OR-Justin Burkhart, 28, Bend

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.yournews.com/copyroom/mynews.asp

5 Aug 09

Bend Police are looking for a young man missing in Bend. Justin Burkhart, 28 was last seen early Saturday morning walking along Broadway Street headed to the park. He also did not show up for work at Allison’s Kitchen this week. Bend Police tells our news partner, News Channel 21, “Right now we are in the process of contacting family, friends, co-workers, that kind of thing. Find out the last people who had contact with him, where that contact was made, at what time. And to follow the investigation from there”. Justin Burkhart was last seen wearing black shorts, a white button up shirt, and a light colored bandanna. Anyone who knows what happened to Justin Burkhart is asked to call police.

pic
http://www.yournews.com/copyroom/newsimages/Justin%20Burkhart.jpg

[hoppyfrog]

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091108/NEWS0107/911080380/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

8 Nov 09

In the early morning hours of Aug. 1, Burkhart left his apartment just south of downtown Bend to get something to eat. He was last spotted walking near Harmon Park on the west side of the footbridge across the river.

more at link

[LadyL]

park, river, missing man

spooky

[dreamweaver]

http://www.ktvz.com/global/story.asp?s=10849471
Aug. 24, 2009 updated article.
'snipped'
As volunteers searched Sunday for a Bend man now missing for more than three weeks, Justin Burkhart's mother told NewsChannel 21 of a surprising new development - a plane ticket to Alaska bought in her son's name, and scheduled to depart the day he vanished.
Eloisa Chavez said she was told by the FBI that her son had bought the electronic plane ticket to Alaska, for a flight scheduled to leave Aug. 1, the day he last was seen.
But on Monday, Bend police told us the ticket was never used, and also said his bank account and phone have had no activity since his disappearance.

..more at link..

[dreamweaver]

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091101/NEWS0107/911010366/1041&nav_category=
Nov. 4, 2009 article.
'snipped'

Burkhart, 28, spent the night of July 31 drinking and dancing with friends, returning early Saturday to the downtown Bend apartment he'd moved into two days before. In the middle of the night, he apparently left to get something to eat and vanished. He missed appointments to spend time with friends over the weekend, and was reported missing when he didn't show up for work on Monday.
Lt. Ben Gregory, head of the detectives unit for the Bend Police Department, said that between interviews and surveillance video from businesses, the police have a reasonably good idea of where Burkhart went on Friday night, but the trail goes cold after midnight — Gregory said he didn't want to give a more precise time — when two people who knew Burkhart saw him at the west end of the footbridge in Drake Park.

..more at link..

A long news article, with lots of interesting details.

[Kimster]

WOW. Why didn't I know about this case? My son has a good friend who lives in Bend who is in Justin's age group. If I can find out any scuttle about this case, I'll let y'all know.

[mae]

This case made me think of this:
http://footprintsattheriversedge.blogspot.com/

I hope he is found.

[West]

Thanks for posting some updates...I was about to do the same. I used to live in Bend during the summers and am very familiar with the area. The water near the footbridge is pretty calm and placid, I can't imagine that he would have fallen in, drowned and not been found-there is almost no current in the Mirror Pond area.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Justin and the entire Bend community-- a really wonderful town with fantastic people. Let's hope they band together to help get Justin back to his family.

[dreamweaver]

This case made me think of this:
http://footprintsattheriversedge.blogspot.com/

I hope he is found.
=================

I think a lot of us thought about young men, drinking, river.

But, I don't know I really believe it.
And Bend, OR is in central OR, not the east or midwest.

[dreamweaver]

WOW. Why didn't I know about this case? My son has a good friend who lives in Bend who is in Justin's age group. If I can find out any scuttle about this case, I'll let y'all know.
====================

I did not know anything about this case until I saw it on here.
I do not think any local tv stations had it on in this area of Oregon.

[dreamweaver]

Thanks for posting some updates...I was about to do the same. I used to live in Bend during the summers and am very familiar with the area. The water near the footbridge is pretty calm and placid, I can't imagine that he would have fallen in, drowned and not been found-there is almost no current in the Mirror Pond area.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Justin and the entire Bend community-- a really wonderful town with fantastic people. Let's hope they band together to help get Justin back to his family.
===============================

I like the Bend area also.
But thanks for info about Mirror Pond area, I did not know that.

[dreamweaver]

What I think about is this:
Here is a young man, engaged, fiance leaving for a job in Alaska,
gotten in trouble in the past, drinking the night before,
decides to go out for a sandwich at a shop that is closed.
(no disrespect meant in bringing up his past)

Was that just an excuse to leave the apartment?
Or had he drank so much he was not thinking straight?

He begged his fiance to marry him before she left.
He had bought a ticket to go to Alaska. But, it was not used.

So, what could have happened? Well, any number of things, of course.

But, considering how much he cared for his fiance and how much he wanted to
be with her and then, no contact at all with anyone.
He either met with an accident, fell into the river or got into it with someone and
they are not talking.

Prayers for Justin and his family.

[lucky181]

I found a facebook page for Friends of Justin. His mother and fiance have posted there.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-Justin-Burkhart/272340455584#/pages/Friends-of-Justin-Burkhart/272340455584?v=wall

[mae]

=================

I think a lot of us thought about young men, drinking, river.

But, I don't know I really believe it.
And Bend, OR is in central OR, not the east or midwest.

Sorry, I am a confused. Believe what?

The theory that seemingly healthy young men heading off alone at night after drinking and then drowning might sometimes be under unusual circumstances? And not just accidental? I also did not realize the young river drowning deaths were solely occurring in the East or Midwest.

My posting the thought was the second I hear about a young man wandering off and disappearing uncharacteristically always makes me think of the large numbers of men who have met this fate. And wondered if this was going to be the same kind of outcome.

[scandi]

Sorry, I am a confused. Believe what?

The theory that seemingly healthy young men heading off alone at night after drinking and then drowning might sometimes be under unusual circumstances? And not just accidental? I also did not realize the young river drowning deaths were solely occurring in the East or Midwest.

My posting the thought was the second I hear about a young man wandering off and disappearing uncharacteristically always makes me think of the large numbers of men who have met this fate. And wondered if this was going to be the same kind of outcome.

First, Thanks Hoppyfrog for the O/P, and bringing this case to light. Portland is the largest city in the state and I had heard nothing about Justin going missing.

Hi Mae, I think what was meant is that Bend is in the central part of Oregon and not the eastern or western part of the state. Oregon does have distinctly different areas marked by terrain and climate. xox

[dreamweaver]

Sorry, I am a confused. Believe what?

The theory that seemingly healthy young men heading off alone at night after drinking and then drowning might sometimes be under unusual circumstances? And not just accidental? I also did not realize the young river drowning deaths were solely occurring in the East or Midwest.

My posting the thought was the second I hear about a young man wandering off and disappearing uncharacteristically always makes me think of the large numbers of men who have met this fate. And wondered if this was going to be the same kind of outcome.
------------------------------------
Gee, I must have been asleep at the wheel when I posted that.

http://sfkillers.com/
I do know about the Smiley Face killers or the river killers.
Those included in the group seem to be mostly from the east coast or midwestern part of the U.S.
http://clintvanzandt.newsvine.com/_news/2009/03/22/2583683-the-smiley-face-killers
Then there are those who do not believe in this type of killer.

As for Bend, Or. It is located almost in the center of Oregon.
I was trying to say that if there were a band of killers roaming the countryside, Bend probably would not be on the top of their list.
IMO

Maybe Portland, OR. Maybe Seatlle, WA.

Okay, moving on.

[hoppyfrog]

Dear Posters:

Please remember that this thread is for information and support. If you want to discuss or speculate, please start a thread for Justin in the discussion forum.

Thanks!

Hoppy