23 replies to this topic

[Lori Davis]

Print a Poster: http://www.projectja...LarryRiegel.pdf

La promozione delle vendite

Photos provided by the family and edited by Project Jason




http://www.kndu.com/....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.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.yakima-he...sing-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.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.king5.com...n-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.projectja...LarryRiegel.pdf

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

[Jenn]

http://www.kndo.com/....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.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.yakima-he...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.projectja...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.findthem....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.c...azine/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.....php?topic=8179

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

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

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

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

Matthew Poole, missing from Mount Pleasant, MI since 2/5/2010
http://projectjason.....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.....php?topic=7841


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

[Kelly]

http://www.kimatv.co...l/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.charleypr...l_lawrence.html

[Kelly]

http://www.kndu.com/....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.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.wsp.wa.go...el_Lawrence.pdf
Washington State Police profile for Lawrence Riegel

[Lori Davis]

New Billboards of Missing Man

By David Mance. Published Wednesday, February 1st, 2012


New billboard of Larry Riegel

A Yakima woman hopes new billboards of her son who's been missing since Christmas Day 2009, will lead to a break in the case of his disappearance.

The billboards feature a picture of 58 year old Larry Riegel, and have been up for about a month. One can be seen on North First Street in Yakima.

Riegel's mother says past billboards haven't developed much useful information. She hopes the new ads will bring forth new information to solve her son's case.

Read more: http://www.kapptv.co...ds-missing-man/

[Lori Davis]

http://www.kimatv.co...-157095465.html

A dozen people still missing in Yakima County

By Sarah Navoy Published: Jun 4, 2012 at 6:17 PM

YAKIMA, Wash. -- A missing person's case can leave a family in a nightmare of limbo, not knowing what happened and not getting any closure. It doesn't happen often in Yakima County, but cases like Larry Riegel remain unsolved to this day.

He's gone, but he's everywhere. Albums, walls, and computer screens full of memories. Of a man CeCe Downey ranks above almost everyone.

"I've lost two husbands and I'd rather lose 100 husbands than lose one son," said Downey. "It's the worst nightmare you can imagine."

It's been more than two years since her son, Larry Riegel, seemed to simply disappear. Larry's family assumes he's dead, but they'd still like to know what happened.

The Yakima County Sheriff's Office and Yakima Police Department detectives see about 250 missing person's cases each year. Most of those are solved quickly. One like Larry Riegel is rare.

"This is not something that happens all the time here in Yakima," said Yakima Police Captain Rod Light. "There's very few long standing cases out there that haven't been resolved."

But those few cases still leave families hoping for answers. KIMA learned the Yakima Sheriff's office has six open missing person's cases. The oldest dates back to 1978. The most recent involves Jesus Gus Rodriguez reported missing in 2005 after his car was found burned on Summitview Road.

The Yakima Police Department also has six open cases of its own, including Larry's. Joseph John was the most recent open case. It closed when his body turned up in a Granger Canal.

Leaving moms like CeCe to wait on the one tip that will forever answer the toughest questions.

"You don't know if they're under that pile of straw, under that pile of manure, if they're in the river," said Downey. "Your looking all the time and you don't know."

OPEN MISSING PERSON'S CASES IN YAKIMA COUNTY

Yakima County Sheriff's Office

- John D. Whitner, 48, was reported missing in January 1995 by family members who said they had not seen him for weeks.

- Roger M. Seawright, 34, of Toppenish was reported missing in July 1998 after he didn't return from a store to get ice.

- Reyes S. Macias, 42, of Selah was reported missing in July 1999. Family members said they left their house briefly and that he was gone when they returned.

- David W. Door, 39, of Terrace Heights was reported missing in October 2001 after his empty boat was found floating in Lake Chelan.

- Linda M. Adams, 15, a chronic runaway, went missing from Pomona Road in Yakima in 1978, but her disappearance wasn't reported until 2004, at the request of the Green River Task Force.

- Jesus Gus Rodriguez, 35, was reported missing after his burned car was found on Jan. 23, 2005, in an orchard on Summitview Road. His remains were not found in the car.

Yakima Police Department Cases

- Kathleen R. Paulson, 52, a transient, was reported missing by family in 2004.

- Sally Stromberg, 51, a transient, went missing some time in 2005.

- Gregory L. Holt, 58, lived on Fairbanks Avenue, reported missing in February 2008 by his landlord.

- Jose Ortega Jimenez, 26, worked as a laborer in Naches. Fellow workers reported that he ran from the work site in March 2008, and no one has seen him since.

- Juan L. Hernandez, 28, reported missing in July 2009 by family who said they had not heard from him for two months.

- Larry Riegel, 57, disappeared from his home the evening of Christmas Day 2009. He was supposed to have dinner that night with his family.

[Kelly]

http://www.yakimaher...h-welfare-fraud

Girlfriend of missing man charged with welfare fraud
Posted on May 11, 2013

The case surrounding a Yakima man who has been missing for nearly three and a half years took an interesting turn Friday.

Larry Riegel, a disabled 57-year-old contract pilot, has not been in contact with his family since Christmas Day 2009. His face has periodically been plastered on billboards around town, and he was recently listed on the Project Jason missing-persons website. His family has offered $10,000 for clues about his disappearance.

Yakima police consider him a possible, if not probable, victim of foul play. And they consider his girlfriend, who was the last person to see him alive, a person of interest in his disappearance.

Against that backdrop, Riegel’s girlfriend, 51-year-old Ladena Mann, appeared by summons Friday in Yakima County Superior Court on felony welfare fraud charges linked to Riegel’s disappearance.

According to state welfare-fraud investigators, Mann used Riegel’s electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card several times in the weeks after Riegel’s disappearance for $1,503 in financial assistance, including groceries.

They said she also filled out an EBT-card eligibility form claiming Riegel still lived with her at her home in the 1500 block of South 12th Avenue, even though by then he had been missing for more than two months.

As a result, prosecutors filed three charges against Mann: first-degree theft (welfare fraud), second-degree perjury and false verification for public assistance. All three charges are felonies.

Mann, who is free on her own recognizance, spoke with the Yakima Herald-Republic after the arraignment and said she was unaware that investigators consider her a suspect in Riegel’s disappearance.

According to Mann, Riegel called several people — including his boss, whom she didn’t identify — in the first two months after his alleged disappearance.

Describing herself as “absolutely” certain Riegel is still alive somewhere, possibly in Idaho or Montana, Mann lashed out at his relatives, accusing them of having a vendetta against her.

She disputed claims the 6-foot-2 Riegel was physically vulnerable after having had neck surgery, and claimed his mother has suspiciously left town every Mother’s Day for the past three years.

“Right off the get-go, they started saying horrible things about me,” she said. “They didn’t have no reason to say those things ... It’s just snowballed.”

Riegel was an abusive drunk, Mann said, alleging he took off the night of Jan. 4, 2010, and hasn’t been seen since because he assaulted her that night and she got a warrant against him for domestic violence the next day.

As for why she used his EBT card, she said she always did the shopping and that she expected him to return home someday with his tail between his legs — and expecting food in the pantry.

“I’m the only one who ever used it,” she said of the card, adding, “I didn’t know when he was going to come home. ... I’m so stupid. I took him back every single time.”

In a brief interview earlier Friday, Yakima police Lt. Nolan Wentz confirmed he recently took over the missing-persons case following the retirement of the original detective assigned to it.

Wentz was hesitant to discuss the case in detail, except to say that investigators believe Riegel’s disappearance was out of character and to confirm Mann was the last person known to have seen him alive.

Asked if that made her a suspect, the veteran detective said, “The last person to see someone alive would certainly be a person of interest.”

Told of the charges against Mann, Riegel’s sister and family spokeswoman, Susan Riegel of Snohomish, emphasized the family continues to maintain a $10,000 reward in the case.

She also said the reward money is for information that leads directly to the recovery of her brother’s body.

“Let’s just say we’ve been waiting for justice for a long time,” she said. “And we’re hoping this (the welfare fraud charges) will kick-start something.”

[Kelly]

http://www.yakimaher...for-missing-man
 
Yakima police searching two properties for missing man (raw video)  
Posted on July 11, 2013
 
By Chris Bristol
Yakima Herald-Republic
 
YAKIMA, Wash. — Search warrants are being carried out this morning at properties in Yakima and Moxee in the long-running case of Yakima resident Larry Riegel, who was last heard from by family members on Christmas 2009.
 
Click to Watch Attached Video →
What had been a missing person case is now a death investigation, said Yakima Police Department spokesman Rod Light said.
 
Search warrants are being carried out a home at 1520 S. 12th Ave., where Riegel once rented a room. Another search warrant is being carried out on Bell Road in Moxee.
 
A police department mobile command center has been set up at the intersection of Yakima’s 12th Avenue and King Street near a double-wide mobile home that is being searched. Investigators have been seen carrying shovels to a spot behind a garage behind the home.
 
Riegel, a disabled 57-year-old contract pilot, has not been in contact with his family since Christmas Day 2009. His face has appeared on billboards around Yakima and his family has offered $10,000 for clues about his disappearance.

 

Previously police said they considered him a possible, if not probable, victim of foul play. And they consider his girlfriend, Ladena Mann, who was the last person to see him alive, a person of interest in his disappearance.
 
The 12th Avenue home is owned by Mann, who earlier this year was charged with theft when she was accused of using Riegel’s electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card several times in the weeks after his disappearance for $1,503 in financial assistance, including groceries.
 
Speaking to the Yakima Herald-Republic in May, Mann described herself as “absolutely” certain Riegel was still alive somewhere, possibly in Idaho or Montana. Mann lashed out at his relatives, accusing them of having a vendetta against her.
 
Since Riegel’s disappearance, investigators have interviewed countless witnesses, Light said.
Based on conflicting information from witnesses, investigators developed probable cause for a search warrant, Light said.
 
The search warrant seeks further information about the death or physical evidence that might be pertinent to his remains, Light said.
 
Family website: findlarryriegel.com

[Kelly]

http://www.yakimaher...rch-for-missing

 

Police use cadaver dogs to search for missing man, come up empty  

Posted on July 12, 2013

By Chris Bristol

Yakima Herald-Republic

 

The long-running case of Larry Riegel, Yakima’s best-known missing person, ramped up Thursday as investigators and cadaver dogs searched locations in Yakima and Moxee.

The use of the cadaver dogs to search the properties and homes of Riegel’s former girlfriend and her sister left little doubt as to what investigators believe happened to Riegel.

What had been a missing person case is now a death investigation, said Yakima Police Department spokesman Capt. Rod Light.

No remains were found, however, leaving investigators stumped as to their next step in the search for Riegel, a 57-year-old contract pilot who was last heard from by family members on Christmas Day 2009.

“We’ll round-table it now and figure out where to go next,” Light said.

Riegel’s disappearance has been well publicized by his relatives. They put his face on billboards around town, plastered the city with missing person fliers, and have maintained the website findlarryriegel.com, offering a standing reward of $10,000 for the recovery of his body.

Previously, police said they considered him a possible, if not probable, victim of foul play. And they considered Ladena Mann, his girlfriend and the last person to see him alive, a person of interest in his disappearance.

Their suspicions became public in May when Mann, 51, was charged with theft for using Riegel’s electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card several times in the weeks after his disappearance.

The searches were carried out at Mann’s home on South 12th Avenue, where Riegel was living at the time of his disappearance. The other property was a home on Bell Road in Moxee owned by Mann’s sister.

Light said investigators have interviewed countless witnesses and developed probable cause for search warrants based on conflicting information from some of those witnesses.

Although no remains were found Thursday, he said investigators did collect some items as evidence. Asked to elaborate, he declined.

In a brief interview Thursday afternoon, a tearful Mann said she felt harassed by the police and by Riegel’s family, but otherwise declined to comment on the advice of her attorney in the theft case.

In May, she told the Yakima Herald-Republic she was certain Riegel was still alive somewhere, possibly in Idaho or Montana, and accused Riegel’s family of having a vendetta against her.

She called Riegel an abusive drunk who left the night of Jan. 4, 2010, after assaulting her, and said she got a warrant against him for domestic violence the next day.

Also on Thursday, just blocks away at the home of Candy Jarvis, one of Riegel’s four sisters, family members of the missing man gathered to discuss the day’s events. They refute allegations of any assault and say it would be highly uncharacteristic for Riegel to go any length of time without contacting family members.

Susan Riegel Vaughan, another sister and a spokeswoman for the family, praised the efforts of investigators in recent months and said she hopes the searches yield some useful clues.

She said her relatives are convinced Riegel is dead and that the goal now is to bring his killer or killers to justice.

Toward that goal, she emphasized that the $10,000 reward remains in effect, providing it leads to the recovery of his remains.

“Somebody saw something,” she said. “Somebody saw something unusual in the middle of the night or something strange going on in somebody’s backyard. ... They may not even realize it, but they know something.”

She noted the family soon will be unveiling a new round of billboards asking, “Who killed Larry Riegel?”

[Kelly]

http://www.yakimaher...ching-for-larry

Four years later, family still searching for Larry Riegel

Posted on December 31, 2013
By Rafael Guerrero / Yakima Herald-Republic

Susan Riegel Vaughan can so clearly recall her older brother Larry’s outgoing, “larger-than-life” personality that she can easily imagine what he’d be doing if he was with her at the moment.

“If Larry was in the room, he’d be front and center right now,” Riegel Vaughan said in a recent interview.

But Larry is not in the room. In fact, no one has seen him in years.

Larry Riegel was last heard from Christmas Day four years ago. Once considered a missing-person case, his disappearance is now considered a homicide investigation. Family members and police continue searching for answers in the case, which has achieved an unusual prominence, thanks to his family’s diligence in keeping it before the public, including by paying for large billboards around the community that feature his image.

Vaughan and Yakima police recently sat down to discuss the case with the Yakima Herald-Republic.

“It’s down to the point where we’re trying to bring this to everybody’s forefront again,” said Yakima police Lt. Nolan Wentz.

Riegel was a 57-year-old contract pilot with a carpentry business when he was last seen. He was supposed to have a belated Christmas dinner with his sisters on Dec. 26, 2009, but he never showed up or called. No one has seen him since. His girlfriend said in May that he was still around on Jan. 4, 2010.

This summer, investigators searched locations in Yakima and Moxee for his body. No remains have been found, and investigators are frustrated that there is still little physical evidence of his whereabouts.

However, police have released new details surrounding events leading up to and just after Riegel’s disappearance. Two months before he went missing, Riegel underwent neck surgery. Wentz, who now helms the investigation, spoke with Larry’s doctors and surgeon in March and concluded that he would not have been able to travel on his own because he was still recovering from the surgery. He was a “mess” physically, Wentz said.

Riegel’s oldest son, Brian, tried calling him numerous times from Christmas night through early January but did not get a reply, said Vaughan. The sister, who now lives in Issaquah, said his brother and nephew would usually talk to each other about “half a dozen times a day.”

Wentz said they have also refuted reports from the public that Riegel was seen in some Lower Valley bars and homes, as well as reports he had left for other states such as Idaho, Montana or Alaska.

There is a lot of speculation as to what really happened, he said.

“This is a really big puzzle,” said Wentz, who took over the investigation in fall 2012. “The longer it goes, the more pieces of this puzzle are out there. We’re finding that the puzzle keeps growing.”

Riegel’s family, meanwhile, continues to raise public awareness of his disappearance in hopes of finding new clues.

They have put his face on billboards around town, plastered the city with missing-person fliers, maintained the website findlarry riegel.com, and are offering a standing reward of $10,000 for the recovery of his body.

This week, the family will renew its billboard campaign, asking “Who killed Larry Riegel?” They say they are convinced foul play is a factor in his disappearance.

The billboards will be on the First Street corridor, with plans to add more in the Lower Valley.

Wentz said there are now at least “two or three” persons of interest in the investigation. He only added that they were “very close to Larry.”

Police have previously identified Ladena Mann, Riegel’s girlfriend, as a person of interest.

In May, Mann was charged with welfare fraud, perjury and false verification for using Riegel’s electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card several times in the weeks after his disappearance.

Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Hagarty said Mann was placed into a diversion program, which will see charges dismissed if she reimburses the state and meets other provisions. Court documents show she will finish the program in August.

She could not be reached for comment Monday.

Last July, Mann told the Herald-Republic she has felt harassed by the police and Riegel’s family, but declined further comment on the advice of her attorney in the theft case.

Two months earlier, she told the paper she was certain that Riegel was still alive elsewhere and accused his family of having a vendetta against her.

Discussions with top Yakima police officials last year were encouraging, said Susan’s husband, Tim Vaughan.

“They said, ‘We apologize, we have not done our job better and we are going to,’” he said. “It blew us away, it really did.”

Vaughan said she looks forward to the day police call her with the news her family seeks.

When she speaks, she often mentions how close she was to her brother.

“I know if the roles were reversed, he’d be out looking for me,” she said.

[Deborah]

Larry is still missing.

 

NamUs Profile

https://www.findthem.../cases/4753/20/

[Kelly]

http://www.cdljobs.c...g-the-lost-home

 

Monday, 29 December 2014

 

Missing Persons: Help Bring The Lost Home

 

This month's edition honors those missing during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. This time of year can bring excruciating pain to the families of missing persons. Traditions are shattered as families try to make sense of a traumatic event and how each facet of life is altered, especially moments and days we expect to be joy-filled. They struggle to recapture the meaning of the season when dark thoughts and fears prevail.

 

With your help to spread the word about these missing persons, families are once again given hope, and then the world seems to come alive again for them with the goodness and light that comes from kindness and love for one another.

 

If you are so moved, please consider Project Jason and the families of the missing in your charitable donation giving plan. Project Jason and CDLjobs.com extend our warmest holiday wishes to you and yours.

 

Missing Person Campaign Information - December 2014

 

Please take a moment of your time to view the December 2014 campaign featured below. You may click on the image to print and share the poster and help reunite families.

 

 

Click On The Faces Below For More Information

 

Name: Beverly Meadows

 

Date of Birth: 12/31/1959
Date Missing: 12/26/2008
Age at time of disappearance: 48
Missing From: Marshall, TX
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 5 ft 3 in
Weight: Approx. 240
Hair Color: Dark Brown, some gray
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Complexion: Medium

Identifying Characteristics: Small mole under left eye

Clothing: Navy blue pull on shirt with Harley-Davidson emblem on the front, Blue jeans and flip-flop shoes

 

Beverly was last seen at the Community Care Nursing Home in Marshall, Texas, where she was a resident. It is believed that she walked out of the facility and did not take any personal belongings with her. She has medical conditions that require her to take medication daily.

 

If you have information regarding Beverly, please contact the Marshall Texas Police Department at (903) 935-4546.
 

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, WA
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

 

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.

 

Please call the Yakima Police Department at (509) 576-6573, if you may be able to reunite Larry with his family.
 

 

Name: Kerry Graham

 

Alias Karla
Date of Birth: 11/12/1963
Date Missing: 12/24/1979
Age at time of disappearance: 16
Missing From: Forestville, CA
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 4 ft 11 in
Weight: 92 lbs
Hair Color: Dark Blonde
Eye Color: Green

Identifying Characteristics: At the time of her disappearance, she needed glasses. She smokes cigarettes.

Clothing: She was wearing high-waisted pants with a tucked-in short sleeve, fuzzy jacket and platform shoes.

Jewelry: She wore multiple rings on each finger, a choker style necklace, bracelets, and a watch with a chain-like band.

 

Kerry was last seen walking downhill from her parents house to River Rd with a female friend. Neither girl has been seen or heard from again. They had friends in New Jersey and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

 

Please contact the Sonoma California County Sheriff at (707) 565-2650 with any information.

Name: Dori Myers

 

Date of Birth: 09/03/1962
Date Missing: 01/11/2006
Age at time of disappearance: 43
City Missing From: Ft. Pierce, FL
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 5 FT 3 IN
Weight: 110 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown

Complexion: Fair Identifying Characteristics: Dori has tattoos on her back, earlobe, left leg and abdomen. She wears glasses and/or contacts.

Jewelry: Gold Harley necklace, "Lil Sis" pendant on chain

 

Dori was last seen with 2 unidentified males at her home. Neighbors reported that Dori's house was on fire at 3:00 AM. They stated they saw her car going down the street. The car was found 5 hours later burned.

 

If you have information regarding Dori's disappearance, please call the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office at (772) 462-3230.

 

 

Name: Bobbi Ann Campbell

 

Date of Birth: 04/25/70
Missing Since: 1/7/1995
Missing From: Salt Lake City, UT
Age at time of disappearance: 24
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 5 ft 1in
Weight: 105
Hair Color: blonde
Eye Color: blue/green

 

Characteristics: She has a 2 inch scar on her right shoulder and several tattoos: a rose on her left calf, and a mushroom and sunbeam on her right leg..

 

Bobbi Ann went to the grocery store and left her daughter at a friends house and was never heard from again.

 

Please contact the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office at (801) 743-7000 if you have information to report.

Name: April Wiss

 

 

Date of Birth: Sep 1, 1983
Missing: Jan 11, 2000
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)
Missing From: Wichita, KS

 

April was last seen on January 11, 2000 at her residence in Wichita, Kansas. She has three dots tattooed on her left hand and she also has scars on her left hand.

 

She was last seen leaving an apartment complex in the 500 block of Marion Road in Wichita, Kansas on January 11, 2000. Her friend told authorities that she saw Wiss heading towards Pawnee Street and Broadway Street between 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM that evening. Investigators believe that she may have had her pager, apartment keys and wallet with her as well.

 

April has never been heard from again. She was scheduled to testify in a felony trial two days after her disappearance. Authorities do not know if her disappearance is connected to the trial or if other factors are involved in her case. While she was initially classified as a runaway, investigators have since stated that she vanished under unclear circumstances.

 

Please contact the Wichita Police Department at (316) 337-6552 with information regarding April's disappearance.
 

Name: Carlos Diaz

 

Date of Birth: 11/10/1954
Date Missing: 12/23/1986
Age at time of disappearance: 32
Missing From: Bronx, NY
Gender: Male
Race: Hispanic
Height: 5 ft 7 in
Weight: 170 lbs
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Complexion: Fair

 

Identifying Characteristics: Has the initials C.D tattooed on his left hand

 

Carlos was last seen at his family's home. The family dog died and he went to bury the animal. He did not have any identification with him. After a long period of time, Carlos' brother went to look for him and found that the dog was still not buried. Carlos was never seen again. Carlos left behind a baby daughter and family. His family feels he would have never left on his own. Carlos had previously suffered a head injury and has another medical condition. Doctors stated it was possible that Carlos could have memory loss.

 

If you have information to report to help find Carlos, please contact the New York City Police Department at (212) 473-2042.

 

 

Help Support the Project Jason Cause

 

By spending only a moment of your time, you may help to reunite a family at a very difficult time of the year. Have you seen any of these missing persons? Be a part of the Awareness Angels Network and call the appropriate agency listed. The staff of CDLjobs.com and Project Jason thank you for your time. Be safe!

[Kelly]

http://www.nbcnews.c...-riegel-n480336

What Happened to Larry Riegel?

by Rachael Trost
1/3/2016

Christmas fell on a Friday the year Larry Riegel disappeared.

"This year, all of the dates line up exactly the way they were in 2009. We had our Christmas family dinner on the 26th and that's when we knew something was wrong," Larry's sister Susan Riegel Vaughn told Dateline.

Larry, a 57-year-old contract pilot, had briefly seen his mother Christmas morning when she dropped by the Yakima, Washington home he shared with his girlfriend, Ladena Mann, to drop off some holiday gifts. He phoned her again later to say thank you and that he was looking forward to seeing her at the family party the following evening.

But the 26th party came and went without word from Larry. Several days turned into several weeks, and then several stories soon emerged about what may have become of the social, outdoorsman father of two.

Where was Larry? It's still a question to which his family will simply not give up hunting for answers.

"My poor mother. She's 86 and doesn't know what's happened to her only son," Sally Green, another of Larry's four sisters, told Dateline. "We're going to do whatever we have to in order to get those answers."

A Family's Search

It's fair to say the first "investigator" in Larry's case was one of his sisters, Susan Vaughn. Since the winter Larry disappeared, she has chased down leads and kept binders of information that could possibly one day hold the ticket to crack the case.
An old family photo showing Larry and his four sisters. Riegel Family

"I remember driving from my house on the west side of the state to Larry's on the 28th. I just knew something was up and he wasn't there. I sat in my car and called my husband in tears and just said it's something really bad. Something is really wrong," recalls Susan, who added that she and her brother were incredibly close.

Countless calls were made to all of Larry's friends. No one had heard from him since Christmas day; not his friends at any of the hunting lodges from across Idaho and into Montana he visited, nor local buddies he was known to play cards with from time to time, not even his two now-adult children had their calls to Larry returned that holiday.

Susan says she began driving back to Yakima more and more, going door to door to talk to people who may be possible witnesses and asking whomever she could about her brother's last movements.

Years soon ticked on, but answers never came. A private investigator was hired, funded by the family, and a cadaver dog was brought in during the summer of 2010 to sniff around an area they thought Larry could have been buried. Nothing, however, was uncovered.

To make matters more troubling, family members say Larry had undergone neck surgery to address some neurological and pain issues in his upper back just a few weeks prior to his disappearance.

They say he was physically weak and "vulnerable" at the time.

"My brother told my mom about a week before he disappeared that if something happened to him, Ladena did it," Larry's sister Sally told Dateline. "As simple as that. And now he's been missing for years."

The Last Person to See Larry

Police have said they consider Ladena Mann, Larry's girlfriend at the time, a possible suspect in the case.

Ladena told authorities that she and Larry began to argue the night of January 4th, 2009. That's when she said he tried to physically assault her before he walked out of their home into the night and simply never returned, although family members say she has told them varying other stories before this one.

Ladena could not be reached for comment for this article, but gave an interview to the Yakima Herald-Republic in 2013 disputing any ideas that she was involved in Larry's disappearance.

"Right off the get-go, they started saying horrible things about me," Mann told the paper. "They didn't have no reason to say those things ... It's just snowballed."

In 2013, Ladena was charged with welfare fraud for allegedly using Larry's electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card several times in the weeks after he disappeared for roughly $1,500 in financial assistance, according to state welfare-fraud investigators.

She told the Yakima Herald-Republic, following her arraignment on those charges, that she had always done the shopping and expected Larry to return home some day, expecting food to be in the pantry.

Also, Ladena has told authorities that Larry had at times physically abused her, especially after he had been drinking.

Family members admit Larry's main vice was alcohol and that his drinking played a big role in the break-up of his first marriage. However, they dispute Ladena's claim saying there is no way Larry would have hurt anyone no matter how many drinks he had.

A Death Investigation Without a Body

Lt. Nolan Wentz of the Yakima Police Department has been running down leads in Larry's case for nearly three years. Wentz was doing internal investigations at the time when the department's captain recommended he take a look at the case.

"Usually when people hand me a missing person's case, it's a homicide. And I believe this is the case here too," Wentz told Dateline.

Countless hours have been spent tracking each person who may play a role in the puzzle of the case. But perhaps the people who may hold the best possible key have not yet been identified.

"The neighbors across the street from Larry and Ladena's home said that shortly after Larry went missing, two men moved a lot of boxes out of that place. They thought maybe she was moving away. But I have not been able to find those men," said Lt. Wentz. "I would love to talk with them."

The last calls Larry made were to a man who was renting a family property that Larry was overseeing. Lt. Wentz says he believes Larry made several calls that day as the man's rent was past due. That gentleman has since passed away though, so it's unclear if he may have seen Larry that Christmas afternoon or if he knew anything about the case.

Family members continue to push Larry's face and story out in the community. Fundraisers, flyers and online postings are a frequent part of the family's mission.

Over the years, several billboards have been put up asking for tips.

Authorities hope that the consistent exposure may spark someone to finally saying what they may know. It's a thought Larry's family echoes.

"They say eventually people divorce and friendships go south. And pretty soon people will rat out other people," said Larry's sister Susan. "As sad as it sounds, you just hope someone comes across a bone."

Moving Forward

Larry Riegel was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. He was social, always making conversation with whomever surrounded him, and he is consistently described as a gregarious guy. He's a father of two and attended his daughter's wedding four months before he went missing.

The Riegel family has funded another billboard to be put up in Yakima, to go up Monday January 4th of this year. It has the phrase 'WE WILL NEVER STOP' with a photo of Larry's mother bookended by his sister Susan and Lt. Wentz. The family's website is printed in red letters along with the anonymous tip line through the Yakima County Crime Stoppers.

Those in the community know which case the billboard is in reference to.

"Some of the guys in the department laugh at me sometimes because I always have a shovel and gloves with me," said Lt. Wentz. "I'll go exploring. I've dug holes all over this county just looking."

The family continues to update the FindLarryReigel.com webpage, designed and coded by a family friend. One of Larry's nieces runs the 'Find Larry Riegel' Facebook page. Whatever they can do, the family says, they will, until justice is found for Larry.

"Larry deserves justice and we're going to find it," Larry's sister Sally told Dateline. "Whatever we have to do."

If you know anything regarding Larry's case, please contact the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at (509) 574-2500 or the Yakima County Crime Stoppers at (800) 248-TIPS. You can leave a tip anonymously. There is a $10,000 reward, offered by the family, for information leading to the recovery of Larry's remains.

The family also mentioned that Larry has worn a custom-opal ring on his ring finger since his early 20s, adding that it's almost one of a kind. It's never been found. They hope that, perhaps, if that ring can be uncovered, it may lead to Larry's body.