I second this! It would also be a good candidate for Cold Justice. I am not an expert on this case by any means, having read through only a couple times, but I think it is solvable. Like you said @Sasquatch321 someone needs to just embrace it and dig deep. I don't live in MN anymore or I would probably get into some trouble with it. I think all it takes is for one student or green reporter to take a keen interest.
One thing that still haunts me is the phone call Josh's late grandpa received in which an anonymous caller asked him how much money it would take for him to stop looking into Josh's case.
The most important thingsin a disappearance is the actions and words of that person leading up to that disappearance. Therefore Josh's roommate and people who attended the party that night are the most important witnesses in this case. The public has had no knowledge or transcripts from this part of the investigation. It's time to open this case up for people that want it solved.
I’m from Minnesota, this case has always bothered me, unfortunately In Minnesota for a very long time when a collage guy goes missing after a party or get together the police always used the go to “he drowned on his way home” Or “he got lost on way home and fell in the river” for many years rumors were that he was intoxicated and fell in the river on the way home. In the early 2000’s is when there were quite a few men who went missing after parties and only a few were actually found in the river. Either way I feel there is more to Joshua’s case, over 300 files on his computer were deleted after his disappearance, I wonder what those were?
Unfortunately this case is no longer being worked on by LE or even privately, so good luck with an answer.
I visit St. John's campus every year for recruiting events for my company. I was IMing with one of my new college recruits today who attended St. John's and we ended up bouncing ideas off one another of what could have happened to Josh. I have a particular interest in this case; I am originally from the PNW but he was the same age as me at the time he disappeared. I also went to a private, small secular college and I can't imagine (even as a woman) feeling unsafe walking back to my dorm. I have mildly researched this case but upon first review it seems that drowning is definitely not a reasonable explanation. According to my colleague who just graduated from that university, the common theory among students is that he was taken when he was crossing the Stumpf Lake footpath on the bridge. Looking at Google Earth, it would be nearly impossible to fall into the water with the height of the ledge. Also they dragged the lake extensively and had 118 National Guard troops searching the surrounding areas. Does anyone know when exactly he was last seen, other than at Metton Court? I find the abbey/sexual abuse angle to be highly unlikely, as whomever was responsible would have had to wait outside at night in the winter in Minnesota for the victim to come along. And being a Minnesotan now, I can tell you that you would have to be HIGHLY motivated to wait outside for than five minutes. Also, being the same age as Josh, I would doubt that in 2002 a 20 yr-old student at a small private religious college would garner much attention for his essay criticizing the church and the abbey, at least not enough to make himself a target. I believe that Josh was either taken from the bridge over Stumpf Lake on his way home by someone he knew (maybe under the pretense of getting a ride home, as he did not have his glasses or a jacket), a random stranger who saw an opportunity, or he was the victim of a hit and run and someone panicked. His friends say that he wasn't inebriated, but I'm not sure how accurate that is, as we all behave uniquely under the influence. If it was a stranger abduction, it seems highly risky for someone to attempt to take a 6 ft tall 20 yr-old adult male against his will, and for what purpose? He didn't have his wallet, and I'm unclear if he even had a phone (I didn't have a phone in 2002). The likelihood of getting this in front of a Payne Lindsay or a Billy Jensen or any other podcast is slim to none. Unfortunately a college-age white male who may or may not have been drinking and has had his fate ruled as drowning by law enforcement doesn't have the same appeal as a missing, white and pretty beauty queen or a small child playing in their front yard. News articles mention that there were nine people at the card game but police only interviewed eight. What happened to the ninth attendee? What major events were happening in St. Joe or Anoka that may have attracted strangers? What would bring someone down that route at that time of night if they WEREN'T a student? I am anxious (and fairly determined) to do as much as I can on this case (which may end up to be not a lot based on lack of evidence) but I would greatly welcome some healthy discourse in an effort to find some answers. I feel strangely attached to this case and I believe that "citizen detectives" can accomplish a lot now, especially with social media and being locked down during a pandemic. Again, I am just getting into this case, so any corrections or suggestions are most welcome.
For the record, I completely agree with your perspective on this case and believe that people are becoming far too focused on the abbey angle. Perpetrators usually have an M.O. and Josh does not fit the profile for the alleged victims of the monks. Also, perhaps those that DON'T live in Minnesota are not familiar with how completely ludicrous it would be for someone to be lurking in the shadows after midnight in November, or going for a run through the same area. I have just joined this group (see my first post on page 23) but I do think this case can be solved even with the lack of evidence. And even if it's not, LE has stopped investigating so what is there to lose? Someone knows something; people talk and guilt festers, with the right questions and dialogue, we could figure this out.
Curious why you would link sexual molestation and homosexuality? As I'm new to the group, I'll remember in the future to ignore any contributions you make as completely uninformed and unfounded, and completely driven by personal bias and prejudiced tunnel vision.
I thought the family had hired private investigators or is that not accurate? I could have been reading an older article.
I have compiled some research on this case and would be most appreciative if one of you could take a look and let me know your thoughts. I have contacted a former classmate of Joshua's via LinkedIn and she is willing to talk to me regarding this case. I'm not sure where that will lead but it's a start. I also contacted the Guimond family via their FindJoshua.com website to ensure that they were okay with me speaking to acquaintances of Joshua's, and I sent their attorney as of 2019 a similar message to get his feedback as well. If anyone has any information that I need to know prior to proceeding with additional research please respond; I also welcome corrections to any of the data I have compiled.
Because there hasn't been a significant advancement in this case since the night Josh went missing, I hold onto the speculation that Josh is beneath water. Its possible he went towards the water to quickly relieve himself or even collect himself from being intoxicated and passed out or fell. Once he's in the water it is very much harder to find him. Its great luck whenever a body is recovered from water. And there is other investigating to do especially with his roomate and friends.
I can respond to a few points in your research that is already public knowledge: -A witness has reported that a person matching Joshua's description was walking the footpaths in back of Metten Court. This is also the route that the group traveled to the party. -The footpaths were there in 2002, but it was much darker. Since Joshua's disappearance, SJU has added much more light posts and other security measures in that specific area. -I think the significance of the runner is that they might have witnessed something without realizing it, not that the runner is a suspect themselves. -Friends estimated that Josh had about 10 beers in him over a course of 5 hours by the time he left. Repeated account echoed that he was not inebriated at the time. -Last sighting of a matching description of Joshua was behind Metten court. He was wearing a gray hoodie, jeans and wristwatch. -SCSO has talked so everyone at the party, but it took several months for them to finally come around and question them. -Stumpf lake was never drained. Fully or partially. Hope this helps!
This is extremely helpful, thank you! I kind of wondered why someone would take the Fruit Farm Rd. route when the footpaths are so much faster. So the lake's water level was never lowered? That was something that was listed on the FindJoshua.com website as being something SCSO did prior to dragging, I believe. I'm still confused why the DNR and SCSO wouldn't make every effort possible to find a body in the lake when the most likely explanation was drowning. I'm sure if he were a child they would have done it, but who knows. The tree line by the lake near the footpaths looks pretty thick, even if the foliage would have been reduced in November. Something I want to ask his classmates is how easy it would be to fall in the water at that point, even if completely intoxicated.
I agree with other investigating needing to be done into his roommate and his friends; as to the lake theory, I do agree it's the most likely scenario but I have reached out to a professor of forensics at St. Cloud State to see what he thinks about a body sinking in the lake in November in Minnesota. I'll admit I'm not familiar enough with the scientific aspects of body recovery in lakes, but I do think it would be valuable to get an expert's opinion.
One other point I just thought of; the day after his disappearance was a Sunday, and at a Catholic university students would be walking those footpaths and the bridge on St. John's Road to get to the chapel for services. I'm wondering what circumstances would have to be present that would make his body invisible to passersby. I have posed this question as well to the forensic professor at SCS (entirely unsure if I'll get a response). I understand that others in this forum have offered scientific explanations for a body sinking, but I'd like more information on this lake specifically, and particularly at that time of year.
You would be surprised how few students would actually attend service, even at a Catholic university. It was not required by students to attend.
"Friends estimated that Josh had about 10 beers in him over a course of 5 hours by the time he left. Repeated account echoed that he was not inebriated at the time." That is a serious issue when you're alone and walking without appropriate clothing for the weather. In fact under that kind of intoxication he could have been walking aimlessly and this is why we haven't found him.
So do you think there's any possibility he may NOT be in the water but out in the more heavily wooded area? From the searches you would think they would have found him if he was on land somewhere around campus. Obviously the most likely scenario is that he's in the water but for my own peace of mind I'd like to find out more about how exactly a body disappears in the water and remains hidden, despite searches and divers, etc. I also need to visit Stumpf Lake b/c I honestly have no idea what that habitat looks like.
