CT- Annie Le, 24, Yale Student, Missing 9/8/09 #1

[eyes4crime]

The lab is surrounded by video and you need a key card to get in. There is lots of VERY expensive equipment in the labs and I'm sure it's well protected. Who else would have key cards...maybe janitors, campus police, lab assistants, faculty, medical students, research students, etc. The search for Annie started so late that she could be anywhere by now. The fire alarm could have been a call for help by Annie - or a distraction. No way of knowing right now.

When you have an ambitious and dedicated PHD student who is heavily involved in research in Pharmacology - doubt she would play games and tricks...just not in her nature! They better start looking in all the small places like vents, cans, etc. I would be shocked if this were voluntary on her part. Sure hope they find this beautiful and intelligent woman.

 

[SnowAngels]

Has anyone else "visited" her facebook page? I was on there much earlier today. I went again just a bit ago, and I swear someone is deleting all of the "hope you are okay" "thoughts and prayers are with you" - type messages. I noted a specific one from earlier, went back- it was gone.

Is this weird? Or is her fiancee or LE probably deleting them for some unknown reason? Kinda strange.

 

[dreamweaver]

Has anyone else "visited" her facebook page? I was on there much earlier today. I went again just a bit ago, and I swear someone is deleting all of the "hope you are okay" "thoughts and prayers are with you" - type messages. I noted a specific one from earlier, went back- it was gone.

Is this weird? Or is her fiancee or LE probably deleting them for some unknown reason? Kinda strange.

--------------------------

I tried to find her FB page, but I could not.
Maybe LE or fiance are preparing to close it.
Anyone take a snapshot of FB?

I notice in many missing persons cases, the FB or MySpace page is closed. Or set to private.

 

[lucky181]

I did a twitter seach for Annie's name and one tweet from Pat Brown, profiler, says that she will be on CBS Early Show, tomorrow, Fri. 9/11, to discuss the case around 7-7:30am.

 

[dreamweaver]

Though Yale administrators have said Le's fiance is "not a worry" to the investigation, I still checked out the couple's marriage web page.

I'm not too familiar with online marriage announcements but their page seemed pretty low-fi. No pictures, anything. It was pretty sparse and they were only registered at Macy's. That doesn't sound very romantic. That's like registering at Kohl's, isn't it?

So though the fiance may not be culpable, perhaps the austere nature of their wedding announcement reflects a less than fervent desire for the marriage. That could introduce the element of a runaway bride scenario with another lover, a la Anu Solanki, a young South Asian American girl who vanished in Illinois two years ago only to be found days later on the road with a previous boyfriend.

I know Le and her fiance have been together since their undergraduate days in Rochester (class of 2007), but the idea of willful absconding is far more appealing that duffel bags and fire alarm diversions. Unfortunately, both could be equally likely.

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

I checked their Macy's gift suggestion page.
I found it a normal wedding gift page.
Requests for nice dishes, silverware, etc.

I did not check their wedding announcement page.
But, simple sounds good.
This two seem like hard working professional people.
Some people like things low key.

I am hoping for the best outcome for Annie.

ot: Do you know this couple?
Your post reads like you do.

 

[Harmony 2]

This case is an enigma.

I am wondering since her wedding was just a few days away if someone obsessively jealous like an old boyfriend, stalker or secret admirer may have abducted her to prevent the wedding from taking place.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

FBI Joins Search

Is it a case of a runaway bride, or something more sinister? The FBI have joined state and local police in a search for a Yale graduate student who vanished from the New Haven campus on Tuesday, September 8th.

News Channel 8's Erin Cox says FBI agents with a K-9 team entered 10 Amistad Street Thursday afternoon. Then, authorities began sifting through a garbage dumpster in the back of the building. Annie Le, 24, was last seen on a surveillance video entering that building and has not been heard from since. Yale Police were also there earlier in the day handing out flyers with Le's picture in a quest for more information.

Snipped from: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/new_ha...n_yale_student_gone_missing_200909081621_rev1

 

[eyes4crime]

Sorry if this has already been posted - info on Yale - MRSP (Medical Research Scholars Program).

http://bbs.yale.edu/training/initiatives/mrsp.aspx

Although people seem to dismiss the possibility of classmates, med. students, and fellow competitive researchers as possible perps - I don't think that should be ruled out. Competition can be fierce between research students and medical students.

 

[Harmony 2]

Yale Searches For Missing Medical Student

Associated Press

7:29 a.m. EDT, September 10, 2009


NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Yale University Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding a Yale medical graduate student who disappeared on Tuesday.

Twenty-four-year-old Annie Le has not been seen nor heard from by family, co-workers and friends. She is described as Asian, with brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes, 4 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 90 pounds.

Le, beginning her third year as a doctoral student in pharmacology, was last seen at her laboratory at 10 Amistad St. She was wearing a knee-length brown skirt, a bright green short-sleeved t-shirt, brown shoes and a brown necklace.

Le's purse, containing her cell phone, credit cards and money, were left in her office.

http://www.courant.com/community/new-haven/hc-ap-ct-missingyalestudensep09,0,1467613.story

10 Amistad Street

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...0903,-72.932128&spn=0.00162,0.006845&t=h&z=18

 

[lucky181]

"She is to wed Huntington native Jonathan Widawsky, a Columbia University graduate student in physics, at the North Ritz Club in Syosset on Sunday morning, according to a neighbor who is invited to the ceremony.
“I heard she was a nice girl and very much in love with him , and he with her,” said Lucille Mayer, who lives next door to the Widawsky family on Bittersweet Place in Huntington.
No one answered the door at the Widawsky home Thursday night, and Jonathan Widawsky could not be reached for comment. Yale officials told the Yale Daily News Widawsky is in New Haven, cooperating with authorities investigating Le’s disappearance."

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/yale-student-disappears-before-long-island-wedding-1.1437860

 

[Morag]

... her fiance a 3 hour train ride away in New York. .[/QUOTE

There is frequent service on the New Haven line from the Columbia University area (Harlem 125th st station) to New Haven- it's about 1 and 1/2 hours. I don't know what the fiance was doing that day, but he could get to NH and back in a hurry. But what a lovely (and curvaceous) young woman she is...I certainly hope no slimeball got his hands on her.

ETA a link for some pix in the Courant. Sadly, there are photos of cops in Hazmat suits searching the Amistad St. dumpster. At least they are being thorough. Wonder why the FBI was called in so rapidly?

http://www.courant.com/community/ne...annie-le-0910-pictures,0,3881581.photogallery

 

[jamiect]

... her fiance a 3 hour train ride away in New York. .[/QUOTE

There is frequent service on the New Haven line from the Columbia University area (Harlem 125th st station) to New Haven- it's about 1 and 1/2 hours. I don't know what the fiance was doing that day, but he could get to NH and back in a hurry. But what a lovely (and curvaceous) young woman she is...I certainly hope no slimeball got his hands on her.

ETA a link for some pix in the Courant. Sadly, there are photos of cops in Hazmat suits searching the Amistad St. dumpster. At least they are being thorough. Wonder why the FBI was called in so rapidly?

http://www.courant.com/community/ne...annie-le-0910-pictures,0,3881581.photogallery

The Today Show did a brief segment on this case this morning and said the FBI was called in less than 48 hours. It was speculated that this was not a runaway bride case, but something more sinister. They also said the fiance was working with authorities.

 

[SuziQ]

I'm glad the FBI was called in so quickly, but it does seem quick. Usually that only happens with missing and murdered children.

 

[SuziQ]

Here is the link from the Today Show. I wonder if there was anything about her research that would call the FBI in so quickly?

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/32795579#32795579

 

[SuziQ]

Below is from the campus newspaper. It explains why LE might be having a problem identifying Annie on tape. An explanation for the alarm is also offered.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2009/09/11/search-continues-missing-student/

(snip)
While police said Le entered the facility wearing a lime green shirt, Highsmith said it is possible that she changed clothes or put on a white lab coat while in the building. If she did, investigators will have an even harder time identifying her in the footage.
A fire alarm that was sounded at 12:40 p.m. Tuesday is not thought to be related to her disappearance, Highsmith said. She added that a malfunctioning smoke detector caused the alarm and that investigators do not believe anyone tampered with the fire system.

Timeline:
http://www.yaledailynews.com/media/2009/09/11/le_timeline/

Medical School Campus Map:
http://www.yaledailynews.com/media/2009/09/11/map/

 

[SuziQ]

Ok, so before 10am she left everything at her office then went to the lab only taking her ID and the papers seen on the surveillance video. Her path takes her right by the Psychiatric Hosp.....just sayin.....

ETA: she would have passed the hosp on her return trip. Doesn't explain why she's not seed leaving her building though.

 

[momtective]

I'm just now reading about Annie. I'm wondering what her normal schedule was. It seems strange to me that the roommate notified LE early on, like before 9:00pm. Was it that unusual for Annie to be later than 9:00pm in getting home? I would think not.
I would think if I had a roommate and she wasn't home by 9:00pm, I would probably be thinking 1. She's working late. 2. She went out to dinner or for a drink. 3. She's probably doing wedding stuff.
I don't think at 9:00pm I would be thinking she was a missing person.
I hope LE is looking at the roommate. Could be a case of extreme jealousy.

 

[SuziQ]

I'm just now reading about Annie. I'm wondering what her normal schedule was. It seems strange to me that the roommate notified LE early on, like before 9:00pm. Was it that unusual for Annie to be later than 9:00pm in getting home? I would think not.
I would think if I had a roommate and she wasn't home by 9:00pm, I would probably be thinking 1. She's working late. 2. She went out to dinner or for a drink. 3. She's probably doing wedding stuff.
I don't think at 9:00pm I would be thinking she was a missing person.
I hope LE is looking at the roommate. Could be a case of extreme jealousy.

All very true. I might be suspicious the next day or something. In living situations like that, you might not see your roomate for days. It could be that Annie and the roomate had something important planned that night and Annie didn't show. 9pm still seems awfully early and quick.

 

[momtective]

The FBI has now left Le's home, and agents could be seen removing a bag of belongings. It was not clear what exactly they took.
Updated 1:50 p.m. | Six more FBI agents just entered Le's apartment.
Four FBI agents entered Annie Le's MED '13 apartment at 188 Lawrence St. at about 1 p.m. this afternoon

Maybe the belonging removed from the apartment belong to the roommate.

 

[Harmony 2]

Below is from the campus newspaper. It explains why LE might be having a problem identifying Annie on tape. An explanation for the alarm is also offered.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2009/09/11/search-continues-missing-student/

(snip)
While police said Le entered the facility wearing a lime green shirt, Highsmith said it is possible that she changed clothes or put on a white lab coat while in the building. If she did, investigators will have an even harder time identifying her in the footage.
A fire alarm that was sounded at 12:40 p.m. Tuesday is not thought to be related to her disappearance, Highsmith said. She added that a malfunctioning smoke detector caused the alarm and that investigators do not believe anyone tampered with the fire system.

Timeline:
http://www.yaledailynews.com/media/2009/09/11/le_timeline/

Medical School Campus Map:
http://www.yaledailynews.com/media/2009/09/11/map/

Quoting from the first article:

Lorimer said officials continue to examine every frame of security tape footage from the Amistad Street building but have not yet found any evidence that Le left that facility after she entered at about 10 a.m. Tuesday. Cameras cover every exit of the building, Highsmith said.

So anyone entering and exiting the building would be captured on the surveillance cameras. If there is an abductor they would be on there as well.