Missing Man: Larry Riegel--WA--12/26/2009

[LoriDavis]

Print a Poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_LarryRiegel.pdf

Photos provided by the family and edited by Project Jason




http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11811924

Family looking for missing relative

Posted: Jan 12, 2010 07:42 PM EST
Updated: Jan 14, 2010 12:02 PM EST

YAKIMA--The family of a missing Yakima man is asking for your help.

Larry Riegel's family hasn't heard from him since Christmas Day.  His girlfriend hasn't seen him since January 4.

Police have no reason to suspect foul play in his disappearance.  They are still investigating.

The 58-year-old Riegel is about 6'2" and weighs 200 pounds.  He has gray hair and a large scar on his neck.

If you have any information call Yakima Police at 509-575-6200.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/01/13/family-friends-search-for-missing-yakima-man
Family, friends search for missing Yakima man
by Mark Morey
Yakima Herald-Republic

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Relatives and police are looking for a Yakima man who hasn't contacted family members since Christmas.

Larry Riegel's disappearance is unusual because he normally calls his son and other loved ones almost daily, his family said Wednesday.

The 57-year-old lives in the 1500 block of South 12th Avenue.

His sister, Susan Riegel Vaughn of Snohomish, Wash., said he missed a scheduled family dinner on Dec. 26 and hasn't answered phone calls.

Yakima police Sgt. Tony Bennett said officers have been checking leads without success. Nothing suspicious has surfaced so far.

"We just haven't found a good reason for him to be gone," Bennett said.

His girlfriend came to the police station Jan. 4 to report that they had argued the day before. She said he became upset and walked away from the house; that was the last she saw him, according to the police report.

Riegel is currently unemployed, police said. He has worked as a contract pilot for Cubcrafters, but his federal license had been temporarily suspended due to a recent surgery, his sister said.

She said he was a lifetime Yakima resident who was well known in the area. He frequented several local bars, including Max's, Boomer's, the Old Town Pump and the James Gang Tavern.

Friends and relatives are circulating fliers in an attempt to develop information about his whereabouts.

He is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 195 pounds, and has gray hair and hazel eyes. A large vertical scar from the recent surgery can be seen on the right side of his neck.

Any tips may be reported to the police department at 509-575-6200.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Search-continues-for-missing-Yakima-man-81782912.html
Search continues for missing Yakima man
 
Posted on January 15, 2010 at 2:57 PM
Updated today at 2:56 PM

******

YAKIMA, Wash. - Police, relatives and friends continue to search for a Yakima man who has not been heard from since Christmas.

57-year-old Larry Riegel was last seen by his girlfriend when he walked away from the house after an argument. He missed a scheduled family dinner on December 26.

His family says his disappearance is unusual because he normally calls his son and other loved ones almost daily.

Yakima police say they've been checking leads without success.

Riegel is described as 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 195 pounds, with gray hair and hazel eyes. He has a large vertical scar from the recent surgery on the right side of his neck.

Any tips may be reported to the police department at 509-575-6200.

[Kelly]

Project Jason Profile:

Name:  Lawrence Riegel

Alias:  Larry
Date of Birth:  12/15/1952
Date Missing:  12/26/2009
Age at time of disappearance:  58
City Missing From:  Yakima
State Missing From:  Washington
Gender:  Male
Race:  Caucasian
Height:  6 ft 2 in
Weight:  200 lbs
Hair Color: Grey
Eye Color: Hazel
 
Identifying Characteristics: Prominent scar on right side of neck from a recent surgery, surgical scars on left knee, occasionally wears glasses

Circumstances of Disappearance:  Larry was last seen by his mother at his home in Yakima, WA on the evening of December 25, 2009. He also made phone contact with several family members and friends on that day. He did not show up as promised to a family event the next day, and no one has seen or heard from him since. His phone has not been used, and he has not accessed his bank accounts. His family states that Larry calls his son and closest friends daily and visits and calls his mother and other family and friends regularly.

Investigative Agency:  Yakima Police Department
Agency Phone:  (509) 576-6573
Investigative Case #:  10-470

Print a Poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_LarryRiegel.pdf

Family Website: http://www.findlarryriegel.com

[Jenn]

http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=11854932

Another tool to help family find missing Yakima man

Posted: Jan 20, 2010 07:51 PM Updated: Jan 20, 2010 08:09 PM

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The family of 58-year-old Larry Riegel, who has been missing since Christmas Day, launched new web site.

Family members setup the "Find Larry Riegel" site in hopes of finding Larry.

Yakima police told KNDO, they have no reason to suspect foul play in his disappearance and will continue investigating.

The family will be holding a candlelight vigil for him at Franklin Park on Monday, January 25th at 6pm.

Riegel is about 6'2" tall, weighs 200 pounds, has gray hair, and a large scar on his neck.

If you have any information, contact the Yakima Police Department 509-575-6200.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/01/22/missing-man-s-family-keeps-the-faith
Missing man's family keeps the faith

POSTED ON Friday, January 22, 2010 AT 10:44PM   
By ERIN SNELGROVE
Yakima Herald-Republic

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Searching for her brother has become Susan Riegel Vaughn's full-time job.

She's created a Facebook page and posted ads on Craigslist. She's hung hundreds of posters across the Yakima Valley and has sent fliers around the country for people to copy and distribute.

She's also given interviews to newspapers and television stations throughout Washington, and is in the process of listing her brother with America's Most Wanted Missing Persons and the National Center for Missing Adults.

But nothing has worked. Yet.

"We've talked to hundreds of people. A lot of people have been helping," said Riegel Vaughn of Snohomish, Wash. "We're really hopeful that maybe he's having a medical situation or that we're going to find him. It's not easy thinking of the alternative."

Larry Riegel's family, which normally talks to him daily, knew something was wrong when the 57-year-old missed dinner the day after Christmas.

According to the police report, his girlfriend hadn't seen him since Jan. 4, when they had a fight. According to the report, she said he became upset and walked away from their house in the 1500 block of South 12th Avenue. He hasn't answered his cell phone.

He is 6 feet, 2 inches tall, 195 pounds and has gray hair and hazel eyes. A large, vertical scar from a recent surgery can be seen on the right side of his neck.

He has worked as a contract pilot for Cubcrafters of Yakima, but his federal license had been temporarily suspended due to his surgery to fix four broken vertebrae in his neck, and he'd been unemployed.

He was a lifetime Yakima resident who frequented several local bars, including Max's, Boomer's, the Old Town Pump and the James Gang Tavern.

Yakima police Capt. Greg Copeland said foul play is not suspected. The case is different than other missing person cases in that the family has made extensive efforts to find the man, Copeland said.

"As we get tips and leads, we follow up on them," he said. "The bottom line is, we don't know where he is."

Debbie Beaman-Zorrozua of Yakima said the uncertainty about her distant cousin's whereabouts has been hard on the family -- especially Riegel's mother and two adult children.

Some family members hold out hope Riegel will be found alive. Others believe they're searching for a body, Beaman-Zorrozua said.

"It's hit home now," she said. "We're at rock bottom."

The family is hosting a candlelight vigil for Riegel at 6 p.m. Monday at Franklin Park in Yakima.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at 509-575-6200. Riegel's family is offering a reward for information leading to Riegel's return.

[Kelly]

AAN Poster Notify Sent to AAN Subscribers   Code 72

Help us find the missing: Become an AAN Member and receive notifications about missing persons via email.

Click here to become a part of the solution: http://www.projectjason.org/awareness.shtml

[Kelly]

From the Family:

Date: Monday, January 25, 2010
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Franklin Park, Yakima, WA

Description

Keep a light shining for Larry! Show up to become informed about the circumstances, and to show your support. Please, bring a candle with you to the park on Monday night. Sister of the missing man, Susan Riegel Vaughn, will be the Master of Ceremonies.

[Jenn]

NamUs profile for Larry: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/4753

[Kelly]

Project Jason announces the featured missing persons in the March 2010 issue of the CDLJobs.com Online Magazine, which can be viewed at http://www.cdljobs.com/cdljobsonlinemagazine/MAR10.htm  This month's ad is on page 8. The site receives thousands of visitors per day.

Each month, CDLJobs.com publishes a full color ad in their popular online magazine which will feature 5-6 of Project Jason's missing person cases from across the country. The ad has clickable links which take the reader to additional information about the missing person, and a link to their printable poster.  Readers are encouraged to sign up for the AAN program and help with poster distribution. "You can be a Hero" is the theme of the joint venture.

Awareness Angels Network (AAN). AAN, begun by Project Jason in 2008, provides a way for the public to assist the families of missing persons. Missing persons posters designed specifically for the AAN program are disseminated via email to those enrolled in the program. Participants can then upload the posters to websites, print and place the posters in public areas, and forward them to their contacts. The program helps spread the word and increase the chances of finding the person.

In the March 2010 issue, the following missing persons were featured:

Joan Cook, missing from Salem, VA since 1/31/2010
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8179

Michael "Bradyn" Fuksa, missing from Olathe, KS since 7/15/2009
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8101

Maya Madey, missing from Bellaire, TX since 2/5/2010
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8189

Christina Martinez, missing from Phoenix, AZ since 5/3/1997
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8275

Tracy Ocasio, missing from Ocoee, FL since 5/27/2009
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=6172

Matthew Poole, missing from Mount Pleasant, MI since 2/5/2010
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=8108
Sadly, Matthew was found deceased after this went to press.


Larry Riegel, missing from Yakima, WA since 12/26/2009
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=7841


You can read more about this program at
http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=6319

[Kelly]

http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/91563464.html


Families Have Painful Wait As Bodies Turn Up In The River

By Peter Bukowski
4/20/2010

YAKIMA -- Pictures are all Celelia Downey has since her son, Larry Riegel, disappeared in December.

I asked Downey how often she thought about her missing son. "Oh all day, everyday, all night. You can't not think about him," she replied.

Over the weekend, two boys found a body in the Naches River when they were fishing. Seeing headlines like that are tough to deal with.

"You pray it's him so that you finally can put this thing to rest. You pray it's not because you really want him to come home and you know he's not going to," Downey explained.

Cops don't believe the body is Riegel, though they haven't identified anyone for sure. Lt. Mike Merryman says part of the problem is the potential crime scene is a fluid place.

"In this case we have a dynamic evolving scene where we have floods over the years come and go. So, frankly, there isn't a lot of evidence to work with. So we can only be as thorough in the investigation as the evidence allows us to be. "

Even if not for the problems water presents, every day that passes pushes cops further and further from potential leads.

"Time is our enemy generally, but still there are certain pieces of information certain evidence that change with time," explained Merryman.

But Cecelia Downey says she knows, the search for her son is a recovery mission, not a rescue mission.

"I do not have hope. I know Larry is not here. I know Larry is not on this earth. He is not alive."

Downey does cling to the hope she'll have closure, that her son's body will be found, and that she'll eventually know what happened.

[Kelly]

From the family:

"Our family continues to be devastated by the disappearance of Larry who has now been missing for 202 days. This week we have kicked off a billboard program within the Yakima city limits to remind people of this active police investigation. We are hopeful that this program will bring in new tips and information on Larry's disappearance.

The investigation to date has had starts and stops. We ask all parties involved to please give their full cooperation to the police, including that of LaDena Mann, Larry's live-in girlfriend. We believe the timelines, dates and explanations she has given to family, friends and law enforcement to date have not been consistent. This has created increased suspicion and interest on our part.

There have been a number of rumors concerning sightings of Larry, mysterious phone calls and phantom car rides, but it's our understanding none of these can be verified by the YPD. Without verification, these stories are just that....stories.

Collectively, all of this activity has only made Larry's disappearance that much harder to investigate and resolve. Regardless of what some may say, Larry's disappearance was not planned. His life and regular activities have been completely severed. We are extremely concerned that his disappearance is the result of foul play. We feel someone somewhere knows more than what they are saying and we are imploring them to please come forward. Please contact Det. Blankenbaker at the Yakima Police Department, 509-575-6200, with information."

[Jenn]

Charley Project Profile for Larry: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/riegel_lawrence.html

[Kelly]

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13742706

Missing man's sister turns to apps

Posted: Dec 26, 2010 8:03 PM CST Updated: Dec 27, 2010 6:51 AM CST


YAKIMA, Wash.. - A Yakima man's sister turns to cell phone application technology in hopes of finding her brother, missing since last Christmas.

Sunday marked the one year anniversary of the disappearance of Susan Vaughn's brother Larry Riegel. Vaughn says she and her family got together for their holiday dinner, but her brother Larry never showed up to the house.

Vaughn and her family have continued to work with detectives from the Yakima Police Department, have hired a private investigator, used social media outlets, and even launched their own website http://findlarryriegel.com/.

Yakima police have told KNDO they are investigating this as a missing persons case, but so far no real leads in locating Larry.

In July, Riegel's family had about four large billboards placed throughout Yakima, each displaying a photo of Larry and a phone number to contact police with any information.

Vaughn tells KNDO she has  been working with a graphic designer, the billboard company and developers on a new set of billboards which will incorporate cell phone technology and online apps.

The plan is to have cell phone users, who've download the free Tag Reader app, be able hold their phone up to the specially designed billboards, and have it automatically take them right to the "Find Larry Riegel" website.

Vaughn says she's not planning to give up anytime soon. "I've made a promise to my mom that we would never stop looking. And also to my brother's children, that we would never stop," added Vaughn.

The three new billboards are expected to be up by January 2011. Vaughn says they'll be located at 10th and Washington Avenue, 1st and Lincoln, and Fruitvale Boulevard near 34th Avenue.

Anyone with information about Larry Riegel is asked to contact Detective Blankenbaker, with the Yakima Police Department at 575-6200.

[LoriDavis]

http://www.wsp.wa.gov/crime/docs/misadult/Riegel_Lawrence.pdf
Washington State Police profile for Lawrence Riegel