WI WI - Nicholas Hietpas, 22, & dog, vehicle found abandoned in Oconto Co., Appleton, 1 Apr 2019

[Luckyzmom]

Last update I found was this 5 day search completed posted the 12th of June.Will check again the next couple of days. Doesn't seem to be much info available to public, not very hopeful that will change. Will pray and keep looking I guess...

 

[Rosiebones]

It looks like he may have been interrupted in preparing either to set up a campsite or to cover his car. Are there bears or other wildlife that could have attacked and carried Samantha away and he followed to try and save her? Is this area more wild than settled?

 

[Luckyzmom]

Huge wilderness area was searched, see Payrollnerd post

It looks like he may have been interrupted in preparing either to set up a campsite or to cover his car. Are there bears or other wildlife that could have attacked and carried Samantha away and he followed to try and save her? Is this area more wild than settled?

 

[Schmitz5100]

Appleton, where he is from, is in Outagamie County which is notorious for not providing information on their MP cases. I think Oconto is the lead agency here but that’s another county who doesn’t really do a lot of publicity because of the lack of a major media market. We saw this last week with that case in Dale with the mother and daughter - not a lot of information released to the public.

I’m still surprised I haven’t seen a grassroots effort on Facebook spreading the word. This is the first I’ve see of the case.

 

[Luckyzmom]

It seems there's a lot being kept close to the vest. Are you familiar with this area up there ? We could use some knowledge of that area !? TIA Thanks for stopping by

 

[Rosiebones]

I just spent the last hour looking at animal rescue groups in Oconto County, looking at all the pictures for a white German Shepherd and found several but they were all males. There were several others that looked like her but were called huskies not GSDs. It looks like he truly loved his dog, so I wonder why he would take her along and remove her collar if he was contemplating self harm. That doesn't make sense.

 

[Luckyzmom]

So many questions, the collar and gear out in the open ? No signs of a struggle , wish there was friends or family member willing to lend a hand. Very troublesome but is it a red flag ? Frustrating. Prayers for Nicholas and friend

 

[Schmitz5100]

It does seem like more people are posting again about this young man. I saw one post where they had a picture of a bear print. There must be some suspicion of a bear attack.

 

[Rosiebones]

Google Maps
There is a body of water on Shadow Lake Road. The location of his car indicates it might have been down closer to Highway 64 though.
I wonder if this was a common destination for him to go camping and if he had come here alone before and knew the area, otherwise it is a strange first time destination.

 

[Luckyzmom]

Read somewhere he was an avid hiker, was pretty chilly still in April this year wonder if he and Samantha enjoyed the solitude out there ?? Wouldn't be a lot of tourist traffic that early in spring one would think. Am sure it was beautiful !!

 

[Rosiebones]

Google Maps
Assuming that the ATV rider found his car and the gear and tarp outside the car somewhere along Shadow Lake Road and the lake, I see only one house and barn. Why would someone choose to pull off the side of the road there and start to pitch a camp site? There are no facilities, no water, nothing. I wish we knew in which direction from the campsite Samantha's collar was found.

And, also April 1st, the last time he was heard from (don't know where or to whom the contact was made) was a Monday. Didn't he work?

 

[PayrollNerd]

The radio silence from the family is baffling. On the Oconto County Sheriffs Facebook page post dated April 24th, his mother has identified herself. But there’s no updates or follow ups from her that I can find.

Log In or Sign Up to View

 

[Dre]

It does seem like more people are posting again about this young man. I saw one post where they had a picture of a bear print. There must be some suspicion of a bear attack.

I don’t think they’d both be killed by the bear and never found, especially since the collar was found clean and undamaged? Moo

 

[Rosiebones]

The radio silence from the family is baffling. On the Oconto County Sheriffs Facebook page post dated April 24th, his mother has identified herself. But there’s no updates or follow ups from her that I can find.

Log In or Sign Up to View

ITA No friends stepping forward with information or opinions either. But, he is an adult and can walk away from his life if he wants to. It just seems strange to me too that there is no anguish or for that matter even expressed, intense interest in finding him other than the five day search that is now over without results. Very peculiar to me.

 

[Luckyzmom]

There are missing pieces to this ... Wish we had input from those close to him
Not likely at this point. Thank you all for bringing your thoughts forward. Much appreciated. Prayers for Nicholas and Samantha

 

[Schmitz5100]

Probably right but thought the flyer was interesting that it was brought up.

I don’t think they’d both be killed by the bear and never found, especially since the collar was found clean and undamaged? Moo

 

[PayrollNerd]

I just realized from reading the searchers report, that the dog collar was found unclasped. That means it was intentionally removed, and re-clasped prior to being found. The dog did not get snagged on anything and it popped apart. It’s not going to slide off the dogs head unless it was extremely loose. In the photo the dogs collar looks appropriately fitted. Did Nicholas chose to release the dog so she would be found and taken in?

 

[Luckyzmom]

Excellent question, that would seem a desperate act if they were bonded !?IMHO

 

[Schmitz5100]

I just realized from reading the searchers report, that the dog collar was found unclasped. That means it was intentionally removed, and re-clasped prior to being found. The dog did not get snagged on anything and it popped apart. It’s not going to slide off the dogs head unless it was extremely loose. In the photo the dogs collar looks appropriately fitted. Did Nicholas chose to release the dog so she would be found and taken in?

It’s possible the dog slipped it’s collar, especially if it were really distressed or had lost weight from being outside for so long.

 

[Rosiebones]

It’s possible the dog slipped it’s collar, especially if it were really distressed or had lost weight from being outside for so long.

Sheriff: Visitors to Oconto Co. this weekend could help find missing Appleton man
The only thing is that if she slipped it, someone or something had to have hold of it and it would have been found still buckled and it was found unbuckled.

I have owned and loved German shepherds all my long life and I honestly cannot understand how he could have just released her in the wild to fend for herself, if in fact that is what happened. He had to have known she wouldn't leave him with or without her collar. She had a tag on the collar and/or a license. Why would he have not wanted that identification on her when she was found?