone and by boat. Police say foul play is not suspected, and they also believe that Brendan Santo did not intend to harm himself.
For police, the search is zeroing in on the Red Cedar River, which is close to where he was last seen.
On Friday, Santo’s family revealed they had gotten the go ahead for civilians to start searching. The family has also created a Facebook page to keep track of the areas searched. According to the post, Santo’s family will be posting all updates on this page.
A post on the page says an organized civilian search has been planned for Saturday morning and will continue until dusk.
According to MSUPD, civilians are being asked to stay away from the river and river banks for two reasons:
- To not infringe on their search
- For safety, as the river is dangerous and has rocky terrain
At this time, local authorities and the FBI are also reviewing Santo’s cellular, smartphone and GPS data. As of Nov. 4, police said they have not recovered his phone, and records show no current activity.
Santo is described as being around 5’10” and 160 pounds. He was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a black t-shirt, a black baseball hat and white Converse high-tops.
Anyone with information on Santo's whereabouts is asked to report the information to the following:
- Toll-free tip line: 844-99-MSUPD
- Email: tips@police.msu.edu
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