I'm not sure if dogs have been utilized or not although I agree that a tracking dog could have potentially picked-up on a direction of travel if put to task early enough.
According to the International travel data at travel.state.gov Spain has a moderate rate of crime. Appears that petty theft occurs frequently and GHB is sometimes an issue.
In studying a map of Madrid, I noticed that there are a few parks & one large area in-particular- "CASA de CAMPO" that are very close to where he was last seen (Puerta de Angel). There also appears to be a decent sized body of water there. Had he been intoxicated as reported by El Pais, it is possible that he could have wandered into such an area and could be lost.
In any event, reports state that the authorities in Spain were SLOW to respond. I would imagine that the State Dept. hasn't done much either. Would anyone happen to have a contact in Spain?
We need to find out what has been done for actual on-the-ground searches including K9's and what the experience of the K9's were. If they are the 'traditional' law enforcement (LE) tracking K9's and traditional search and rescue (SAR) K9's, then they would probably not be able to follow Austin's trail too far if in an urban (contaminated) setting, let alone do a vehicle trail (K9 able to follow Austin if he left in a vehicle).
Regarding Sharon's comment below, most K9's are not trained to work older or aged scents. Therefore the older this case gets, the more that you need to make sure that specialized trained scent specific trailing dogs would need to be brought in. They would need to be able to do aged, much contaminated trails, and do vehicle trails.
I agree. Using a specialized scent specific trailing dog would need to be brought in. Hopefully the authorities are a least doing something to find this young man. Our prayers are with him and his family.
They can't have a dog just come in that can possibly 'start' a trail and then not be able to continue with it because of the urban environment and possible vehicle trail.
I do not know any resources in Spain unfortunately, but I have just put a call into someone that might be able to lead me in the right direction should anyone (from the family, etc.), be interested. Please note that this caliber of work however, is not common.
Thank you Julie for making that call. Please keep us posted on the outcome. If we are going to be able to "brainstorm" this incident from afar, we will need as much information as possible. I haven't been able to ascertain the specifics of this incident but based on his size (6'5" and 240 pounds) I'm not so sure he would have been an easy "target" for abduction. Most of what I've read indicates he had some drinks but his friends state he was not intoxicated. Definitely something amiss here.......maybe his friends know more than they are saying? I believe that SAR in Spain operates at the direction of the government - hopefully, they are utilizing every qualified resource possible. Lets do whatever we can to help the family everyone.
Would someone be willing to do a little research this evening on updated news reports? Julie, did you have any success with your phone call? I would like to speak with his family if possible to see what we can assist them with. Does anyone have any suggestions based on what we know thus far? Thanks everyone for joining this group and for your help!!!
Haven't heard anything back. I did leave a messge of the info. that I wanted / needed. I'd like to see any articles that are written on the case even though we know that what the media relates and what is really going on / happening are two different things. But at least we'd have some idea of what (if anything) is happening with the search.
Published Monday, Mar. 07, 2011 A San Diego college student who has been missing in Spain for more than a week was raised in Granite Bay.
Austin Taylor Bice, 22, was studying international business at San Diego State University when he began a semester abroad in Madrid on Jan. 15.
Bice has not been seen since Feb. 26. His disappearance has been the subject of worldwide media attention.
His hometown is Carlsbad, where his parents, Larry and Pamela, still live.
"This has devastated my family more than I can express," Pamela Bice said in a phone interview with The Bee. "But we're going to get him back and we'll get back to normal."
Larry Bice arrived in Madrid on Thursday to help search for his son.
The family lived in Granite Bay, where Bice attended Greenhills Elementary School, until 1999. He was active in youth sports, including tennis and baseball.
He also appeared in Mervyn's department store ads as a boy.
He later attended Torrey Pines High School, where he played on the football team. He earned a football scholarship to San Diego State, and played on the college team his freshman year.
A friend, Maria Garcia, told the Associated Press that Bice and friends were drinking at an apartment before going to a Madrid nightclub the night he disappeared.
Media reports differ on what happened next.
Some say a doorman at the club suggested Bice rest before going inside because he looked ill. Other reports say Bice was refused admission because he was intoxicated.
In either case, Bice began walking the three miles back to the apartment he shared with his host family, and has not been seen since.
Pamela Bice said her son was not a drinker, and possibly fell and became disoriented. She said the Madrid police believe he may have been drugged.
"Something happened where he got hurt," she said. "We believe he is alive, thank God, and the police believe that, too. We believe he is just not thinking clearly. So we're trying to find him."
Bice speaks fluent Spanish. He was scheduled to return home in June, with one semester of college left to obtain his degree.
ABC News(MADRID) -- The family of missing college student Austin Bice is vowing to stay in Spain until the student, missing for more than a week in Madrid, is found.
"We just need to keep going and have all of those people look for him so we can get him home," Pam Bice, the mother of Austin Bice, said.
Larry Bice, the father of Austin Bice, has joined friends and Spanish investigators in the search effort, dotting Madrid with thousands of pictures of the college senior.
The family is even bringing in agents from Halo, a California company that specializes in search and rescue operations that often involve kidnappings. Authorities said, however, that there are no indications that Bice has been kidnapped. The Halo agents are expected to arrive in Spain Monday.
The 22-year-old student's cell phone signal is still active, but his voicemail is full and there's been no activity on his credit cards.
Austin Bice's closest friends say that they are sure there is something or someone preventing the college senior from contacting his family.
"This is completely out of character for him...and he always would let someone know where he's going, especially in a foreign country," Bice's friend Connor Fabiano said.
Bice, an international business major at San Diego State University, went to Madrid in mid-January to spend the semester studying there. He was last seen outside of a fast food restaurant on Feb. 26, a 20-minute walk from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid where he was studying.
Bice, a fluent Spanish speaker, posted on his blog that he planned to attend a concert the night he disappeared. Friends say that Bice left them outside of the nightclub that was hosting the concert to walk to his host family's home. Initial reports said that Bice was denied entrance into the club because he was too drunk. Friends and family have strongly denied that claim.
A family member last Saturday told CNN that contrary to earlier reports, Bice was not refused entry to the discotheque by doormen and was not drunk, although "he had a few beers." Instead, he just decided to go home.
Found this in a CNN report.
"We always told him, never be by yourself. Always be with somebody. And I think the problem was he got a little bit overconfident and decided that he wanted to go it alone, go back to the house by himself and that was the problem," said Juan Gabriel Paredes, a family member who came to Madrid from Wichita, Kansas, to help Bice's father in the search.
I concur with respect to the cell phone Mike. Given that HALO is being brought in, it is starting to sound more like they believe he was abducted and they probably know where he is being held.
My knowledge on Halo Corporation is limited but from what I've read they are an elite operation that specializes in the rescue of kidnapped victims. I am hopeful that they are succesful in bringing Austin home.
THANK YOU JULIE for the articles. I know you are super busy and appreciate the time you took to pull these!!!!! :-)
Mike has a client that is retired from the state department and is still heavily involved with the department. Mike e-mailed him and asked if he could contact a buddy in the state department who could help with some information. he said he is in India for 7 weeks assessing US Emabssy security. ( He said he would CHECK IT OUT) for me. Maybe he will be able to help! I will let you know when he gets back to him and what he was able to find out.
You're welcome Sharon. I am actually working on two after-action-reports from my last two cases. Should have had them done last week but I decided to bring back some sort of a 'Texas Flu Bug' with me. Today was the first day I have started to feel better and I had to report for JURY DUTY!
Regarding HALO, they may be geared towards rescuing people that they have an idea or are told where someone is --- I wonder what their resources are for trailing?
California College Student Missing in Madrid Posted: 3/7/2011
A college student from California has been missing in Madrid for ten days.
Police in Spain are continuing to investigate the disappearance of 22-year-old Austin Bice. His friends and family are searching the streets where he was last seen.
Bice left his 5 friends outside a Madrid nightclub on February 25th and vanished.
Witnesses say Bice was drunk and turned away from entering the club. But Bice's friends say he had only had a few beers and left to walk home along.
Bice's father led hundreds of volunteers this weekend in a search around the city, posting flyers with Bice's picture.
Bice had been in Madrid since January studying abroad. He is a business major from San Diego State.
Even though we know the fate of Austin, I wanted to take time off from working on my reports to take one more look to see if there was anything relevant that has been submitted for articles, etc. I really wasn't expecting to find anything 'different'. However, I was surprised to find the following article, located at: http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/117211/parents_of_austin_bic...
Parents of Austin Bice Deserve More Than a Body
Posted by Jeanne Sageron March 8, 2011 at 10:50 AM
Things just keep getting worse for the family of Austin Bice. The body of their son, missing in Spain since late last month, has been found. The San Diego State University student was pulled from the Manzanares River in Madrid.
Unfortunately, that's not the end of the Bice family nightmare. Because the police have no answers for them. They say there's no sign of foul play in Austin's death. And his blog postings showed a young man having fun, not a depressive who should be on suicide watch. Even reports that he was denied entrance to a club the night he disappeared because he was drunk seem shaky. Which leaves Larry and Pam Bice with ... what? A dead child and more questions than answers.
They don't know how a kid in Madrid to study at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid for the semester ended up disappearing. They don't know how more than a week later he was found in a river. And they don't know why their son was taken from them.
As a parent, that's what seems so cruel about this story. The loss of their son, their adorable (check out the pictures on his blog) 22-year-old son, is a tragic nightmare. But to not know how or why on top of it seems like a slap in the face. I would hate to think that my child met a tragic end painfully, but I can't help thinking I'd want to know! I'd want to have answers because, gosh darnit, being a mom means caring about every detail of a child's life. The pain might be unbearable, but I'd want to hear it all.
Gruesome? Maybe, but I think it comes of having brought my child into this world. Birth is imperfect and at times violent (think of the pushing, the straining), but it ends with an unbreakable seal between mother and child. As they grow, that child becomes their own person, but a mother (and a father) retains that sense of "I'd do anything for this person." And we go through life thinking that we will always be there for them, whatever happens. Period.
So I would want to know who to be angry at or gain some comfort from details like "it wasn't suicide" or "it was quick." They know now where their son is, but don't the Bices deserve closure too?
Of the seven more or less accepted stages of grief, most people start with shock and denial. Finding a body kicks that off, but the Bice family is being denied the anger and guilt phases, the chance to really work through their emotions with concrete information as they swim back to the surface, back to life, to a life without their son.
Put yourself in the Bices' shoes, would you want more answers? Even if they were horrific?
Sharon E. Avila
Mar 5, 2011
Michele Bodah
Mar 5, 2011
Sharon E. Avila
I'm not sure if dogs have been utilized or not although I agree that a tracking dog could have potentially picked-up on a direction of travel if put to task early enough.
According to the International travel data at travel.state.gov Spain has a moderate rate of crime. Appears that petty theft occurs frequently and GHB is sometimes an issue.
In studying a map of Madrid, I noticed that there are a few parks & one large area in-particular- "CASA de CAMPO" that are very close to where he was last seen (Puerta de Angel). There also appears to be a decent sized body of water there. Had he been intoxicated as reported by El Pais, it is possible that he could have wandered into such an area and could be lost.
In any event, reports state that the authorities in Spain were SLOW to respond. I would imagine that the State Dept. hasn't done much either. Would anyone happen to have a contact in Spain?
Mar 5, 2011
Julie R. Jones
We need to find out what has been done for actual on-the-ground searches including K9's and what the experience of the K9's were. If they are the 'traditional' law enforcement (LE) tracking K9's and traditional search and rescue (SAR) K9's, then they would probably not be able to follow Austin's trail too far if in an urban (contaminated) setting, let alone do a vehicle trail (K9 able to follow Austin if he left in a vehicle).
Mar 5, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Mar 5, 2011
Cynthia Caron
I posted him on my wall here too yesterday with a different photo:
http://missingamericans.ning.com/profiles/blogs/missing-austin-tayl...
Mar 5, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Mar 5, 2011
Michele Bodah
I agree. Using a specialized scent specific trailing dog would need to be brought in. Hopefully the authorities are a least doing something to find this young man. Our prayers are with him and his family.
Mar 5, 2011
Julie R. Jones
They can't have a dog just come in that can possibly 'start' a trail and then not be able to continue with it because of the urban environment and possible vehicle trail.
I do not know any resources in Spain unfortunately, but I have just put a call into someone that might be able to lead me in the right direction should anyone (from the family, etc.), be interested. Please note that this caliber of work however, is not common.
Mar 5, 2011
Sharon E. Avila
Thank you Julie for making that call. Please keep us posted on the outcome. If we are going to be able to "brainstorm" this incident from afar, we will need as much information as possible. I haven't been able to ascertain the specifics of this incident but based on his size (6'5" and 240 pounds) I'm not so sure he would have been an easy "target" for abduction. Most of what I've read indicates he had some drinks but his friends state he was not intoxicated. Definitely something amiss here.......maybe his friends know more than they are saying? I believe that SAR in Spain operates at the direction of the government - hopefully, they are utilizing every qualified resource possible. Lets do whatever we can to help the family everyone.
Mar 5, 2011
Sharon E. Avila
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Haven't heard anything back. I did leave a messge of the info. that I wanted / needed. I'd like to see any articles that are written on the case even though we know that what the media relates and what is really going on / happening are two different things. But at least we'd have some idea of what (if anything) is happening with the search.
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
mweiser@sacbee.com
Published Monday, Mar. 07, 2011
A San Diego college student who has been missing in Spain for more than a week was raised in Granite Bay.
Austin Taylor Bice, 22, was studying international business at San Diego State University when he began a semester abroad in Madrid on Jan. 15.
Bice has not been seen since Feb. 26. His disappearance has been the subject of worldwide media attention.
His hometown is Carlsbad, where his parents, Larry and Pamela, still live.
"This has devastated my family more than I can express," Pamela Bice said in a phone interview with The Bee. "But we're going to get him back and we'll get back to normal."
Larry Bice arrived in Madrid on Thursday to help search for his son.
The family lived in Granite Bay, where Bice attended Greenhills Elementary School, until 1999. He was active in youth sports, including tennis and baseball.
He also appeared in Mervyn's department store ads as a boy.
He later attended Torrey Pines High School, where he played on the football team. He earned a football scholarship to San Diego State, and played on the college team his freshman year.
A friend, Maria Garcia, told the Associated Press that Bice and friends were drinking at an apartment before going to a Madrid nightclub the night he disappeared.
Media reports differ on what happened next.
Some say a doorman at the club suggested Bice rest before going inside because he looked ill. Other reports say Bice was refused admission because he was intoxicated.
In either case, Bice began walking the three miles back to the apartment he shared with his host family, and has not been seen since.
Pamela Bice said her son was not a drinker, and possibly fell and became disoriented. She said the Madrid police believe he may have been drugged.
"Something happened where he got hurt," she said. "We believe he is alive, thank God, and the police believe that, too. We believe he is just not thinking clearly. So we're trying to find him."
Bice speaks fluent Spanish. He was scheduled to return home in June, with one semester of college left to obtain his degree.
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Search Intensifies for College Student Missing in Spain
http://www.670kboi.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=118&itemid=29641304
ABC News(MADRID) -- The family of missing college student Austin Bice is vowing to stay in Spain until the student, missing for more than a week in Madrid, is found.
"We just need to keep going and have all of those people look for him so we can get him home," Pam Bice, the mother of Austin Bice, said.
Larry Bice, the father of Austin Bice, has joined friends and Spanish investigators in the search effort, dotting Madrid with thousands of pictures of the college senior.
The family is even bringing in agents from Halo, a California company that specializes in search and rescue operations that often involve kidnappings. Authorities said, however, that there are no indications that Bice has been kidnapped. The Halo agents are expected to arrive in Spain Monday.
The 22-year-old student's cell phone signal is still active, but his voicemail is full and there's been no activity on his credit cards.
Austin Bice's closest friends say that they are sure there is something or someone preventing the college senior from contacting his family.
"This is completely out of character for him...and he always would let someone know where he's going, especially in a foreign country," Bice's friend Connor Fabiano said.
Bice, an international business major at San Diego State University, went to Madrid in mid-January to spend the semester studying there. He was last seen outside of a fast food restaurant on Feb. 26, a 20-minute walk from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid where he was studying.
Bice, a fluent Spanish speaker, posted on his blog that he planned to attend a concert the night he disappeared. Friends say that Bice left them outside of the nightclub that was hosting the concert to walk to his host family's home. Initial reports said that Bice was denied entrance into the club because he was too drunk. Friends and family have strongly denied that claim.
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Mar 7, 2011
Michael J Bodah
His cell phone is working. Certainly they have technology to locate the cell phone.
Mar 7, 2011
Michael J Bodah
A family member last Saturday told CNN that contrary to earlier reports, Bice was not refused entry to the discotheque by doormen and was not drunk, although "he had a few beers." Instead, he just decided to go home.
Found this in a CNN report.
"We always told him, never be by yourself. Always be with somebody. And I think the problem was he got a little bit overconfident and decided that he wanted to go it alone, go back to the house by himself and that was the problem," said Juan Gabriel Paredes, a family member who came to Madrid from Wichita, Kansas, to help Bice's father in the search.
Hence "drunk" and/or "drug" issue not issue.
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Mar 7, 2011
Sharon E. Avila
I concur with respect to the cell phone Mike. Given that HALO is being brought in, it is starting to sound more like they believe he was abducted and they probably know where he is being held.
My knowledge on Halo Corporation is limited but from what I've read they are an elite operation that specializes in the rescue of kidnapped victims. I am hopeful that they are succesful in bringing Austin home.
THANK YOU JULIE for the articles. I know you are super busy and appreciate the time you took to pull these!!!!! :-)
Mar 7, 2011
Michele Bodah
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
You're welcome Sharon. I am actually working on two after-action-reports from my last two cases. Should have had them done last week but I decided to bring back some sort of a 'Texas Flu Bug' with me. Today was the first day I have started to feel better and I had to report for JURY DUTY!
Regarding HALO, they may be geared towards rescuing people that they have an idea or are told where someone is --- I wonder what their resources are for trailing?
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Mar 7, 2011
Julie R. Jones
This link has a video on it: http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=283944&cID=1
Posted: 3/7/2011
Police in Spain are continuing to investigate the disappearance of 22-year-old Austin Bice. His friends and family are searching the streets where he was last seen.
Bice left his 5 friends outside a Madrid nightclub on February 25th and vanished.
Witnesses say Bice was drunk and turned away from entering the club. But Bice's friends say he had only had a few beers and left to walk home along.
Bice's father led hundreds of volunteers this weekend in a search around the city, posting flyers with Bice's picture.
Bice had been in Madrid since January studying abroad. He is a business major from San Diego State.
Mar 7, 2011
Brett C. Walker
Austin Bice's Body Found in Madrid River
Here is a link to cbs news on his body being found. Please everyone remember his family in your prayers.
Mar 8, 2011
Cynthia Caron
With sadness, Austin's earthly body was located.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/police-find-body-missing-college-student-a...
Mar 8, 2011
Julie R. Jones
A thank you to all who searched for Austin, and for those here who wanted to help in anyway they could. My sympathy and prayers for Austin's family.
Mar 8, 2011
Julie R. Jones
Even though we know the fate of Austin, I wanted to take time off from working on my reports to take one more look to see if there was anything relevant that has been submitted for articles, etc. I really wasn't expecting to find anything 'different'. However, I was surprised to find the following article, located at: http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/117211/parents_of_austin_bic...
Parents of Austin Bice Deserve More Than a Body
Unfortunately, that's not the end of the Bice family nightmare. Because the police have no answers for them. They say there's no sign of foul play in Austin's death. And his blog postings showed a young man having fun, not a depressive who should be on suicide watch. Even reports that he was denied entrance to a club the night he disappeared because he was drunk seem shaky. Which leaves Larry and Pam Bice with ... what? A dead child and more questions than answers.
They don't know how a kid in Madrid to study at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid for the semester ended up disappearing. They don't know how more than a week later he was found in a river. And they don't know why their son was taken from them.
As a parent, that's what seems so cruel about this story. The loss of their son, their adorable (check out the pictures on his blog) 22-year-old son, is a tragic nightmare. But to not know how or why on top of it seems like a slap in the face. I would hate to think that my child met a tragic end painfully, but I can't help thinking I'd want to know! I'd want to have answers because, gosh darnit, being a mom means caring about every detail of a child's life. The pain might be unbearable, but I'd want to hear it all.
Gruesome? Maybe, but I think it comes of having brought my child into this world. Birth is imperfect and at times violent (think of the pushing, the straining), but it ends with an unbreakable seal between mother and child. As they grow, that child becomes their own person, but a mother (and a father) retains that sense of "I'd do anything for this person." And we go through life thinking that we will always be there for them, whatever happens. Period.
So I would want to know who to be angry at or gain some comfort from details like "it wasn't suicide" or "it was quick." They know now where their son is, but don't the Bices deserve closure too?
Of the seven more or less accepted stages of grief, most people start with shock and denial. Finding a body kicks that off, but the Bice family is being denied the anger and guilt phases, the chance to really work through their emotions with concrete information as they swim back to the surface, back to life, to a life without their son.
Put yourself in the Bices' shoes, would you want more answers? Even if they were horrific?
Mar 8, 2011