PA-Patrick Welsh /Missing York College Student

[fourboys]

Family Searches For Missing York College Student

UPDATED: 7:17 pm EDT April 29, 2005

YORK, Pa. -- The family of a missing York College student is turning to the public for help in finding him.

Missing Poster (http://images.ibsys.com/2005/0429/4431667.pdf)

Patrick Welsh 22, of Sykesville, Md., was scheduled to take the train from Harrisburg to New York on April 15 to visit some friends.

Welsh was due back on campus from that trip 10 days ago, but he never showed up.

His parents said his cell phone was used to make calls on April 15 and April 18 from New York City.

Denise and Michael Welsh were at York College Friday, trying to get the word out.

"He's always been very considerate and lets us know, 'Hey, I'm going to be here. I'm going to be there,'" Denise Welsh said.

"Everything goes through your mind, what possibly could happen to him. And we just want to try get the word out if anybody has any information to give the Maryland State Police a call," Michael Welsh said.

So far, Maryland State Police said there is nothing to indicate foul play in the senior English major's disappearance.

Anyone with information can call Maryland State Police at (410) 386-3053.


http://www.thewgalchannel.com/news/4431629/detail.html

[fourboys]

Disappearance of student under investigation by Md. police

The Associated Press
May 02, 2005

Police are looking for a college student from Maryland last seen being dropped off at a train station in Harrisburg, Pa., for a trip to New York City.
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Patrick M. Welsh, 22, of Sykesville, has not been seen since April 15, Maryland State Police said in a news release.

Several calls were made on Welsh's cell phone April 15 and April 18, police said, including one by a homeless man who called one of his own relatives.

Police are also looking for the homeless man, John D. Koppinger, who called a relative April 18. He left a voice mail message that he had found the phone and wanted to let them that know he was OK.

Welsh is a senior majoring in professional writing at York College in York, Pa. He is scheduled to graduate in December.

He had made arrangements to visit friends in New York and planned to return April 19 to school.

Welsh's father, Michael, reported him missing April 22 to state police.

"Concern about his disappearance is growing, primarily due to the fact that there has been no further activity on his cell phone," police said in the statement.

Officials from the college said that although Patrick Welsh was not on campus when he disappeared, they are helping in the effort to find him.

"We have posted fliers that state he is missing and have a photo of him," said spokeswoman Cobey Dietrich. "Our department of public safety has spoken with friends and roommates trying to determine who last had contact with him."

Dietrich said she did not know whether any of the friends or roommates had been able to provide clues to Welsh's whereabouts.

The last known cell phone call made by Welsh was on April 15 from Manhattan, police said.

Patrick Welsh is white, 6 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. He has brown eyes, shoulder-length hair and a scar on his right leg.

Koppinger, 38, is white, with brown hair and blue eyes. He is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14453453&BRD=2212&PAG=461&dept_id=465812&rfi=6

[CinnamonGirl]

That is a shame,I used to live in York PA,I hope they find him.

[marylandmissing]

Search Continues For Missing Sykesville Man http://wjz.com/localstories/local_story_122132539.html

[audrey77]

Posted on Sat, May. 07, 2005

Police ask band's fans for help

Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Authorities searching for a college student who vanished almost a month ago in New York are asking fans of the band Ratdog to help find him.

The Maryland State Police posted a message Thursday night on the group's Web site asking for leads in the disappearance of Patrick M. Welsh, a 22-year-old York College student who was last seen at the Harrisburg train station April 15.

"We received an unconfirmed tip that he was at a recent concert and may be following (the) band," wrote Cpl. Jeffrey Tanzola.

Welsh's friends and family say he is a fan of jam bands such as Ratdog and spent time last summer touring with the All Mighty Senators. Ratdog performed April 15 and 16 at the Beacon Theater in New York.

So far, dozens of Ratdog fans have responded to police message.

Welsh's cellular phone was used April 18 in New York by John Dennis Koppinger, who found it in an area where homeless people live under a bridge.

Koppinger, who is homeless, is not considered a suspect in Welsh's disappearance.Link here (http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/breaking_news/11587959.htm)

[mysteriew]

ROCK-BAND LINK TO MISSING STUDENT

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/46679.htm

[sharon25]

Well the band in question is called RatDog and according to their website they will be playing in San Rafael, CA on 5/21 at Marin Veteran's Memorial Auditorium (http://www.co.marin.ca.us/depts/CU/main/mc/)
So I would either call the band and have them keep a look out- maybe even announce something to the crowd- or at the very least if there are any WS in that area maybe put up some flyers of him around the venue area???

what do you guys think?

[mysteriew]

So I would either call the band and have them keep a look out- maybe even announce something to the crowd- or at the very least if there are any WS in that area maybe put up some flyers of him around the venue area???

what do you guys think?

Well LE has notified the band's management so that is taken care of. I wonder if anyone is putting up flyers in that area?

[sharon25]

Well LE has notified the band's management so that is taken care of. I wonder if anyone is putting up flyers in that area?
I mean- it IS a possibility that he doesn't realize people are looking for him right??

[marylandmissing]

I mean- it IS a possibility that he doesn't realize people are looking for him right??
Not a possibility - he knows...He was a college student - about to graduate...

[sharon25]

Not a possibility - he knows...He was a college student - about to graduate...
still- college students drop out of classes And college all the time.
When I was younger, and before I had my daughter, I wouldn't be in contact with my parents for weeks.

The cell phone being used by a homeless man- simply could mean that he just lost it.
And if he's travelling with a band, especially a band like ratdog, he could very well not be aware of the news and things going on.

Someone had mentioned that they contacted the band.
Did they actually get in touch with the band members?

I really think there's a possibility that he's going to be found, and just had too much going on at school, so he decided to have some fun and travel with them. I believe I read somewhere that he's travelled with a band before.

[marylandmissing]

still- college students drop out of classes And college all the time. When I was younger, and before I had my daughter, I wouldn't be in contact with my parents for weeks. The cell phone being used by a homeless man- simply could mean that he just lost it.And if he's travelling with a band, especially a band like ratdog, he could very well not be aware of the news and things going on.

Someone had mentioned that they contacted the band. Did they actually get in touch with the band members?

I really think there's a possibility that he's going to be found, and just had too much going on at school, so he decided to have some fun and travel with them. I believe I read somewhere that he's travelled with a band before.
He's a Journalism student, well aware of news infrastructures. Patrick knows his parents would be looking for him...They had a ritual of phone calls.

[Peabody]

Not a possibility - he knows...He was a college student - about to graduate...

Doesn't sound good .........

about to grauate......

cell phone found under a bridge where the homeless live.....

praying that he is well.......

praying for his family.......

[fourboys]

Larry Frum, Jr., Managing Editor
POSTED: 5:54 am EDT June 8, 2005

WESTMINSTER, Md. -- A Carroll County man who was last seen when he left for New York was found in the Hudson River last week.

Maryland State Police said the body of Patrick Welch was discovered on June 2. Investigators are still waiting for the results of an autopsy.

Police began a search for Welch in April 22 when he was reported missing by his father. Welch was a student at York College in York, Pa., and left on April 15 to visit friends in New York.

Welch's cell phone was found in New York in the possession of a homeless man, who was questioned by New York Police Department investigators.

According to the City of New York Chief Medical Examiner's Office, a body was found in the Hudson River at the 79th Street Boat Basin on Manhattan. NYPD investigators contacted Maryland and requested dental record of Welch.

Positive identification was made on June 7. The family was notified of the discovery on the same day.

http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/4582613/detail.html

[CaliKid]

Another college student found in a river.

[mysteriew]

There has been rumors and questions being asked about a possible serial killer who roams from college campus to college campus killing and dumping the bodies in a river, hasn't there? Does anyone know if this is actually being looked at by LE? Does anyone know where I might be able to more info. about this?

[Helper]

It's been two years. Has anyone ever figured out for certain what Patrick was doing in New York and how he died?

[cmofames]

I found a link that quoted a story saying he wanted to interview homeless people.

This quote was found at:
http://seandoherty.blogspot.com/2005_05_01_seandoherty_archive.html

I knew it.

The plight of this poor young fellow (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--missingstudent0503may03,0,4938430,print.story?coll =ny-region-apnewjersey):


College student Patrick M. Welsh hopped on a midday train to New York City on April 15, relaxed and in good spirits and carrying a backpack.

He reached his destination that day, but police know nothing more about his whereabouts since then.
became crystal clear to me when I read this:


Police say it is possible the aspiring writer may have wanted to go to New York to do research on the plight of the homeless.
I'm sure for some naive 19 year old living in Pennsylvania, the "homeless" (my neighbors and I have fare more creative names for the men who litter our neighborhood, drunk, stoned and in general passed out in places they shouldn't be) may seem like victims of some sort.

They're not. They're anti-social, mentally ill, drug abusing criminals. For their own good, and the good of naive 19 year olds from Pennsylvania, they should be institutionalized.

Since they're not, they're more than happy to visit whatever mayhem and violence they can upon people if and when they think they can get away with it. As evidenced by the following:


Welsh used his cell phone at least once somewhere in Manhattan the night he arrived. Police would not make public whom he called.

Three days later the phone ended up in the hands of John Dennis Koppinger, a homeless man wanted in New Jersey on a 1997 assault charge, Maryland State Police said.
Rest in peace, Mr. Welsh. I may be wrong, but if he was visiting the homeless on the UWS, he probably went to Riverside Park after dark and ended up in the Hudson afterwards.

Hopefully, other doe-eyed teenagers and college kids will read this story and realize the danger that these vagrants present, both to themselves and others. Vagrants are not romantics struggling against a system. They're deranged and struggling against unseem and unknowable demons.

[MrsG728]

My husband and I both follow this story (alumni) and It is so sad :( The hinky meter did go up when they mentioned the interviewing the homeless.... THanks for the update.

MG

[CrimeHater]

If the article was correct, it's very sad. Sounds like he had a good heart. RIP Patrick.