43 replies to this topic

[Jenn]

http://www.clintonhe..._326112429.html
Published: November 21, 2008 11:24 am     

Family will mark missing loved one’s 20th birthday

Community asked to attend vigil for Ben Roseland

CLINTON — For the first time since her only son went missing in February, Theresa Roseland made the mistake of getting her hopes up.

After posters of her son, Ben Roseland, were recently placed in locations across the country by 18-Wheel Angels, an organization made up of truck drivers who volunteer their time to help families find their missing loved ones, Theresa received a call at home from a man in Redding, Calif., who thought he might have spotted the missing teen.

According to Theresa, the man was “80 percent sure” that the boy he had seen on the street begging for money was the one he had seen on Ben’s missing poster. The teen has not been seen since Feb. 9, when he left a friend’s home on 10th Avenue South to get something to eat at Hy-Vee.

The Redding sighting resulted in a 10-day manhunt coordinated by Clinton police and authorities in California, but the search came up empty.

“For those 10 days she had such high hopes that maybe Ben was alive and OK,” said Theresa’s sister-in-law, Julie Connell. “It was absolutely devastating when it turned out to be nothing.”

Theresa confirms that she will not make the same mistake again.

“That was the one time since this all started that I let myself get my hopes up, so that was very difficult,” Theresa said. “I need to just stay steady, like I have been, and not get my hopes up about anything until concrete proof is here.”

According to Theresa, the posters placed by the 18-Wheel Angels have resulted in four possible sightings in four different states, but nothing has turned up. She says Clinton police continue to investigate leads, but no real progress has been made in the case.

“It’s not knowing that is the worst,” Theresa said. “Everybody is so upset, family members can’t sleep. Everybody is just hanging in limbo.”

Theresa has begun to accept the fact that Ben may no longer be alive, and says family members are working to bring in teams to the area that could help locate any remains.

“You want to believe that he’s wandering around and doesn’t know where he is, but it doesn’t look that way,” Theresa said. “At least it will give us closure, and we’ll know where he is.”

Theresa feels the last people to see Ben alive may know more than they have reported, and she urges his friends to contact law enforcement with any information.

“We need someone to speak up, because somebody’s got to know something,” Theresa said. “I want them to quit being afraid, and do what they know is right in their heart, and speak up and tell the truth.”

Theresa suggests that anonymous calls can also be made to Clinton County Crime Stoppers at 242-6595.

The family has organized a candlelight vigil for tomorrow in honor of Ben’s 20th birthday, which is Nov. 24. The vigil will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, located at 316 S. Fourth St. Community members are encouraged to attend to support the family, and honor Ben on his birthday.

“We’re praying that the vigil is well attended because it makes the family feel like the community cares, and it’s a really good feeling for (Ben’s parents) Jim and Theresa,” Connell said. “We’re very grateful for all the help we’ve gotten from the community, and we want to keep up public awareness.”

Connell states that candles will be available at the vigil, and the family has chosen songs to be sung by the group. Gerry Herrity will be on-hand to read a special poem selected by the family, and Mayor Rodger Holm is also slated to say a few words.

“We’re praying that wherever Ben is, he is celebrating his 20th birthday,” Connell said. “We’re having this vigil because we’re thinking about him, and wherever he may be, we want him to know that we haven’t forgotten about him.”

[Kelly]

http://www.qctimes.c...11549732898.txt

Benjamin Roseland case: Family of missing Clinton man wants closure, clinging to hope

By Steven Martens | Thursday, November 20, 2008 |

CLINTON, Iowa — It’s been almost 10 months since Benjamin Roseland left a friend’s apartment in Clinton to go to the grocery store. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.

Roseland’s family and friends will host a candlelight vigil on Saturday, two days before Roseland’s 20th birthday, to remind the community that Roseland still is missing and encourage anyone who might have information about him to contact the authorities.

“Somebody out there has to know something,” said Roseland’s mother, Theresa Roseland. “I just wish they would come forward.”

The vigil will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Clinton. Those who attend are asked to bring birthday cards for Roseland.

Roseland’s aunt, Julie Connell, said while the family holds out hope that Roseland is alive and well somewhere, they also have been working for months to arrange for a search of the Clinton area with search teams that specialize in finding human remains.

Connell said the family wants to “leave no stone unturned” in the Clinton area in the hopes of finding Roseland before it snows, which would make searching more difficult.

“The thought of him being out there another winter is pretty hard for us to take,” she said.

Connell said she and other family members put off suggesting to Theresa Roseland that they contact search teams that specialize in human remains because they didn’t want her to stop believing that her son was still alive and well.

Now, Connell said, Roseland’s mother and the rest of the family just want him found.

Theresa Roseland agreed.

“It’s been hard to keep our hopes up,” she said. “We hope we find him, one way or another. Hopefully alive.”

Sgt. Tom Bohle of the Clinton Police Department said a few search teams have been contacted, but no searches have been scheduled. Police have received leads since Roseland’s disappearance, but none have panned out, he said.

Project Jason, an organization that assists the families of missing people, has coordinated with a group of truck drivers known as “18-Wheel Angels” to spread information about Roseland across the country, Connell said. One tip about a possible sighting of Roseland came from California, but didn’t pan out, she said.

Theresa Roseland said she is grateful to everyone who has assisted in the search for her son.

To help

A vigil for Benjamin Roseland will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Clinton, Iowa.

Anyone with information about Roseland’s whereabouts can contact the Clinton Police Department at (563) 243-1458.

[Jenn]

http://www.qctimes.c...0311.txt?sPos=3

Family of missing Clinton man to hold vigil

By Steven Martens | Thursday, February 5, 2009 12:29 AM CST |

CLINTON, Iowa — Nearly one year after Ben Roseland left a friend’s apartment to walk to a nearby grocery store and disappeared, his family is still hoping to find out what happened to him.

Roseland, who was 19 at the time of his disappearance, was last seen Feb. 9, 2008, when he left the apartment of a friend to walk to Hy-Vee. He has not been seen or heard from since.

The family will hold a vigil from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at the Eagles Club, 222 1/2 S. 2nd St., Clinton.

Roseland’s aunt, Julie Connell, said it has been a difficult year for Roseland’s family, and that family members have reluctantly come to the conclusion that it’s not likely that “Benny” is still alive.

“Deep down your gut, instinct tells you that he’s no longer with us,” Connell said.

But Roseland’s family believes he would not have left town suddenly without telling anyone or making contact with his family.

“He didn’t just disappear,” Connell said. “Somebody knows something.”

Connell said she has been in contact with search teams that specialize in finding human remains, but those teams likely will have to wait until spring to conduct a search. She said it is important to the family that they do everything they can to find out what happened to Roseland.

Police are still investigating, and anyone with information about Roseland may call the Clinton Police Department at (563) 243-1455.

[Jenn]

http://www.wqad.com/...nav=menu132_3_5

Clinton teenager missing for a year

Posted: Feb 6, 2009 07:54 AM
Updated: Feb 6, 2009 08:15 AM

by Kristy Mergenthal

CLINTON, Iowa -- A Clinton family continues to search for their son, a year after his disappearance.

It was a chilly March 1, 2008 when the family of Ben Roseland put on their red bands of unity, signifying the search of their son and nephew.

Now 364 days later, and no word of his whereabouts, Ben's family says they are living out every parents worst nightmare.

"Just tears you up, you don't understand and hope that he just took off and forgot who was and walked off" said Marge Nance, Ben's Aunt.

After a year of searches, candle light vigils and dead end leads, some of Ben's family fears the worst.

"It doesn't look good because of the lack of phone records, no bank account activity, if he is not around, we want to find him so we can bury him," said Ben's aunt, Julie Connell.

While his mother, Theresa Roseland remains hopeful her son is still alive.

"I don't feel like he's gone, you can't get anything done if you fall apart, can't do anything then" said Theresa.

Ben's family to this day considers his disappearance suspicious, but wonders if a car accident he suffered head injuries in just weeks before had anything to do with him vanishing.

"We really speculated on that because he had skull fractures that were healing so any fall could have done something don't know," said Theresa Roseland.

The Roseland family is now raising money to bring in national known search teams, as one year later they continue their search holding another vigil Sunday.

"I'd like to know where he is. I don't want closure, I'd just rather assume know he was some place, some town, somewhere and doesn't know who he is" said Marge Nance.

[Kelly]

Home for the Holidays 2009

Benjamin "Benny" Roseland, missing from Clinton, IA since 2/9/2008

Written by Audra Jean Roseland, Benny's sister

My brother, Ben Roseland, disappeared from Clinton, Iowa on the night of February 9th, 2008. It was approximately ten o’clock p.m. when Ben left a friend’s apartment to go across the street to the local Hyvee Grocery Store for a snack. Ben left the apartment building and never made it to the store. Ben was nineteen at the time of his disappearance; he has brown hair and blue eyes, is 5’ 11” and weighs 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing camouflage overalls. We are praying for answers and to have Ben home someday soon.

Ben was always fun to be around on the holidays. He would always get presents that would surprise us and let us know that he was thinking about us without all the words. I remember the last Christmas I spent with Ben. He had been in a terrible car accident at the end of November, and we were just grateful to still have him in our lives. We were glad that he was alive and well, and wanted to cherish our Christmas and just celebrate with Ben. This was our milestone and we were growing closer as a family, and treasuring the things that really mattered in our lives, like each other.

Benny,upon learning there were more presents under the tree.

It was our first Christmas with my daughter, Mara who is Ben's first and only niece. I remember right after he was released from the hospital, Ben wanted Mara to open the gifts he'd bought her. Ben wanted to show them to her, and was still a little wary around her (she was a very little 4 month old baby, and he wasn't used to it yet). He was very groggy from the medication that he was on, and he rolled off of the couch and went over where he had stacked his gifts (no tree had been put up). He grabbed her gifts off the top and told me, "Mara can open these." I told him, "No, that's okay Ben, you're confused. It's not Christmas yet." It took a while to convince me, but finally, I let them open the gifts, which were two really cute, collectible Boyd's bears. It was a nice gift and a wonderful beginning of a collection for her. Ben was so happy and so pleased with himself.

I also remember that it was very close to Christmas and my parents still had not put up a Christmas tree or anything, and my sister, Helen, had really been advocating for it to be put up. So, Ben and I trudged down to the basement and we drug up the first dusty box that we could find, and opened it once we got upstairs. It wasn't our normal green tree; it was this weird white tree that neither of us had ever seen. We did not care for the tree and felt that it took away from the festive Christmas feel. Later, my sister, Helen, came home and put the tree up.

Benny and his dad, Jim

On November 24, Ben’s birthday, we will sit down at my parent's kitchen table and eat Ben's birthday cake. Last year I bought a birthday cake for Ben, and we saved half of it in hope that we would be sharing it with Ben. We will be having this year without him. Then we will go outside and plug in Ben's "hope" tree. We’ll put clear lights on the pine tree Ben planted in the front yard as a child. Last year we put lights on it in hope of Ben's safe return to us.

On Christmas Eve, we will go through all of the motions together, but it won't be the same. We will all exchange gifts together, and put aside the gifts that we bought for Ben, in case he arrives. We won't say a word about Ben, but we will all be thinking about him. Mom and Dad probably won't feel like decorating this year...but since Ben’s disappearance, I have had another baby boy, Auron, so they might make the effort for my children. We will focus on making the holiday good for the kids, because they can always make us smile. We will share kisses and hugs, and go to sleep with tear filled eyes, not talking about how we really feel inside.

The Roseland family at a Christmas past

However, I am fortunate to have a shoulder to cry on...a third party to confide in. We all cope in our own ways. My mother stays up late at night and sleeps most of the day, trying to keep her mind off of it. My father surrounds himself with his friends and his hobbies. My sister concentrates on her own wants and needs while surrounding herself with her friends and hobbies. I have my own immediate family and my work. We will just continue this trend until some answer is provided.

I hope that Ben comes back to us in the future so that he can meet his nephew, and see how big his niece is, because even though they don't know or remember him, they still feel all the feelings that we feel...there just aren't memories attached to them; instead it's pictures and stories. I miss Ben, as he is my only brother. I miss his blatantly, often cynical, point of view of things. Ben loved things like finance, the government, and history, which are not my strongest subjects. I miss having him to go to when I have a question, or if I need a laugh. Even though he didn't mean to be, sometimes, Ben just had a way about him that was humorous. Ben was fun to be around most of the time, his presence made me feel better like somehow I wasn't alone.

Ben was my best friend and companion for so many years. Ben and I grew up together, we were all each other had, and we knew what one another was thinking and feeling, because for the most part we went through the same things.

My biggest hope for my family is that one way or another, we find Ben. For better, or worse, my family needs closure. The constant uncertainty has caused a rift between us. Some of us think the best, and others the worse. We don't want anyone impeding on our thoughts, and so we don't talk about it. The saying is, "Hope for the best, but expect the worse." --I have to say that this is not a good mindset to be in constantly, and closure will hopefully bring us some optimism.

One way or another, my family deserves closure, and sooner or later we will get it. My ultimate Christmas wish is to see Ben walk though that door on Christmas Eve, with arms wide open.


Note: Non-registered members can leave comments at this site:
http://voice4themiss...n-roseland.html
(Comments are moderated)

[Kelly]

AAN Poster Notify Sent to AAN Subscribers  Code 87

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.projectja...awareness.shtml

[Jenn]

http://www.whbf.com/....asp?S=11961337

Family Still Searching For Missing Clinton Man

It's an anniversary one family in Clinton, Iowa would rather not have, Benjamin Roseland disappeared two years ago on Tuesday.

Police say Ben left his house to walk across the street to Hy–Vee.

He never made it to the store and hasn't been heard of or seen since.

But despite the case going cold, his family continues to fight for answers.

Ben has a niece that was only 4 months old when he seemingly vanished and now she's talking and calling him by name.

Ben's sister Helen says no matter how much time passes, the grief stays the same.

"You start missing the every day things like playing around with him and you start finding people that remind you of him," she says.

She and Ben's older sister say everyday, they look for their brother, who would 21 years old now.

"I hope we find him, one way or the other. The not knowing is hard, says Audra Roseland.

Police have no new leads on the case, but Ben's mom, Theresa, says she has a theory of her own, and a message to anyone who may have been involved.

"I think one of the better leads us it was probably an accident and they got scared. Well it's been two years. I don't think you need to be scared anymore. Speak up," she says.

So as year one turns to two, the hope remains the same, and so does the Roseland's message to their community.

"I don't want people to forget. If someone out there knows something, we won't let it go. That's my family and I want him back," says Helen.

Police say if you have any information about Ben Roesland's disappearance, you can call the Clinton Police Department at (563) 243-1458 or Crimestoppers.

[Denise Harrison]

Ben Roseland was among the featured people for March 2010 in The Garden for the Missing/Project Jason advertising program within the 3D virtual world, Second Life. The posters are showcased at one of the highest traffic areas in the 3D virtual world, with 45,000 daily visitors from the U.S. and abroad.



These advertisements are purchased by The Garden for the Missing

http://www.gardenforthemissing.org

More information about our efforts in Second Life is available at

http://www.projectja...econdLife.shtml

The advertisements for each person is displayed for two weeks, then another person’s poster appears. The posters are provided by Project Jason’s Awareness Angels Network --

http://www.projectja.../awareness.html

[Jenn]

NamUs Profile for Ben: https://www.findthem....org/cases/5286

[Jenn]

Charley Project Profile for Ben: http://www.charleypr...d_benjamin.html

[Kelly]

http://www.wqad.com/...0,4334587.story

Missing Clinton Iowa teen to be featured in book

Kristy Mergenthal Reporter
February 8, 2011

CLINTON —
February 9th marks the three year anniversary of the disappearance of a Clinton, Iowa man. 19-year-old Ben Roseland was last seen at a party with friends, but a soon to be released book is bringing new light to a cold case.

It was February 9th, 2008 when Ben Roseland's family and friends last saw him.

"It is very hard to believe been three years" said Ben's mom, Theresa Roseland.

The Clinton Teenager vanishing without a trace. No evidence, no clues just three long years of hoping and praying for his return.

"Been three years with nothing, I consider they have it a cold case" said Theresa.

Over the year's, Ben's family has gone door to door, held candle light vigils and even had a facebook page created in his honor, but a new book set to be released is bringing with it new hope.

"There's going to be a picture of Ben in there as well as our feelings about it and story about what happened" said Julie Connell, Ben's aunt.

The book titled "The Last Place You'd Look" is due out May 16th, featuring Ben's story as well as other true stories of missing people.

"I'm glad ex-police officers are putting out books like that because helps others realize this is an age group that doesn't get investigated." Ben's mother went on to say, "it brings attention to Ben and all other kids out there."

Ben's family says they will continue their search for him, gathering reward money by collecting milk caps and labels. So far, raising over $100.

"Somebody knows something, good or bad" said Julie. She went on to say, "whatever the lead is this reward money I believe will make somebody tell us something, tell the police something."

But three year's later and with hope beginning to fade, Ben's aunt is wondering if several pages in a book is what might bring their family closure.

"That's something that's not going to be just in Clinton, Iowa or in Quad Cites it's going to be everywhere" said Julie.

If you would like to help the Roseland family, please save the following items, and donate them to help raise reward funds:

· Milk Moola caps and bag tops from Nature's Touch milk, juices and waters as well as Kwik Quencher flavored fruit drinks. (Please rinse the caps and bag tops first.)

Glazers price ovals from dozen or half-dozen boxes of Glazers Donuts as well as milk caps from Swiss Valley milk.

You can donate those items at several locations including:

316 S. Washington Blvd in Camanche, Iowa

Clinton National bank in Camanche , Iowa

Always Creative Ceramics and Crafts on Washington Blvd in Camanche, Iowa

[Jenn]

http://www.whbf.com/....asp?S=14002985

Police still searching for missing Clinton teen

A Clinton teen is still missing, after vanishing three years ago and his family still hoping for answers.

Ben Roseland was nineteen when he was reported missing.  His family said he was too smart and hardworking to run away from home.   

Police said the case is still open.  But it's been about a year since they've had any substantial leads.  Ben's family says that's hard to swallow. 

"None of us think that Ben took off on his own volition because Benny is the type of young man, who lived with his parents and he was saving to have thanksgiving at his house that year," said Ben's aunt Julie Connell. 

Police said Ben was last seen walking from a South Clinton apartment to Hy-Vee.  His family said it was a cold night and Ben was hanging out with friends at the time.  Since then, they've posted fliers put together search teams and asked for help from investigators as far away as Texas. 

"We have no information, no way of knowing what to do.  We've searched and searched and searched," said Ben's aunt Bonnie Kalina. 

Ben's aunts just hope the family can one day have closure. 

"They'll stop maybe looking at faces in the crowd, people they meet and that you know.  Will I ever see him again?" said Connell. 

Clinton police said in order to solve a missing persons case, they need information from the public. 

"Information is the life blood to any case.  There's only so much police can do on their own.  We have to have people telling us things before we can act," said Clinton Police Captain Randy Meier. 

Police said you can use the website TipSoft.com to share information on Ben Roseland's case.  You can also use their Text-A-Tip service by texting "CLPD" plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES) to give information anonymously. 

Here's how you can help Ben's family continue their search: 

-Submit Kwik Star "Nature's Touch" juice and milk caps or labels for a cash deposit donation.* 

-Cut out the price label oval on "Glazer's Donuts" from Kwik Star for a cash deposit donation.* 

-Swiss Valley milk "Caps for Cash" promotion.

*All can be dropped off at Clinton National Bank in Camanche, IA or Always Creative Ceramics & Crafts in Clinton, IA (cash donations can also be donated at the Clinton location).

[Lori Davis]

http://www.kcrg.com/...=y&smobile=y&c=

A Look At Other Cases of MIssing Iowa Children

Story Updated: Jul 18, 2012

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Incidents of missing minors, not counting runaways, generate a barrage of media attention locally and nationally. While that can help locate a child, it can also create a lot of fear ... make it seem as though this is common.

Elizabeth and Lyric are the eleventh and twelfth unsolved Iowa cases on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Database.

These are the other ten:

-The oldest open missing child case in Iowa dates back to 1975 Colleen Simpson disappeared from her Bedford home overnight when she was 14, today she would be 51.

-Kimberly Doss is on the Iowa database, but she was actually living in Houston, Texas. She was last seen at a Greyhound bus station in Davenport in 1982.

-The most famous Iowa case, Johnny Gosch, who vanished while on his paper route in Des Moines in 1982.

-A couple years later, a similar situation when Eugene Martin's newspaper bag was found outside Des Moines, but he was never seen again.

-In 1986 Marc Allen was walking to a friend's house in Des Moines but never arrived, he was 13.

-Erin Pospisil was 15 when she got into a car in downtown Cedar Rapids on June 3, 2001 and no one has seen or heard from her since.

-Authorities believe Kyanja Vanwey ran away from Des Moines in 2005, she would be 21 today.

-Benjamin Roseland was 19 when he was last seen leaving a friend's house to go to the grocery store in Clinton in 2008. He's considered missing, but not endangered or abducted.

-Katelyn Coulter is 15 and authorities believe she ran away from Muscatine in May.


In 2011, there were 4,593 reports of missing children in Iowa. According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, 99.2% of those were runaways.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.desmoines...-Iowa-children-

Have you seen these missing Iowa children?

May 8, 2013

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has eight open case files for children considered kidnapped, missing or endangered runaways from Iowa. They are:

MARC ALLEN
Missing from Des Moines since March 29, 1986. Age now: 40
He was last seen leaving his home is Des Moines. He was on his way to a friend’s home, but never arrived. He was wearing a light blue T-shirt, blue jean shorts, white socks and gray tennis shoes.

KIMBERLY DOSS
Missing from Davenport since Sept. 1, 1982. Age now: 47
She was last seen in Davenport. She may use the alias of Kimberly Kathleen Gardner. She has a gap between her two front teeth.

JOHNNY GOSCH
Missing from West Des Moines since Sept. 5, 1982. Age now: 43
He was last seen delivering newspapers. He has facial freckles, a gap between his front teeth, a birthmark on his left cheek and a horseshoe-shaped scar on his tongue.

EUGENE MARTIN
Missing from Des Moines since Aug. 12, 1984. Age now: 42
He was last seen between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. as he was delivering newspapers. A paper bag was found outside of Des Moines with papers still inside. He has a scar on his right knee and has had a broken right wrist.

ERIN POSPISIL
Missing from Cedar Rapids since June 3, 2001. Age now: 27
She was last seen at home. She has a small scar above her left eye. When last seen, she had red highlights in her hair.

BENJAMIN ROSELAND
Missing from Clinton since Feb. 9, 2008. Age now: 24
He was last seen at home. He has a vertical scar that extends from his lower lip to his chin, a scar on the right side of his mouth, a scar on the left side of his nose and a scar on the upper left side of his chest. His nickname is Ben.

COLLEEN SIMPSON
Missing from Bedford since Oct. 5, 1975. Age now: 52
She was last seen at home, where she disappeared during the night. She has a scar on her right forearm.

KYANJA VANWEY
Missing from Des Moines since Sept. 14, 2005. Age now: 25
She has pierced ears and a pierced nose. She also has a scar on her right hand between her thumb and forefinger. Kyanja may dye her hair another color. Her nicknames are Kiki and Keri.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.clintonhe...d-six-years-ago

 

Roseland vanished six years ago

By Mary Lou Hinrichsen Herald Staff Writer

The Clinton Herald

February 26, 2014

 

CLINTON — Six years ago, Ben Roseland was a high school graduate, living with his parents and a sister and had a full-time job.

 

That’s where the story ends for his family. The Clinton teen has been missing since Feb. 9, 2008, disappearing from Clinton after leaving a friend’s home to walk a few blocks to a grocery store, but never arriving. He was last seen near the 400 block of 10th Avenue South.

 

No one heard from him and there was no activity on his cell phone or bank account. He was last seen wearing camouflage overalls.

 

“Ben often worked overtime,” his mother Teresa Roseland, said in a recent interview, adding her son had plans for his life at the time he vanished.

 

“He was saving up his money to buy a house.”

 

Ben’s aunt, Julie Roseland Connell, added that Ben’s dream was to have his extended family in his house for Thanksgiving. Then in November 2007, he was in a serious automobile accident and was hospitalized for a time. Finally he was released to continue his recovery at home.

 

He had been home maybe a week and because he was doing better his family let him go out with his best friend. But Ben didn’t come home that night and he wasn’t home the next day.

 

“So I started calling around,” his mother remembers. When she still couldn’t locate Ben she went to the Clinton Police Department and filed a missing person report.

 

Police Capt. Tom Bohle picks up the story: “We checked with many businesses hoping to find a surveillance video. We got involved with the family, friends and many other citizens in area-wide searches. We put out press releases which were published in many different applications. It went to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. We took calls from different states and followed up on them.

 

“Unfortunately we have not found Ben, but the case remains open. If there is any information, no matter how big or how small, please send it to our criminal investigation department. All of our detectives know about the case, so any one of them would be happy to follow up. We hope we still can find him.”

 

Award was offered

 

As the searches took place, his father Jim Roseland’s employer, Titan Tires of Freeport, Ill., donated a substantial sum for a reward fund. Jim’s fellow employees also gave as they passed through the business’ gate. That fund, being held at 1st Gateway Bank, stands at $3,100. Friends of the family still contribute, through another fund, nickels and dimes they receive through gas promotions and donut stickers to help defray the costs of the continuing search.

 

Ben’s mother expressed hopes someone will listen to their conscience and come forward with information about Ben’s disappearance.

 

Meanwhile, Ben’s aunt, Julie Connell, dreams:

 

“Six years

 

“We never knew it was our last goodbye.

 

“To a mother — her son.

 

“To a father — his heir.

 

“To siblings, their sardonic court jester, brother.

 

“Days have flown by, each year, marking your loss.

 

“Birthdays, holidays, weddings, graduations, all found your absence bittersweet.

 

“Praying endless prayers with unchecked, flowing tears.

 

“Asking endless questions of where you’d gone.

 

“Fumbling in the dark without you.

 

“Lighting candles in hopes of leading you back home to us.

 

“Our hearts yearn for answers, our determination is to never give up looking for you.

 

“We love you my nephew, Ben, until we meet again.”

 

National center is assisting By Mary Lou Hinrichsen Herald Staff Writer Thirty years ago police could enter information about stolen cars, stolen guns, even stolen horses into the FBI's crime database, but not stolen or missing children. Then several tragic cases began to awaken the nation to the problem that there was no coordinated national system for addressing cases of missing children and young adults. Finally the families of murdered children began establishing their own websites. As the movement grew, Congress passed the National Missing Children's Act in 1982, which enabled the entry of missing child information into the FBI's National Crime Information Center data base, now known as NCIC. Former President Ronald Reagan officially opened the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, in 1984. Since then, says Noele Salucci, case manager for the National Center, "We will never stop looking (for missing children or young adults), No matter how old they get or how many years have passed." Forensic artists at NCMEC, using photos of Ben Roseland family members at various ages, are working on an age-progression image of him to be used in upcoming posters.

[Kelly]

http://wqad.com/2014...ng-person-case/

National organization picks up Clinton missing person case

Posted 4:38 pm, October 8, 2014, by Chris Minor, Updated at 05:17pm, October 8, 2014

here’s new interest in the case of a Clinton man missing now for six long years.

Ben Roseland was 19 years old when he vanished near the HyVee in Clinton on February 9, 2008.

A national not-for-profit organization called CUE is including the case in its upcoming national tour designed to generate new interest in cold cases.

“On the Road to Remember” is an awareness campaign that primarily focuses on missing persons cases that have gone cold.

Roseland’s family says they are also planning a vigil to try and stir up new clues.

“Sombody has gotta know something. Somebody out there has answers and they can lead us to Ben,” said Julie Connell, Roseland’s aunt.

She says there is a $3,000 reward for information leading to solving the case.

“I think its foul play. That’s the bottom line for me,” she said.

The vigil will be held on October 15th at 7:00 pm at Sacred Hearts in Clinton at 312 S. 4th Street.

[Kelly]

 

Age progressed to 25 years