Found Safe: Matthew Wilson - TX - 12/16/07

[Denise]

http://the.ricethresher.org/opinion/2008/01/11/rice_pr_wilson

Rice PR made the right choice in Wilson drama

By The Rice Thresher Editorial Staff | Thresher Editorial Staff

Over the last month, the Rice University name has been tossed around the national media circuit, from local news affiliates to the Associated Press to the New York Times, all in an attempt to find Hanszen College junior Matthew Wilson.

It was a risky move to put the name Rice out there, distributing media releases and furthering the story by offering a $10,000 reward for information. After all, most universities try to be known for their academics or sports successes, not for their missing students.

At a time when Rice’s public relations staff is trying to mold a national image via a massive campaign, it seems the last thing they would want is to publicize anything that could potentially scare prospective students. But the administration showed that the most important issue was finding Matthew Wilson. Rice seems to care about its students, and there is no better PR than that. Who knew?

[Denise]

http://newsok.com/article/3191381/1200029183

Fri January 11, 2008

Families still await missing persons' return

MAYSVILLE — Two people have been arrested in connection with the disappearance of a Maysville teen who was found Wednesday and reunited with her family.
 
Ann Marie White, 17, was reported missing after her parents went to wake her for school and noticed she wasn't there.

Barbara Mack, 59, and her son, Jimmie Reed, 19, were arrested Wednesday afternoon after White was found in their Maysville home.

Both were arrested on complaints of harboring a runaway and obstruction of justice, Maysville Police Chief Cody Harper said.

Police had searched the home of Mack and Reed twice before they found White, Harper said. White, a special education student at Wayne High School, had been hiding behind a freezer in the home, Harper said.

Police learned White was in the home while arresting two other men who lived at the home on unrelated drug charges, Harper said.

"I just kind of talked to them, and they finally told me she had been at the home both times we searched,” Harper said.

White was found uninjured in the home about 5 p.m. during the third search of the residence.

"This seems like a bizarre case to me,” Harper said. "She's a special-needs student, she's real vulnerable and susceptible. I'm not sure why they were hiding her. We are investigating whether they threatened her.”

"I was expecting the worst on this one,” he said. "I was really hoping she did run way, then maybe we would find her, and we did.”

More missing persons
Several people have been reported missing the past few months, and not all of them have such a happy ending.

In Tulsa, investigators are searching for the body of 13-year-old Cori Baker, who is presumed dead. Cori was last seen leaving her school with her older sister's boyfriend.

Tulsa police also are investigating the disappearance of Keyonna Jenkins, 27, who was last seen Dec. 16, and Angie Tucker, 34, who hasn't been seen since early November.

In Haworth, the family of Matthew Wilson, 20, waits for clues about his whereabouts. Wilson, a computer science student at Rice University in Houston, was last seen at his apartment on Dec. 14.

Rice University and Wilson's family have put up a $20,000 reward for information about his whereabouts.

Houston Crime Stoppers has pitched in another $5,000.

Tracking the lost
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation often works missing-persons cases, but usually at the request of a local law enforcement agency, said Jessica Brown, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

"If there is a crime suspected, OSBI can be called in,” Brown said.

When a child is reported missing, state and local law enforcement will work together to get information out about the child or circumstances of their disappearance, Brown said.

In the Maysville case, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol helped local law enforcement spread the word that White was missing, Harper said.

There are several lists of missing people and missing children, but it's unclear whether there is a centralized list of the missing in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation lists 52 juveniles as missing. That list doesn't include missing adults.

Brown said searching for missing adults can be difficult, because adults sometimes walk away from their lives and don't want to be found.

[Denise]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/us/16stu...amp;oref=slogin

Clues Offered in Search for Student

By RALPH BLUMENTHAL
Published: January 16, 2008

HOUSTON — A month after a Rice University student vanished with his car after withdrawing $500 from a bank machine, school officials on Tuesday disclosed information suggesting the disappearance might have been planned.

Days before he was last seen by a roommate the night of Dec. 14, the student, Matthew Wilson, 20, a computer science junior from Haworth, Okla., bought a car cover, a car window shade, charcoal and matches, said a Rice spokesman, B. J. Almond.

And just before midnight Dec. 14, gasoline was bought at a Houston service station with Mr. Wilson’s debit card, which required use of his personal code, Mr. Almond said. The card has not been used since, he said.

The missing student’s mother, Cathy Wilson, said about $1,400 had been left in the account. Mr. Wilson had his backpack with him but left behind his cellphone.

“It would appear he left on his own volition,” said Chief Bill Taylor of the Rice University Police Department.

Mr. Almond declined to speculate on what Mr. Wilson’s purchases could signify, but they appeared to suggest Mr. Wilson wanted to protect his car from exposure to the elements and perhaps survive outdoors for a while. The clues have been known for some time, Mr. Almond said, but were not disclosed in hopes of furthering the investigation. No information about Mr. Wilson’s whereabouts has emerged.

Rewards totaling $25,000 have been offered for leads in the case, including $5,000 from Crime Stoppers of Houston for information leading to felony charges.

Mr. Wilson is described as white, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 135 pounds, with red hair, green eyes, glasses and a full reddish beard. He drives a silver 2004 Dodge Neon with the Oklahoma license plate 863 MCZ.

Family members had been hoping he would follow through on plans to be in Haworth for Christmas, but said they did not hear from him. His mother described him as an A-student with no known problems or medical conditions. School officials said it was unusual for Mr. Wilson not to have turned in any of his end-of-semester projects.

The family has set up a Web site, www.findmattwilson.org. 

[Denise]

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/Ne...mp;pageId=3.2.1

Rice Student Bought Gas, Charcoal, Matches Before Disappearance

Last Edited: Tuesday, 15 Jan 2008, 6:29 PM CST
Created: Tuesday, 15 Jan 2008, 6:29 PM CST

HOUSTON -- A missing Rice University student bought several items that police say could neither confirm nor deny the possibility of foul play in his disappearance one month ago.

Rice University investigators say shortly before Matthew Wilson, 20, disappeared Dec. 15, he bought a car cover, a car window shade, charcoal and matches, and withdrew a total of $500 from an ATM in Houston. Wilson last used his debit card just before midnight Dec. 14, to purchase gasoline.

"We've explored every tip, but they haven't led to any useful clues about what happened to Matthew," said Rice Police Chief Bill Taylor said in a prepared statement. "We have no evidence one way or the other to indicate whether foul play was involved."

Wilson's roommate last saw him Dec. 14 at their off-campus apartment. Wilson did not turn in his final exams for the fall semester and did not show up to his spring semester classes, for which he had preregistered.

Wilson's mother and one of his sisters traveled to Houston last week to talk to his friends, Rice police among others. The family has created the Web site Find Matt Wilson to anyone who wants to share information.

Rice University also is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Wilson's whereabouts, and his family is offering another $10,000 for information leading to his return. Crime Stoppers of Houston also is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to felony charges in the case.

"We're still hoping someone will phone in a tip that gives us a breakthrough in the case, and we're very grateful to the news media and members of the Rice community who have helped keep the search for Matthew well-publicized," Taylor said.

Wilson had a full beard when last seen. His cell phone was left in the apartment, but his backpack and car are still missing. He drives a silver 2004 four-door Dodge Neon with Oklahoma license plate 863 MCZ.

To see other Houston-area missing persons, visit the Lost: Help Find Houston's Missing Web site.

[Denise]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/15060043/detail.html

Rice Student's Disappearance Possibly Planned

POSTED: 6:41 am CST January 16, 2008
UPDATED: 7:10 am CST January 16, 2008

HOUSTON -- A Rice University student who has been missing for a month made purchases that suggest his disappearance may have been planned, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

Matthew Wilson, 20, was last seen at his off-campus apartment on Dec. 15.

Rice University police said Wilson bought a car cover, car window shade, charcoal and matches a few days before he went missing. He also withdrew $500 from an automatic teller machine, officials said.

Police said gasoline was purchased with his debit card shortly before midnight on Dec. 14. The card has not been used since.

Wilson's backpack was missing from his apartment, but his cellular phone was left behind, investigators said.

Detectives said the purchases suggest he may have wanted to protect his car, a silver Dodge Neon with Oklahoma license plate 863 MCZ, from the elements.

Wilson, a junior majoring in computer science, was not known to drink or party. He was reported missing after he did not turn in his final work for his courses.

Wilson is white, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 135 pounds and has red hair, a full beard, green eyes and wears glasses.

A reward of up to $25,000 has been offered for information about Wilson's disappearance. Rice University and Wilson's family have each offered $10,000 for information that leads to his return. Crime Stoppers has offered $5,000 for information that leads to felony charges if any crime was committed.

Wilson's family and friends have started a Web site that they hope will help find him.

Anyone with information about Wilson is asked to call Rice police at 713-348-6000.

[Denise]

http://the.ricethresher.org/news/2008/01/2...wilson_facebook

Mother responsible for Wilson Facebook activity

By Jocelyn Wright | Thresher Editorial Staff

Students who thought they found a lead in missing Hanszen College junior Matthew Wilson’s case when activity appeared in his Facebook account on Jan. 17 are mistaken.

This activity was not Wilson’s doing, but that of Cathy Wilson, his mother, who said she has been logging into his Facebook account for the past week.

Using his Facebook account, Wilson’s mother has joined several groups, including “Find Matthew Wilson,” “Four guys, one destination, one mission: Suicide Prevention” and “Men.” Wilson’s mother also added the Top Friends and Daily Horoscope applications, and edited his political and religious views.

Wilson’s mother said she used her son’s Facebook to contact some of his friends and joined groups to keep Matthew’s name alive and out in the Rice community. When she was contacting his friends, she said she clarified that it was her and not Wilson speaking.

“It’s just a desperate mother’s plea,” Cathy Wilson said. “Matthew is too important to be forgotten.”

Wilson’s mother said she had spoken with Rice University Police Chief Bill Taylor and clarified that the activity on Wilson’s Facebook account was her doing.

One student who agreed to speak anonymously said that although finding Wilson was important, his mother’s attempt to spread awareness through Facebook might not be the most effective strategy.

“I think she basically confused a lot of people because they thought he was back,” the student said. “It’s just kind of confusing when you’re [getting on Facebook] under the name of a missing person.”

Kymberlee Wilson, Wilson’s sister, subsequently logged back into Wilson’s Facebook and removed his membership from the “Find Matthew Wilson” group and changed his religious and political views back to the way they were originally. She posted in the group to explain what had happened and changed Wilson’s Facebook password to prevent others from logging in the future.

On the FindMattWilson message boards, Wilson’s other sister, Kelly Wilson, apologized for any confusion her mother’s actions may have caused.

“Mom is having a very hard time right now and is not herself,” Kelly wrote in a message.

Although RUPD still does not have any new leads in the case, Wilson’s mother said she will never give up looking for her son.

“I will do this until the day I die,” she said. “Matthew is my world. And I will never give up on finding Matthew. Never.”

She said there needed to be more flyers around campus and in the surrounding area. Wilson’s mother advised new techniques for getting Wilson’s name in the area such as putting flyers on pizza delivery boxes.

The FindMattWilson forum has been filled with arguments about Rice’s and students’ dedication and effort to finding Wilson, and whether they have done enough. One specific argument focused on a student’s comment questioning what students who never knew Wilson could do.

As part of her continuing efforts to keep her son’s name and face in the public eye, Wilson’s mother did an interview with the television show Inside Edition, which she said will be airing in a few days.

[Denise]

http://arklatexhomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=11156

Reward Offered For Information On Missing Oklahoma Man

Reported by: Shelli Briery
Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008 @12:06pm CST

A $25,000 reward is now being offered to anyone who can give authorities a tip leading to a missing Rice University student. Matthew Wilson has been missing from his off-campus apartment in Houston since December 14th. Authorities have no new information about his disappearance.Wilson is from Haworth, Oklahoma. That's in McCurtain County. Any one with information should call 713-348-6000.

[Denise]

Timeline from Matthew's website: http://www.findmattwilson.org/timeline.html

Here is the timeline we have been able to gather so far with details about Matt for the week leading to his disappearance. Some of these details may be slightly off due to human error, and as people's memories fade over time. You will notice gaps in the timeline as well in which we do not have any information. It's likely that Matt's friends and roommate saw him during these gaps, but we don't happen to have the details for those days.

Thursday, 12/6
6:00 PM Matt was doing last minute work on a project with a friend
10:00 PM The friend returned to Matt's apartment to work on their project some more & they pulled an all-nighter.

Friday, 12/7
5:00 AM Matt's friend left the apartment after working all night.
2:00 - 6:00 PM Matt's friend returned to the apartment & worked with Matt until they finished. Matt seemed very tired when his friend left, and his friend submitted their project electronically. 

Saturday, 12/8
Evening: Matt went to dinner sometime that night with a group of friends, but not the one he had been studying with (who had not seen him again after the 7th).

Sunday & Monday, 12/9 - 12/10
Matt went to Target & Wal-Mart to do some shopping. Among other items, Matt purchased matches, charcoal, a car cover, and a car window shade.

Friday, 12/14
3:30 PM Matt withdraws $400 from an ATM
4:45 PM Matt withdraws $100 from an ATM
5:00 PM  Matt's roommate saw him doing dishes at their apartment
11:00 PM Matt's roommate heard him come into the apartment with what sounded like plastic grocery bags .
11:57 PM Matt fills his car with gas an a Valero station.

Tuesday, 12/18
2:15 PM Matt is reported missing to the Rice PD by his roommate.
8:30 PM the family is notified.

Wednesday, 12/19
5:00 PM Four finals are due by this time, and are not turned in.

[Kelly]

Project Jason Profile:

Missing Person: Matthew Joseph Ryan Wilson
 
Date of Birth: 03/06/1987
Missing Since: 12/14/2007
Missing City: Houston
Missing State: TX
Age at time of disappearance: 20
Gender: Male
Race: White
Height: 5 ft. 7 in.
Weight: 135 lbs
Hair Color: Red
Hair (other): Beard: bright red
Eye Color: Green
Complexion: Fair with some freckles and moles

Characteristics: Matthew typically wear glasses, has a brown mole on right ear lobe
 
Clothing: Usually wears t-shirts and jeans with black Skechers tennis shoes
 
Circumstances: Matthew was last seen by his roommate at 5:00pm on Dec. 14, 2007 at his apartment in Houston, TX. He drives a 2004 Dodge Neon, silver in color, OKLA plates, 863MCZ. He took his black backpack, a few items of clothing, car cover, sunscreen visor for car, charcoal, 2 boxes of matches, wallet with ID, and bank card, and $500 in cash.
 
Agency Name: Rice University Police Dept. in Houston, TX,  contact Chief William Taylor
Agency Phone: 713-348-6000
Case Number: pending

[Denise]

Missing Rice student's car found in California
21-year-old Matthew J. Wilson disappeared in December

By ANITA HASSAN
Houston Chronicle

The car of a missing 21-year-old Rice University student, whose disappearance in December garnered national media attention, was located in Berkeley, Calif., earlier this week, authorities said.

Police located the 2004 silver Dodge Neon belonging to Matthew J. Wilson on Tuesday in the 1200 block of Allston Way in West Berkeley, authorities said.

Wilson, a straight-A computer science major from Oklahoma, was last seen Dec. 14 by his roommate at their off-campus apartment, authorities said. Before Wilson disappeared, he withdrew $500 from his checking account and bought charcoal and matches, a car cover and window shade.

Police also said Wilson, who was a a first-semester junior at the time of his disappearance, did not turn in final exams that were due Dec. 19 and did not follow through on an offer to take a student to the airport Dec. 15.

Although there is no evidence of foul play, authorities said Wilson's family members do not believe he would leave in the midst of finals and not communicate with them.

Family members and friends have made several pleas for information leading to Wilson's whereabouts. They have offered a reward totaling $25,000 and launched Web sites dedicated to finding the student.

Wilson is described as white, 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 135 pounds. He has red hair and green eyes and was last seen with a full beard.

Anyone with information about him can contact Rice University Police at 713-348-6000 or Berkeley police at 510-981-5900.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5837807.html#Intro

[Denise]

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/19943629.html
 
Car Of Missing Texas University Student Turns Up In California
 
(June 14, 2008)—The car belonging to missing Rice University Student Matthew J. Wilson, 21, has turned up in Berkeley, Calif., the Houston Chronicle reported Saturday.

The paper reports that police found Wilson’s 2004 Dodge Neon Tuesday.

Wilson, a computer science major, disappeared on Dec. 14.

Concerns grew after Wilson, who’s described as a good student, failed to turn in his final exams for the fall semester by the Dec. 19 deadline.

Crime Stoppers of Houston has offered a $5,000 reward for information and Wilson’s family is offering another $10,000.

Wilson is 5-foot-7, weighs 135 pounds and has red hair and green eyes.

He had a full beard when he was last seen.

He didn’t contact his family over the holidays.

Police say Wilson withdrew $400 from an ATM about 3:30 p.m. the day he disappeared and withdrew another $100 just over an hour later, but officers didn’t believe he was forced to make the withdrawals because he returned to his apartment later.

Wilson's roommate says he heard Wilson come in about 11:00 that night with what sounded like plastic grocery bags.

He was last seen just before midnight putting gas in his car.

[Denise]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou080614_tnt_ricestudent.1c0b80b.html

Missing Rice student's car found abandoned in Berkeley, Calif.

01:04 PM CDT on Saturday, June 14, 2008

KHOU.com staff report

HOUSTON -- The car that belongs to missing Rice University student Matthew Wilson has been found in Berkeley, Calif.

Wilson’s silver 2004 four-door Dodge Neon with Oklahoma license plate 863 MCZ was towed as an abandoned vehicle from a residential street in West Berkeley June 10. 

Berkeley police informed the Rice University Police Department there were no obvious signs of foul play inside the car, and they have issued a description and photos of Wilson with a request for the community’s help in searching for the missing 20-year-old from Haworth, Okla. Rice police notified Wilson’s family of the news.

Wilson, a junior majoring in computer science, was last seen by his roommate in their off-campus apartment Dec. 14 and he did not report to school for spring semester classes for which he had preregistered. His disappearance last year attracted national media attention but led to no clues about the circumstances of his disappearance or his whereabouts.

”The discovery of Matthew’s car is an important piece of evidence,” said Rice Police Chief Bill Taylor. “We will cooperate fully with the Berkeley Police Department investigation, and we’re all hopeful that Matthew will be found alive and well.”,p>Rice University is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the discovery of Wilson.  His family is also offering $10,000 for information leading to his return.  Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to felony charges in the case.

Wilson is Caucasian, 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 135 pounds, and has red hair and green eyes. He had a full beard when last seen.

To contact the Rice University Police Department, call 713-348-6000. To contact Crime Stoppers, call 713-222-TIPS (8477).  The Berkeley Police Department can be reached at 510-981-5900.

[Denise]

http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-06-12/article/30298?headline=Missing-Rice-University-Student-s-Car-Found-in-West-Berkeley-

Missing Rice University Student’s Car Found in West Berkeley

By Riya Bhattacharjee
Monday June 16, 2008

The Berkeley Police Department is helping Houston police investigate the disappearance of a 21-year-old student who has been missing since Dec. 15 from his off-campus Houston apartment, authorities said Friday.

Computer science major Matthew J. Wilson, a junior at Rice University in Houston, Texas, was last seen working in his room by his roommate Elliot Harwell on Dec. 14.

His car and backpack were also missing.

Berkeley police became involved in Wilson’s case when officers found his 2004 silver Dodge Neon in the 1200 block of Allston Way in West Berkeley on June 10.

According to Berkeley Police Department spokesperson Officer Andrew Frankel, a West Berkeley resident alerted the Berkeley police about an abandoned auto on May 10.

“We marked the car and did a follow up 30 days later and saw that the car was still there,” Officer Frankel said. “We ran a license check and learned that the car belonged to Matthew Wilson of Texas. At that point we leant that Matthew was missing since December.”

Frankel said detectives had found no sign of foul play in the car to indicate any criminal activity.

Frankel said the police was not sharing information about the contents found in the car, but that it had been found locked and covered with dust.

“It looked like it had been parked there for a while,” he said.

Frankel said police were not ruling out that Wilson took off in his car on his own accord from Texas and drove to Berkeley.

“We are encouraging anyone who has seen Wilson to let us know,” he said. “We are splashing his pictures in the media and trying to get the word out. It’s possible that he is alive and well, and if that is the case, it’s important that he knows that his family wants to hear from him.”

According to police reports, although no evidence of foul play has been found so far, Wilson’s family members believe he was unlikely to leave in the middle of his finals without communicating with them.

Family and friends described him as a diligent student who was valedictorian at his high school in Oklahoma and an honor role student at Rice.

Wilson reportedly made a $400 cash withdrawal from his bank account on Dec. 14, the day he was last seen

Wilson’s family, Rice University and Crime Stoppers of Berkeley are offering $25,000 in reward money for information on Wilson’s disappearance or his whereabouts.

Wilson, who is from Haworth, Okla., was described in police reports as a white male, weighing 135 lbs., 5-feet seven-inches tall, with red hair and green eyes.

He wears glasses and had a full beard when his roommate last saw him.

Anyone with information about Wilson’s case can call the Rice University Police Department at (713) 348-6000, Houston Crime Stoppers (713) 222-TIPS or the Berkeley Police Department at 981-5900 or 981-5741.

[Denise]

http://newsok.com/grandmother-says-student-may-have-set-out-on-adventure/article/3258395/

Grandmother says Haworth student may have set out on adventure

By John David Sutter
Staff Writer

HAWORTH — The grandmother of a missing college student from southeast Oklahoma says her family is taking a new clue in the six-month-old investigation as a sign of hope.

Her grandson, she thinks, may have disappeared on an adventure of his own making.

The car of a missing Rice University student Matthew Wilson, from Haworth, was found abandoned last week in Berkeley, Calif., according to police.

"I certainly pray that we will find him after we have found the car,” said Mary B. Wilson, 82. She added: "It gives me hope. See, we hadn't heard anything in six months ... All I know is just to stay and wait.”

Wilson's 2004 silver Dodge Neon was towed June 10 as an abandoned vehicle from a residential street in west Berkeley. Berkeley police told the Rice University Police Department there were no obvious signs of foul play in the car.

Wilson was last seen on the university's campus in Houston on Dec. 14. He disappeared in the middle of finals week during the first semester of his third year at Rice University, in Houston, Mary Wilson said. His car is one of the first clues uncovered by authorities in his disappearance.

Mary Wilson described her missing grandson as a gentle, quiet man who was very concerned with his studies. She thinks he went on an adventure to California, to "just see what he could do.” Perhaps he became bored with his studies at Rice, she said, even though he loved the university that she said had given him a full scholarship.

Did he leave to spread wings?

"Sometimes young boys ... they want to go and spread their wings out,” she said.

Mary Wilson said Matt's mother, Cathy Wilson, was very protective of her son.

"I think (Matt) was just exploring something; he wanted to stray away for a little while, but his mother is a widow of course and she was very protective of him, as any mother would be after she lost her husband like what happened,” Matt's grandmother said.

Mary Wilson said Matt's father died in his 40s of complications with heart surgery related to his severe rheumatoid arthritis. She said the condition was genetic and family members had told Matt that he should have his heart tested in his 30s to make sure he wasn't developing the same condition.

Matt's grandmother also said it appeared her grandson's junior year studies at Rice were becoming stressful. He was having trouble in a calculus class and was accustomed to being an academic overachiever, she said.

His grandmother said family members are not the least bit angry at Matt, even if he left on his own accord. She said she and Matt's mother just want to receive a postcard letting them know he is OK.

She says she holds out hope that police will find him.

[Denise]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/16767111/detail.html

Police: Missing Rice Student May Not Want To Be Found

By Mariza Reyes

POSTED: 6:46 am CDT July 2, 2008
UPDATED: 7:08 am CDT July 2, 2008

HOUSTON -- New clues found in the vehicle of a missing Rice University student are making investigators wonder whether he wants to be found, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

Matthew Wilson, 20, has been missing since December. Police in Berkley, Calif., found his vehicle parked on a residential street in June. Investigators said they found books and notes on how to assume a new identity inside the car.

Since his disappearance, Wilson's friends and family have been going door to door passing out fliers, hoping someone has seen him. The computer science major was last seen at his off-campus apartment and school officials said they became concerned when Wilson failed to turn in any of his final schoolwork. 

His family created a Web site to help with the investigation. They blog about any new information released by detectives and how they are holding up.

Rice University police said the only things that appeared to be missing from Wilson's apartment were his backpack and his car.

Wilson is white, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 135 pounds and has red hair, a full beard, green eyes and wears glasses.

A $25,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to his whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS or Rice University police at 713-348-6000.