Found Deceased PA - Paul Kochu, 22, Allegheny County, 17 Dec 2014 - #2

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http://www.wtae.com/news/pittsburgh-police-looking-for-missing-south-side-man/30301444

Ben Monito, Kochu’s roommate, said they were watching Monday Night Football at Smokin' Joe's on East Carson Street. Monito said his roommate was intoxicated and went home around midnight.

"He called us a little bit after saying that he was cut, he cut himself on broken glass or something, so we came home, helped clean that up and got the bleeding to stop,” Monito said. "At the time, he was really emotional."

Monito said Kochu seemed fine by the time his friends left the house on Wharton Street. "They were going to go out and get something to eat, and Paul didn't want to go, and when they came back, he was gone," said Kochu's mother, Ellen. His keys, wallet and cellphone are gone, but his car is still there.

Paul's FB: https://www.facebook.com/pauly.k.09?fref=ts
Verified Insider: halaiphone

Thread #1
 
$ 5,000 Reward : Registered Nurse : W/M/22 : 6' : 180 Lbs : Blue* Eyes : Brown Hair

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, is in South-Western, PA.

Day 4*

Fri., Dec. 19th: http://www.wtae.com/news/pittsburgh-police-looking-for-missing-south-side-man/30301444#comments :

Includes Roommate Ben Interview Video:

[ Awaiting More Details of Location / Direction / Extent of Broken Glass Laceration(s). ]

Area Last Seen: http://www.bing.com/maps/#Y3A9NDAuM...wUGVubnN5bHZhbmlhJTJDJTIwVW5pdGVkJTIwU3RhdGVz :

Zoom :: Bird's Eye View :: Rotate All 4 Directions :: Pan Tilt Zoom

Thu., Dec. 18th: http://www.wpxi.com/news/news/local/police-missing-22-year-old-last-seen-south-side/njWYJ/ :

Includes Search Video: (01:50) Trailing Dog Observed at nearby Monongahela River

Also Includes Video of Parents' Interview

Fri., Dec. 19th: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/12/19/search-continues-for-missing-south-side-man/ :

Includes Roommate Alex Interview Video:

(00:50) Alex demonstrates minor Laceration Area using his Left Palm / Wrist

Fri., Dec. 19th: WPXI FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/wpxi/posts/10152473654116615

Fri., Dec. 19th: Family FB: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.kochu?fref=ufi :

Community Search Scheduled for 10 A.M. Saturday, 12/20

Area Weather: http://www.weather.com/weather/today/l/USPA1290:1:US

Pittsburgh Police Bureau Missing Persons Office -- (412) 323-7141

*Corrections via Family FB

[ Awaiting Law Enforcement’s Inclusion with PA’s 254 at U.S. Dept. Of Justice
NamUs, National Missing & Unidentified Persons System:
https://www.findthemissing.org/en ]

A$ Alway$: PA Crime$topper$ -- 1-800-4PA-TIPS - https://www.crimewatchpa.com/crimestoppers/


Our Thanks to Paul's On-Line, as well as His 2 & 4 Legged Live Searchers.


Brought over from Thread #1
 
It is hard to believe that Paul has been gone this long and we are now only starting the second thread.
:tantrum:
 
It is hard to believe that Paul has been gone this long and we are now only starting the second thread.
:tantrum:
I just discovered there's a thread.

Being from Pittsburgh, I decided to search the forum to see if anyone was sleuthing it.

Does anyone have advice on what local websleuthers can do to help at this point?

February 1th was the family's last plea for help finding him.

http://www.wtae.com/news/family-of-missing-southside-man-release-thankful-statement/31274164

I'm a bit suspicious about the following in the above article:

"He called us a little bit after saying that he was cut, he cut himself on broken glass or something, so we came home, helped clean that up and got the bleeding to stop,” Monito said. "At the time, he was really emotional."

Monito said Paul Kochu seemed fine by the time his friends left the house on Wharton Street around 2 a.m. on Dec. 16.
I do not recall the local news reporting that in the early days. All that was said was they were all out drinking, came home (as if they came home together), his roommates went back out, and that's the last they saw him.

This broken glass story sounds like a way to explain evidence of blood that may have been found in the home.

Did that make anyone else suspicious?

I do not recall the local TV news reporting that in the early days. All that was said was they were all out drinking, came home (as if they came home together), his roommates went back out, and that's the last they saw him.

This broken glass story sounds like a way to explain evidence of blood that may have been found in the home.

Since he was a nurse, he wouldn't need to call his friends to help him clean and dress a wound.

I see in the first thread I'm not the only one who thinks that's suspicious.
 
http://www.wtae.com/news/family-of-missing-southside-man-release-thankful-statement/31274164

I'm a bit suspicious about the following in the above article:

I do not recall the local TV news reporting that in the early days. All that was said was they were all out drinking, came home (as if they came home together), his roommates went back out, and that's the last they saw him.

This broken glass story sounds like a way to explain evidence of blood that may have been found in the home.
The broken glass and cut was in the news as early as 12/19. Here's the WTAE video with Ben Monito.
http://www.wtae.com/news/parents-try-to-find-missing-south-side-man/30310506
 
The broken glass and cut was in the news as early as 12/19. Here's the WTAE video with Ben Monito.
http://www.wtae.com/news/parents-try-to-find-missing-south-side-man/30310506
So? I shared I didn't hear about the broken glass when the story broke. He disappeared on the 17th. That's the 19th. I'm not a big television news watcher. When I do, I watch channel 11. I left for Vermont shortly after that and was out of the city for a few weeks.

When I first heard about it, I recall thinking he was a victim of random violence. South Side isn't the safest for walking alone after the bars close. When his body wasn't found, I doubted it was random. Random violence doesn't go through a whole lot of trouble disposing of bodies. If they do, they don't do a good job of it IMO.

Anyway, I decided to look for a thread to see if I could help since I live 10 minutes away from where he disappeared. I'm starting to read the previous thread with a fresh eye since I don't know much about this case except that he disappeared under the circumstances I shared, and his family had repeated searches.

In reading the first thread, it seems people are confused over the sequence of events.

His father said he didn't go out with his friends to get food due to a disagreement earlier.

Look at the sequence according to his friends:

PK and friends went to the bar.
PK left by himself and went home.
PK cut his hand on "glass or something."
PK called his friends about cutting himself.
Friends returned home to helped him clean his wound, etc.. PK is upset.
Friends left to get food. PK stayed home. That's the last they saw him.
According to his father he stayed home because of a disagreement earlier.

Earlier when? Since he left the bar alone earlier, it seems that's when the disagreement occurred. And why would a nurse need to call someone to come clean his wounds?

The following is my theory:

PK and friends went to the bar.
PK has disagreement with friends, leaves bar and goes home.
PK calls friends angry over disagreement.
Friends return home due to disagreement.
PK is upset and they get into a physical fight.
PK ends up dead, Probably accidently.
They clean up blood, toss his body into the river.
Go McDonalds.

I'm wondering if LE checked security cameras for the movements of his friends through South Side that night. I wonder if LE went to the bar and tried to talk to everyone who would have been there that night to try to determine what the cause of the disagreement was.
 
Been thinking a lot about this case. Wonder if by emotional they could mean he was really pissed off. When some people drink, their temper is accentuated. could his friends have really been "riding" him that nite about something and he had had enuf and went home and threw a glass and cut himself. I find it hard to believe tho that a nurse would call his friends to help him. It would make more sense if they said we felt bad and went home to calm him down.

I'm sure by now they have the home records and proof whether or not a call was made. Of course what was said remains a mystery. We know Paul left on his own accord from the video so the likelihood of the friends being involved is diminished if you ask me. I just don't understand if they were truthful and told everything, why it would appear that they family does not believe their story.

While we know there are creeps around at all times of the day or night, I am still leaning towards an accidental drowning due to alcohol.

I do think possibly there is
 
So? I shared I didn't hear about the broken glass when the story broke. He disappeared on the 16th. That's the 19th. I'm not a big television news watcher. When I do, I watch channel 11. I left for Vermont shortly after that and was out of the city for a few weeks.

When I first heard about it, I recall thinking he was a victim of random violence. South Side isn't the safest for walking alone after the bars close. When his body wasn't found, I doubted it was random. Random violence doesn't go through a whole lot of trouble disposing of bodies. If they do, they don't do a good job of it IMO.

Anyway, I decided to look for a thread to see if I could help since I live 10 minutes away from where he disappeared. I'm starting to read the previous thread with a fresh eye since I don't know much about this case except that he disappeared under the circumstances I shared, and his family had repeated searches.

In reading the first thread, it seems people are confused over the sequence of events.

His father said he didn't go out with his friends to get food due to a disagreement earlier.

Look at the sequence according to his friends:

PK and friends went to the bar.
PK left by himself and went home.
PK cut his hand on "glass or something."
PK called his friends about cutting himself.
Friends returned home, helped him clean his wound, etc..
Friends left to get food. PK stayed home. That's the last they saw him.
According to his father he stayed home because of a disagreement earlier.

Earlier when? Since he left the bar alone earlier, it seems that's when the disagreement occured

The following is my theory:

PK and friends went to the bar.
PK has disagreement with friends, leaves bar and goes home.
PK calls friends angry over disagreement.
Friends return home due to disagreement.
They get into a fight, PK ends up dead Probably accidently.
They clean up blood, toss his body into the river.
Go McDonalds.

I'm wondering if LE checked security cameras for the movements of his friends through South Side that night. I wonder if LE went to the bar and tried to talk to everyone who would have been there that night to try to determine what the cause of the disagreement was.

Except Paul was seen on video walking alone, much later.
 
MM- I read on thread 1 about the cut. And they do have surveillance video of PR walking down the street after the friends left to go to McD's. It's all been discussed from the beginning. Go back and read thread 1.
 
Thank you, Miss Muffet for bringing your fresh eyes on over.
 
Fresh eyes are always good! When I join a thread already in progress, I go back and read everything, take notes on my thoughts and questions, etc.. then join in when I am all caught up.

I also believe there could have been a fight that caused Paul's cut. I said earlier it potentially sounded like a defensive wound.
 
Passionflower mentioned the rivers are thawing at the end of the previous thread.

Since the Mon wasn't frozen at the time of his disappearance, his body could be anywhere along the Ohio or Mississippi if he wasn't weighted down. Even if it's not already downstream, it may be soon since the ice thawing causes fast moving flood water with ice moving very fast on top.

We're already getting reports of flooding, and this is just the beginning of the winter thaw and spring rains. The ice jams up river are massive. I saw them last week. The warm weather this week is ideal for causing serious flood conditions.

When those ice jams break, they move through the area at a very high speed. It would be difficult to see a body floating with the ice. But the flooding could ultimately deposit a body on land downstream when flood water retreats leaving broken ice and debris behind.

I don't think a search in the immediate river will be fruitful, but it's still worthwhile since searchers might have missed something onshore.
 
While we know there are creeps around at all times of the day or night, I am still leaning towards an accidental drowning due to alcohol.
If he simply fell into the river or purposely jumped into the river, his body would have been found already, IMO. They float along and are found downstream within days and weeks when these things happen. Not always. Sometimes and old one is found, but that's very rare. The ice could play a part in his not being found, but I'll bet he's significantly downstream already the Ohio River if he his in the water. Southside is at the very end of the Mon right before it dumps into the Ohio.
 
Except Paul was seen on video walking alone, much later.

And they do have surveillance video of PR walking down the street after the friends left to go to McD's.
That's via basing events on his friend's statements of events. Perhaps the altercation that caused the blood happened after McDonalds and after he was seen on the video. It's possible.
 
If he simply fell into the river or purposely jumped into the river, his body would have been found already, IMO. They float along and are found downstream within days and weeks when these things happen. Not always. Sometimes and old one is found, but that's very rare. The ice could play a part in his not being found, but I'll bet he's significantly downstream already the Ohio River if he his in the water. Southside is at the very end of the Mon right before it dumps into the Ohio.

A while back I tried looking into just how long it takes for the 'burgh's rivers to give up these lost souls. There's so many variables...locks and dams, river traffic, debris, etc. In the end there just wasn't any rhyme or reason to it.

A few examples (and they all went missing during Winter):

Joseph Harris, last seen 11/11/08. If memory serves he went into the Ohio at Brighton Heights. Found 2/13/09 at the New Cumberland locks. 3 months to go up to Monaca, take the left turn in the river and then all the way down to the locks at WV.

Michale Andres, last seen 12/30/10 in Beaver County, found in the Ohio River in Industry on 3/8/11, six miles from where he was last seen.

Molly Keats, missing 2/7/11 from Sandycreek. Found in the Allegheny 4/11/11 in Rockland Twp. As the river flows, a couple of miles away, if that.

Devin Minor, missing 1/20/11 from Beaver Falls. Found in the Beaver River near New Brighton on 5/5/11. Couple of miles away.

IF Paul went into the Mon, IMO, there's a very good chance he could still be relatively close to where he was last seen.
 
A while back I tried looking into just how long it takes for the 'burgh's rivers to give up these lost souls. There's so many variables...locks and dams, river traffic, debris, etc. In the end there just wasn't any rhyme or reason to it.

A few examples (and they all went missing during Winter):

Joseph Harris, last seen 11/11/08. If memory serves he went into the Ohio at Brighton Heights. Found 2/13/09 at the New Cumberland locks. 3 months to go up to Monaca, take the left turn in the river and then all the way down to the locks at WV.

Michale Andres, last seen 12/30/10 in Beaver County, found in the Ohio River in Industry on 3/8/11, six miles from where he was last seen.

Molly Keats, missing 2/7/11 from Sandycreek. Found in the Allegheny 4/11/11 in Rockland Twp. As the river flows, a couple of miles away, if that.

Devin Minor, missing 1/20/11 from Beaver Falls. Found in the Beaver River near New Brighton on 5/5/11. Couple of miles away.

IF Paul went into the Mon, IMO, there's a very good chance he could still be relatively close to where he was last seen.
There is a rhyme and reason. Scroll down to "Body of Water" on this FBI webpage:

http://www2.fbi.gov/publications/leb/2006/feb2006/feb2006leb.htm

If the victim drowns, the body will sink until variables such as water depth, water temperature at the bottom of the river, food eaten prior to dying, etc., eventually bring bodies to the surface. If a victim dies of other causes and the lungs aren't filled with water, the body wont sink, unless it's weighted. That type of body will float right away shortly after entering the river, if it's not weighted down of course.

Now check out what it says about rivers and currents for movement, and you'll see our upcoming spring thaw will significantly move a body. Rivers will be at flood stages with fast moving water. There will be tons of ice moving along. There may even be trees and debris if the river floods the banks upstream. Those things help dislodge bodies and move them along.

Rivers differ from other bodies of water in two ways— they are shallow and have currents. Depths of less than 10 feet do not have a high level of compression on the internal air spaces of drowning victims.

In extremely heavy currents, such as in flash-flood situations, the victim’s body probably will roll on the bottom for a considerable distance—trees or other debris also may carry along the corpse. During normal conditions in most rivers, this is not the case, and investigators usually will find victims on the bottom relatively close to the drowning site. However, after the body floats to the surface, it may drift due to the current before washing ashore or coming to rest in a back eddy.
Let's look at your examples. You stated they were all in the winter, as if that's similar. However, water temperatures at the bottom of the rivers will be warmer in November and December than January and February. Shallower rivers won't have the pressure of deeper rivers. And each winter is different. Some are more harsh and others are more mild. In that regard, it's noteworthy the two bodies in 2011 were both found approximately two miles away.

John Harris was lost and found in the Ohio River 59 miles downstream after 3 months. (PK has been missing for almost 3 months.) 59 miles is very far away when considering search areas.

Michale Andres. We don't know which river he started out in. He may have started in the Beaver River.

Molly Keats was lost and found in the Allegheny River farther north in the state where the river is much more shallow than it is down near Pittsburgh. Air temperatures are significantly colder in the area where she disappeared; as a result, water temperatures would be too.

Devin Minor was lost and found in the Beaver River. It's a much more shallow river.

Harris and Adreas are really the only ones comparable, and they're vastly different at 59 miles and 6 miles (really 7.4). That's like 50/50 (and I don't believe Adreas is truly comparable since he may have been in the Beaver River). How is that a good chance? It's looks more like an even chance.

I really think they would have found him if he was in the river near South Side when they were searching early on. They usually find people in the river when they do searches.

My BIL is a River Rescue paramedic and a search and rescue diver. The majority of bodies pulled from Pittsburgh rivers were only in the water for a few days to a few weeks. When they're found early on, they are often very nearby---like feet and yards away. These are much more common than ones that are there for months.

I'm compiling a list of bodies found in the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers. The Post Gazette is slowing me down by requirement a subscription (I hate the PG), but so far I have 21 that and the majority were found within a few days very close to where they went missing---one was 20 feet away. When I'm done with my list, I'll post it. But it's becoming clear to me that the longer they're in the water, the farther they travel.

Their not finding him nearby when they searched could be due to his not drowning, not being weighted down, and floating further away; or it could be due to the visibility in the Mon is the worst of the three rivers, and it's filled with a bunch of old cars and stuff that makes searching difficult.

I'm not saying PK isn't in the water somewhere. I'm just saying they need to widen the search this spring since it will be over three months by the time they can search again. In 6 more days, it will be three months since he went missing, and the river isn't going to be cleared of ice for a search by then.

Based on everything we've found, I was definitely wrong about the Mississippi, but I think he's most likely in the Ohio now.
 
The river theory is good but the question of how he would get in there is more muddled. As I noted it's doubtful he made it to the 10th street bridge without coming up on a security camera en-route. The only other access that doesn't require significant effort to climb a fence and/or retaining wall is south 18th street that goes to a bike trail & park. While this is close to where Paul was last seen, I don't know why anyone would go down that way at that time of night, especially someone that lived in the area & was thus familiar with things.

Regarding foul play, if it was random street violence (which is fairly rare in that area), I can't think that someone would (and I could be wrong here) go to the effort required to dispose of a body in any significant way if things turned that way.

So basically the river scenario makes sense as far as having found nothing yet but less so when factoring in the available access to said river.
 
The river theory is good but the question of how he would get in there is more muddled. As I noted it's doubtful he made it to the 10th street bridge without coming up on a security camera en-route. The only other access that doesn't require significant effort to climb a fence and/or retaining wall is south 18th street that goes to a bike trail & park. While this is close to where Paul was last seen, I don't know why anyone would go down that way at that time of night, especially someone that lived in the area & was thus familiar with things.

Regarding foul play, if it was random street violence (which is fairly rare in that area), I can't think that someone would (and I could be wrong here) go to the effort required to dispose of a body in any significant way if things turned that way.

So basically the river scenario makes sense as far as having found nothing yet but less so when factoring in the available access to said river.
Hi Zepplin. I was going to bring your quote from thread#1 over here, because I believe your thinking is spot on. I try to think logically, although I realize that not all crimes and suicide end up making sense.

To reiterite my thinking, when Paul left his residence, I believe he was either going to a hospital or going to commit suicide. I can think of no other reason he would leave that makes sense. For those that believe that he is in the water, would you share your theory as to how he got there? I mean..did he just wade in from the bike trail? If you think he accidentally fell in the water, explain how? A couple cases I've followed here in the past had people claiming that the missing was in the water, but could never come up with a reasonable theory of how they got there.

All the details leading up to Paul leavining his residence are of interest, but I don't think they help shed any light on where he was headed and where he ended up. After reading about that Naib little boy they just found deceased, they had a couple hundred people, FBI, airplanes, etc. looking for him and it still took them almost 4 days. The street searches that were done looking for Paul were done by family and volunteers. They could have missed him, and I think we will find out they did.

Hey, did you guys notice that the 'posts to wall' on Paul's FB are gone?
 

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