50 replies to this topic

[Kelly]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEBRASKA STATE PATROL
www.statepatrol.nebraska.gov
Contact: Deb Collins 402-479-4985 or
Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office 402-274-3139
December 4, 2010


         
Search Underway for Missing
Peru State College Co-ed

(Lincoln, NE)- The Nebraska State Patrol is assisting the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and Peru State College, with the search for a missing Co-ed.

At 3:00 a.m. Friday, Dec. 3, 2010, Tyler (Ty) Thomas- (DOB 9/7/91) - was reported missing after attending an off-campus party in Peru.  She was last seen at 1:30 a.m. walking toward the Centennial Complex residence hall on the southwest side of Peru.

A Bellevue resident, Thomas is a freshman at Peru State College. She is a black female, 5’5” tall, 140 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muffs.

The Nebraska State Patrol helicopter is assisting with an aerial search of the community. Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Tyler (Ty) Thomas is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office a 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEBRASKA STATE PATROL
www.statepatrol.nebraska.gov
Contact: Deb Collins 402-479-4985 or
Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office 402-274-3139
December 4, 2010

Search Called Off for Missing Peru State College Student

(Peru, NE)-  Authorities have called off the search for missing student Tyler (Ty) Thomas. Thomas remains missing. Law Enforcement will continue to actively pursue and investigate leads as they become available.

Authorities are asking area residents, especially farmers, to look in their barns, out buildings, unlocked vehicles, ditches and fields for any signs of the missing student. Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Thomas is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office at 402-274-3139.

More than 150 volunteers joined the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) and Nemaha County Sheriff’s Deputies in the search for missing student Tyler (Ty) Thomas today. Volunteers canvassed Peru and a three to five-mile radius of rugged terrain on foot, by ATV and with other vehicles. An NSP helicopter conducted an aerial search.

Thomas (DOB 9/7/91) was reported missing at 3:00 a.m., Friday, Dec. 3, 2010, after attending an off-campus party in Peru. She was last seen at 1:30 a.m., walking toward the Centennial Complex residence hall on the southwest side of Peru.

A Bellevue resident, Thomas is a freshman at Peru State College. She is a black female, 5’5” tall, 140 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muff.

[Kelly]

http://www.journalde...College-student

State Patrol joins search for missing Peru State College student


By Dan Swanson
GateHouse News Service
Posted Dec 04, 2010 @ 12:08 PM

Nebraska City, Neb. —

The Nebraska State Patrol is assisting the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office and Peru State College, with the search for a missing co-ed.

At 3 a.m. Friday, Dec. 3 Tyler (Ty) Thomas, 19, was reported missing after attending an off-campus party in Peru.  She was last seen at 1:30 a.m. walking toward the Centennial Complex residence hall on the southwest side of Peru.

A Bellevue resident, Thomas is a freshman at Peru State College. She is a black female, 5’5” tall, 140 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muffs.

The Nebraska State Patrol helicopter is assisting with an aerial search of the community. Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Tyler (Ty) Thomas is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office a 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.ketv.com/...478/detail.html



Search Under Way For Missing Peru State Student
Tyler Thomas Last Seen Early Friday Morning

POSTED: 12:16 pm CST December 4, 2010
UPDATED: 1:41 pm CST December 4, 2010

PERU, Neb. -- A search was under way Saturday for a missing Peru State College student.

The Nebraska State Patrol said Tyler Thomas, 19, was reported missing at 3 a.m. Friday after attending an off-campus party in Peru. She was last seen at 1:30 a.m. walking toward the Centennial Complex residence hall.

Thomas, from Bellevue, is a freshman at Peru State. She is 5-feet 5-inches tall and weighs 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muffs.

The State Patrol helicopter is helping the Nemaha County Sheriff's office in the search for Thomas.

Anyone with information about Thomas is asked to call the sheriff's office at 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.wowt.com/..._111325044.html

Peru State College Student Missing
Last seen on campus early Friday morning

Authorities Saturday called off the search for a missing Peru State College student even though she hasn't been found.

Posted: 5:27 PM Dec 4, 2010

Authorities Saturday called off the search for a missing Peru State College student even though she hasn't been found.

The Nebraska State Patrol says more than 150 volunteers joined authorities in the search for 19-year-old Tyler "Ty" Thomas, a freshman from Bellevue. The patrol searched by air as volunteers canvassed Peru and the surrounding area southeast of Nebraska City.

Peru residents are urged to check unlocked vehicles, sheds, fields and outbuildings for signs of Thomas, who was last seen about 1:30 a.m. Friday as she left an off-campus party and walked to the Centennial Complex Residence Hall. She was reported missing at 3 a.m.

Thomas is 5-feet-5 and weighs 140 pounds. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and earmuffs.

The patrol says authorities will continue the investigation as information becomes available. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Department at 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13618117


Search Called Off for Missing College Student

Posted: Dec 04, 2010 9:32 PM CST

Peru, NE - It's been two days and two cold nights since a college student from Bellevue disappeared from the Peru State College campus. Saturday, 150 volunteers searched for Tyler Thomas, in a wooded three square mile area in southeast Nebraska.

"It really didn't sink in until I saw her family crying in the hall. Then I was like wow, this could be serious," says Peru State College senior Josh Keadle.

Keadle was one of the last people to see Thomas Thursday night on his way home from the movies.

"We were driving back and she was just walking along. The only reason that I really noticed her is that she didn't have a jacket on. It was pretty cold that night," says Keadle.

He saw Thomas only half a block from the Centennial Dorms early Friday morning. Saturday, the Nebraska State Patrol, Nemaha County Sheriff's Office and volunteers searched for Thomas.

"It's pretty rugged terrain. We spent a lot of time in ravines in the woods, just looking to see if we could find anything," says Peru State College President Dan Hanson.

With darkness comes sadness, a tight knit student body, emotionally stressed. "Of course many students know who she is. It's a small school and it's very difficult," says Hanson.

Tonight, the Peru community gathered together for a vigil, hoping prayer will bring Thomas home.

Authorities are asking area residents, especially farmers, to look in barns, out buildings, unlocked vehicles, ditches and fields for any sign of Thomas. Anyone with information is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office at 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13620471

Friends and Family Search for Missing Nebraska Student

12/5/2010

Peru, NE - It's been more than 48 hours and still no sign of a missing college student.

Authorities say friends last saw 19 year old Tyler Thomas heading back to her dorm from a party early Friday morning.

Sunday friends and loved ones search an area around Peru state.

Trudging through the woods volunteers scoured the City of Peru, looking for any signs of 19 year old Tyler Thomas.

"The community just doesn't want to stop. They want to find something and help bring Ty home," says Peru State Student

The freshman at Peru State disappeared early Friday morning.

She was last seen about half a block from the centennial dorms, where she lives. Friends say she was on her way home from a party at the time.

Sunday more than 100 people from the school and throughout the community hit the streets.

By foot, car and ATV they're following maps set out by the sheriff's department on areas where Thomas could be.

"I just thinking she went out to have some fun and between here and the next morning you know something just didn't go right," says friend Alicia Bender.

"We're a small school. We know our students, we're concerned about them and our students know each other. We know Ty and we really want to find her," says Peru State President Dan Hanson.

Hugs and tears can been seen across the school, the disappearance rocking the tight knit campus, but without much information friends hoping for the best, but fearing the worst.

Police are asking residents in the area to look around for any signs of the Tyler Thomas.

While police investigate the disappearance friends say they will keep searching until she's found.

[Kelly]

http://www.ncnewspre...s-called-is-off


Peru student remains missing as search is called is off


By Dan Swanson
GateHouse News Service
Posted Dec 05, 2010 @ 12:33 PM

Nebraska City, Neb. —

Authorities have called off the search for missing student Tyler Thomas.

Thomas, 19, remains missing. She was last seen walking on the southwest side of Peru at 1:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 3, after attending an off-campus party.

The Nebraska State Patrol reports that law enforcement will continue to actively pursue and investigate leads as they become available. Authorities are asking area residents, especially famers, to look in their barns, out buildings, unlocked vehicles, ditches and fields for any signs of the missing student.

Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Thomas is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office at 402-274-3139.

More than 150 volunteers joined the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) and Nemaha County Sheriff’s Deputies in the search for missing student Tyler (Ty) Thomas.
Volunteers canvassed Peru and a three to five-mile radius of rugged terrain on foot, by ATV and with other vehicles. An NSP helicopter conducted an aerial search.

A Bellevue resident, Thomas is a freshman at Peru State College. She is a black female, 5’5” tall, 140 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muff.

[Jenn]

http://www.wowt.com/.../111371889.html



Search For Missing Student Called Off
Authorities have called off the search for a missing college student, saying they'll continue searching if any leads are found.

Posted: 6:06 AM Dec 6, 2010 Reporter: WOWT

Authorities have called off the search for a missing college student, saying they'll continue searching if any leads are found.

They're asking anyone living near Peru, Nebraska to search their garages, barns, unlocked vehicles, fields and ditches for any signs of missing 19-year-old Tyler Thomas.

Thomas is a freshman at Peru State College. She's about 5 foot 5 inches tall and about 140 pounds. She was last seen leaving an off-campus party around 1:30 Friday morning. She was wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and earmuffs.

On Saturday more than 150 volunteers searched the area, but came up with nothing.

If you have any information, call the Nemaha County sheriff's office at 402-274-3139.

[Jenn]

http://www.ketv.com/...692/detail.html

Volunteers Continue Looking For Missing Student
Tyler Thomas Last Seen Early Friday Morning

POSTED: 8:18 am CST December 6, 2010 UPDATED: 8:55 am CST December 6, 2010

PERU, Neb. -- An all-day search on Sunday for a missing Peru State College student came up empty. There's still no sign of Tyler Thomas, of Bellevue, who was reported missing early Friday morning.

The Nebraska State Patrol called off its search on Saturday, but students at the small school kept looking on Sunday.

Thomas was at an off-campus party in the small town in southeast Nebraska, when she decided to walk home just a few blocks away. She didn't show up at her residence hall.

Peru is the type of town where dorm theft is big news.

"It's been stressful, tiresome and we all want to find her," said Thomas' friend Chloe Courtier.

Organizers said 130 people joined the search on Sunday. Friends, family and people who had never met Thomas searched the parks, fields and nearby farmland outside of town.

"There's no way we're going to stop until we find her," said Peru State student Hope Voss.

"We've been really impressed with our students and their wish to be of support and their help," said Peru State College President Daniel Hanson. "We continue to be impressed with the area communities."

Courtier said she was at the same off-campus party that Thomas was at on Thursday night. She said Thomas sent her a text message just after 1 a.m. Friday.

"She said, 'Where are you at? I'm walking around,'" Courtier said.

Courtier called police two hours later.

"It's treated as a missing person right now and every lead that comes in we will follow up," said Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman.

Lottman said he had received some tips from the volunteers helping in the search, but none of them had led to much.

Officials at the college said security will be stepped up on the campus until officials learn what happened Friday morning.

Anyone with information about Tyler Thomas is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office at 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://journalstar.c...ee4bfca668.html




Peru students keep hope for missing student

By JOE DUGGAN / Lincoln Journal Star JournalStar.com | Posted: Monday, December 6, 2010 6:30 pm |


Tyler Thomas is black, 5-foot-5, 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and earmuffs.

To see more photos of Thomas and read Nebraska State Patrol news releases, go to www.peru.edu/thomas.htm. Her friends have also started a Facebook page about her.

To report information, call any law enforcement agency or the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office at (402) 274-3139.

PERU -- Outgoing, fun to be around, artistic and loving.

Those are the words Chloe Courtier used to describe her friend Tyler "Ty" Thomas, a 19-year-old Peru State College student who has been missing since early Friday morning.

"She has a smile you never forget," said Courtier, 20, a junior from Omaha.

They live across the hall from each other in a dorm on the campus of 900 students about 80 miles southeast of Lincoln. They met last summer in Omaha and quickly became friends when Thomas moved to Peru from Omaha and started attending the college this fall.

On Monday, four days since her friend last was seen, Courtier tried to use hope to combat stress, anxiety and fear.

"I just keep praying she will be found in a warm, safe place," she said.

Following two unsuccessful organized searches over the weekend, investigators are treating her disappearance as a missing person case, said Peru State College President Dan Hanson.

They have listed Thomas with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the FBI has joined the investigation, along with the Nebraska State Patrol and the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office. The investigation also is being assisted by Team Adam, a group of retired law enforcement officers who specialize in bringing national resources to missing person cases.

On Monday afternoon, Sheriff Brent Lottman said there was no new information to release.

Thomas last was seen at about 1:30 a.m. Friday after she left a party at a house three blocks north of campus. She was seen on security cameras as she walked southward across the campus on her way to the Centennial Complex, which includes Davidson residence hall.

Apparently she and a friend had some sort of disagreement at the party and Thomas decided to walk home, Hanson said. She left her purse in her room but did have her cell phone with her, according to a friend.

When Thomas failed to return to the dorm, her friends reported her missing at about 3 a.m. The sheriff's department started investigating immediately.

It's not typical for Thomas to remain out of contact with friends and family, Hanson said. She has no history of running away, and she spoke Thursday with her mother, who said she seemed fine.

The freshman, who likes art and poetry and wants to pursue a career in fashion, also recently was named captain of the school's dance squad.

The college sent out its first official communication about the disappearance Friday afternoon. Officials are urging students to be cautious and report any suspicious activity.

"We're a very close community, and everyone is watching out for one another," said Elizabeth Zito, a junior from Lincoln who is president of the Student Senate. "We're using the buddy system."

Students, faculty and staff made up a good number of the roughly 150 volunteers who helped search the wooded hills on campus and the surrounding area. Students also organized a prayer vigil Friday night on campus.

"It was very tearful and quiet but hopeful," Zito said.

On Monday, dozens of missing person fliers with photos of Thomas were up on doors, windows and bulletin boards across what's known as the Campus of a Thousand Oaks. Among them is one made by Thomas' 13-year-old brother, Dillon.

Next to a picture of his smiling sister, he wrote: "God be with you. Come home safely."

[Jenn]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13626759

Exclusive: Parents of Missing College Student Ask For Help



Peru, NE - The family of a missing college student fears for their loved one.

Peru State student, 19 year old Tyler Thomas, was last seen early Friday morning.

Her family and the community are working with law enforcement, and doing everything they can to find the young woman.

Her parents are hoping and praying she will somehow return home safely.

Tyler's mom and dad are asking for the public's help to find their daughter.

In an interview with KMTV Action 3 news family members were trying to hold back tears as they open up about the pain they're feeling and how they're handling her disappearance.

"This is not of her character, this is not her. She would never go this long without contacting someone from her family, this is not her," says Tyler's Mother LaTanya.

A family is feeling broken and lost trying to cope with the pain the best they can.

The disappearance of their daughter, 19 year old Tyler Thomas is pulling at every heart string.

"We were at home; we were at home when we found out."

"This is just something you don't ever expect, you don't expect a call like that from anybody," says Tyler's father Kevin Semans.

Ty, as she's known to her family, is described as an outgoing fun loving college freshman. Her family says she loved school and life and was the captain of a dance team. She graduated from Bryan High, in Omaha, and is pursuing an art major.

Thomas has been missing since Friday. She vanished a few blocks away from her dorm at Peru State College in southeast Nebraska.

It was just hours before she was supposed to spend the weekend with her family.

"She had plans to come home and spend time with her cousins and brother," says LaTanya.

Now her family is desperately searching to help bring their daughter home safely.

"We need as many people as possible to be on it and searching. We don't want her to get swept under the rug or anything like that so people stay on it," says Semans.

Tyler's parents say they will continue to work with the school and the police until any information is uncovered or she is found.   

Friends tell KMTV Action 3 news Tyler's cell phone was found in her dorm room the night of her disappearance. Her parents say that is unusual because she never left home without it, and was always texting or making phone calls.

Police officials say they have called in additional resources to help with the case.

The FBI and the Center for Missing and Exploited Children are both joining the investigation.

If you know anything about where Tyler Thomas may be please contact police.

Nemaha County Sheriff's Office 402-274-3139

[Kelly]

http://journalstar.c...2500712e25.html

Peru State College freshman still missing

By the Lincoln Journal Star JournalStar.com | Posted: Tuesday, December 7, 2010 7:00 pm

PERU -- Law enforcement officers and other agencies continue to investigate the whereabouts of Tyler "Ty" Thomas, a Peru State College freshman who has not been seen since early Friday morning.

The Nemaha County Sheriff's Office, the Nebraska State Patrol and the FBI are involved in the investigation.

At 3 a.m. Friday, Thomas was reported missing after attending an off-campus party in Peru. She was last seen at 1:30 a.m. walking toward the Centennial Complex residence hall on the southwest side of Peru. More than 120 students, faculty, staff and Peru residents searched for hours Saturday and Sunday in and around Peru.

A Bellevue resident, Thomas, 19, is described as a black female, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a teal shirt with green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muffs.

Anyone with information pertaining to her whereabouts is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office a 402-274-3139.

[Jenn]

http://www.omaha.com...1/712089884/102

Missing student sent odd text

Published Wednesday December 8, 2010 By Martha Stoddard WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

PERU, Neb. — Five long days and four frigid nights have passed since Tyler “Ty” Thomas vanished from this out-of-the-way college town.

Before she disappeared, the Peru State College student sent a puzzling text to a friend.

The message, sent in the early hours Friday, said Thomas didn't know where she was.

Jade Gordon of Omaha, a Peru State senior and Thomas' cousin, said she had been sitting next to the person who got the text.

That message got Thomas' friends worrying about the 19-year-old's well-being, a worry that appears well-founded as the days pass without word or sign of the Omaha Bryan High graduate.

Authorities on Tuesday finished up another day of searching with nothing new to report, said Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman.

Dogs were brought in to help law officers with the search.

Thomas was last seen about 1:30 a.m. Friday. She was reported missing about 3 a.m.

Volunteers from the college and the community joined officers for searches on Saturday and Sunday that covered areas within a three- to five-mile radius of Peru. Helicopters helped with the Saturday search.

Many steep hills and gullies covered with brush and trees run through and around the village, set in the Missouri River bluffs.

Peru State friends began looking for Thomas after getting the text message, Gordon said. They reported her missing soon after.

In retrospect, Gordon said, the message doesn't make sense.

According to authorities, Thomas was last seen walking the mile back to her dormitory from an off-campus party.

She appeared on a security camera crossing campus and was spotted about a block from her destination, near the town's water tower, about 1:30 a.m. The dormitory should have been visible from there.

Gordon said she has been told that her cousin made another phone call after sending the text. She said she doesn't know whom Thomas might have called, and there have been no contacts since.

Lottman would not confirm the reports of a text message and later phone call.

But he said authorities have followed up on all cell phone records. He said the phone company has cooperated with the search.

“We have explored everything out there,” Lottman said.

He said the Otoe County sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol and FBI are helping with the investigation.

A representative of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is on campus to assist law enforcement officers and the family, said Regan Anson, a Peru State spokeswoman.

Lottman said the FBI was brought in because of its expertise in missing person's cases, not because there has been a determination that foul play was involved in Thomas' disappearance.

“We're keeping all options open,” he said. “We're hoping that somebody knows something.”

Lottman said he was uncertain whether Thomas had been drinking the night she disappeared.

Family and friends dismiss any suggestion that the Bellevue student might have taken off on her own.

Thomas did not have a vehicle, she had left her purse and coat in her dorm room, and she had showed no signs of unhappiness, they said.

Thomas was known for her outgoing, fun and talkative personality. She recently found out she had been named captain of the college's newly formed dance team.

“She has family here. She has very, very close friends here,” said Ryan McClarty, a junior from Omaha.

Thomas' disappearance has Peru State students concerned, and they applauded the college's efforts to keep them updated on developments.

Elizabeth Busboom, a junior from Crete, said the campus has always seemed safe and friendly, but now she is “kind of paranoid.”

Peru State President Dan Hanson said the college has increased security since Friday, and he believes that has helped the mood on campus. He said what he hears from students is “hope, concern and uncertainty.”

Hope is definitely the watchword for Thomas' friends and family on campus.

“We don't really talk about her in the past tense,” Gordon said.

[Jenn]

http://www.kcautv.co....asp?S=13632502

FBI joins search for missing NE college student

Associated Press - December 7, 2010 4:25 PM ET

PERU, Neb. (AP) - The FBI has joined the search for a Nebraska college student last seen leaving an off-campus party.

Nineteen-year-old Tyler Thomas, of Bellevue, is a freshman at Peru State in Peru in southeast Nebraska. She was last seen about 1:30 a.m. Friday. She was reported missing at 3 a.m.

According to Lincoln television station KOLN/KGIN, Peru State President Dan Hanson says the FBI joined the case after the Nebraska Highway Patrol registered Thomas' disappearance with the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children.

Meanwhile, Thomas' family is praying for her safe return and asking for the public's help in finding her. Her parents told Omaha television station KMTV that her disappearance is out of character and she would never go this long without contacting her family.

[Jenn]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13634862

Search Dogs Join the Fight to Find Tyler Thomas

Peru, NE - New details in the search for missing college student, Tyler Thomas, she vanished last Friday.

We've learned the mission to find her has intensified.

Tuesday we headed to Peru State College in southeast Nebraska and found search dogs on the campus.

Students on the campus are feeling the pain with one of their own missing.

You can see the emotion on their faces as they watch the law enforcement presence growing on the campus.

Search dogs pack up for the night after combing the grounds unsuccessfully.

The sun setting on the tiny town of Peru, in southeast Nebraska, another day without answers to the question:  what happened to Tyler Thomas?

"We have tried everything available. We're trying everything available to find her, we're not we're not cutting corners," says Sheriff Brent Lottman.

We've learned Tyler was on her way back from a party at an off campus house, the house known to students as the baseball house.

We tried to talk to the person who lives there, but they have no comment.

Tyler walked about six tenths of a mile, from the baseball house to where she was last seen by the water tower, which is only a few hundred feet away from her dorm building.

Investigators say Tyler has did have cell phone with her. Students tell KMTV Action 3 news that a call or text is made right before she goes missing.

"She called one of her friends and said she didn't know where she was," says Peru State student Patrick Horn.

The Sheriff's department can't confirm or deny what the students are saying.

In an interview with KMTV Action 3 news on Monday Ty's parents says she wouldn't just take off.

"She would never go this long without contacting someone from her family, this is not her."

Meantime on campus the mood is somber. Missing posters now pinned on doors.

"It's kind of a stressful time, especially for all the students here trying to handle finals and get out and search, it's just terrible," says Peru State College Student Matt Coleman.

Investigators are still following up on leads. The Sheriff's Department says they hope someone saw or knows something. They are asking for the public's help to find Tyler Thomas.

If you know anything you are asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Department at 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.wowt.com/..._111572639.html


Arrest Made in Connection With Missing College Student
The Nemaha County Sherrif's Office has reportedly made an arrest in connection to a missing Peru State college student.

Reporter: WOWT
12/8/2010

The Nemaha County Sherrif's Office has reportedly made an arrest in connection to a missing Peru State college student.

A release on Peru State College's website Wednesday evening stated an arrest had been made in the case.
ADVERTISEMENT

The arrest is for false reporting and tampering with evidence, said Peru State College President Dan Hanson.

19-year-old Tyler Thomas was reported missing Friday, Dec. 3rd after attending an off-campus party. She was last seen walking towards a residence hall around 1:30am.

The identity of the person arrested is not known, nor what time the arrest was made.

[Kelly]

http://omaha.com/art...peru-state-case

Arrest made in Peru State case

12/8/2010

Nemaha County authorities have arrested one person in connection with the disappearance of Tyler “Ty” Thomas, a Peru State College freshman.

The person was arrested for false reporting and tampering with evidence, college president Dan Hanson said Wednesday night.

Thomas remains missing. The Sheriff’s Office said it would have no comment on the arrest until Thursday morning.

“We remain focused on supporting Tyler’s family and our student body during this difficult time,’’ Hanson said. “I am proud of the way everyone has come together and worked together in our efforts to locate Tyler.’’

Thomas, 19, was last seen about 1:30 a.m. Friday on the campus. She was returning to her dorm from an off-campus party.

Law officers and volunteers conducted several searches for Thomas in and around the Peru State campus in the past several days. The college also has tightened security on campus.

[Kelly]

NEWS RELEASE from the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office
http://www.nemahacou...ff/sheriff.html
12/9/2010


(Peru, NE)- The investigation into the disappearance of Peru State College student Tyler Thomas continues.

On Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010, investigators arrested Joshua Keadle, 29, for Providing False Information and Tampering with Evidence in connection with the investigation into Thomas’ disappearance.

Keadle, a Peru State College student, has been identified as a person of interest in the case. He remains in the Nemaha County jail pending a court appearance.

Trained search dogs from STAR1 out of Iowa, and Missouri Search and Rescue (MOSAR), out of the Kansas City area, were utilized on Tuesday, Dec. 7 & Wed., Dec. 8, 2010, in the continued attempt to locate Thomas.

The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office is being assisted in the investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Otoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska City Police Department, as well as Team Adam from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Peru State College administration and students remain cooperative with the investigation. Keadle has been suspended from Peru State College.

Anyone with information related to Thomas’ disappearance is asked to contact the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office at (402) 274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.omaha.com.../712109949/1008

Man: I had sex with missing student

http://www.omaha.com...xw=490&maxh=275

By Leslie Reed
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITERS


PERU, Neb. — The 29-year-old man being held in connection with a missing Peru State College student admitted to having sexual relations with her the night she disappeared, according to court documents.

Joshua Keadle, who is being held in connection with the disappearance of Tyler Thomas, 19, initially lied to investigators, according to documents filed in Nemaha County Court Thursday.

Keadle said he saw her walking toward her dormitory in the early morning hours Friday, but had no contact with Thomas.

In subsequent interviews with investigators, Keadle admitted to driving outside of Peru with Thomas and having sex with her in his car.

Afterwards, he said Thomas accused him of raping her and the two had a physical and verbal fight, according to court documents.

Keadle said that after the two parted, he returned to his dormitory to take a shower to try to wash off any physical evidence.

Keadle, who has been suspended from Peru State, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of false reporting and tampering with evidence, the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

Thomas, a freshman, of Bellevue, remains missing six days after she was last seen.

Keadle is being held in the Nemaha County Jail and is considered a “person of interest” in the case, according to a press release from the Sheriff's Office.

The Missouri Search and Rescue Team, based out of Kansas City, is aiding in a search of the Missouri River for Thomas, said Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri.

Keadle appeared in Nemaha County Court late last month after being charged with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, in connection with an Oct. 29 incident.

Last year, he was fined $200 and ordered to pay $320 restitution after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge in Dodge County.

Court records list his permanent address as Swansea, S.C.

In a statement Thursday, Peru State College President Dan Hanson said the college would not be providing further information about Keadle. Federal privacy law prohibits the release of student information, he said.

“We have provided information about the person of interest to law enforcement. We have and will continue to cooperate fully,” he said. “We remain focused on supporting Tyler's family, friends and our students.”

Thomas was last seen about 1:30 a.m. Friday on campus. She was returning to her dorm from an off-campus party.

She was reported missing about 3 a.m.

Law officers and volunteers have conducted several searches for Thomas in and around the Peru State campus. The college also has tightened security on campus.

The FBI, Nebraska State Patrol, Nebraska City Police and Otoe County Sheriff's Office are helping with the investigation. A representative of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also is on campus.

Trained search dogs from STAR1 of Iowa and the Missouri Search and Rescue from the Kansas City area helped in the search for Thomas Tuesday and Wednesday. The search for the student continued Thursday.

Thomas graduated from Omaha Bryan High School.

She is 5-foot-5, about 140 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a teal shirt, green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muffs.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office at 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.journalde...as-disapearance


Keadle named suspect in Thomas' disapearance

By TJ Chrastil
Syracuse Journal-Democrat
Posted Dec 09, 2010 @ 05:05 PM
Last update Dec 09, 2010 @ 05:23 PM

Syracuse, Neb. —

The Nemaha County Sheriff’s Office has named Joshua Keadle, 29, as an alleged suspect in the disappearance of Tyler Thomas. According to Channel 3 news, Joshua Keadle was the next-door neighbor to Thomas and was one of the last people to see her.

In an earlier Interview with Channel 3 News Keadle said, “It really didn’t sink in until, like, I saw her family crying outside the hallway. Then it was like, wow, this could be serious.”

Keadle said that he last saw Thomas half of a block from the Centennial Dorms early morning on Dec. 3 on his way home from the movies. “We were driving back. She was just walking alone,” said Keadle. “The only reason I really noticed her was cause she didn’t have a jacket on and it was pretty cold that night.” Keadle was a Peru State College student during the interview but has since been suspended.

According to the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Department, Keadle’s arrest has no connection with his earlier interview. Keadle was arrested Dec. 8 for providing false information and tampering with evidence in connection with the investigation into Thomas’ disappearance.

Investigators called the Peru Fire Department Thursday morning to assist the Missouri Water Patrol in search of evidence in the Missouri river near a Peru boat ramp 1.7 miles east of town.The firefighters used fire hoses to break up ice that had formed after Thomas was reported missing. Starting Wednesday, investigators searched a sqaure mile of lowlands around the boat ramp. The search today focused on the water near the boat ramp.

Thomas has been missing since early morning, Dec. 3.

[Kelly]

http://omaha.com/art...s-story-changed

Police say man's story changed

By Leslie Reed
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


PERU, Neb. — Tyler Thomas was mad and crying and wanted to go back to her dorm room.

But her friends weren't ready to leave the off-campus party where they had been drinking shots of tequila followed by swigs of beer.

Thomas left without them, they said.

In the short distance between the yellow house on the hill north of campus and her room in Davidson Hall, the Peru State College freshman was picked up by a 29-year-old student who lived in the same residence hall.

That man, Joshua W. Keadle, has been jailed in Nemaha County on suspicion of lying to police and tampering with evidence.

In a court documents filed Thursday, authorities say Keadle told police that he saw Thomas walking along Park Avenue near the Centennial residence hall in the early morning hours of Dec. 3.

He told police that he drove Thomas outside of town and had sex with her in his car. Keadle told law officers that he and Thomas had a physical and verbal fight afterward and that she accused him of raping her.

Authorities aren't saying what happened after that — whether Thomas was left alive or dead. The court documents say Keadle told police that he returned to his dorm room “later that night” and showered to remove any physical evidence of his encounter with Thomas.

Keadle is considered a “person of interest” in the case, according to a press release from the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office.

Thomas, 19, of Bellevue, had not been found as of late Thursday night.

Police were searching for her in and near the Missouri River, with the aid of the Missouri Search and Rescue Team from Kansas City.

Besides suspicion of tampering with evidence, a felony, Keadle was arrested on suspicion of making false reports to investigators for his earlier statements, in which he told law officers he had seen Thomas walking along the street that night but had no contact with her.

Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri declined to provide more details, saying he didn't want to jeopardize an ongoing investigation.

Leslie Nunez, 19, and Inori Hayashi, 18, were among the friends partying with Thomas that night. The three are members of the Paw Squad, the dance team founded by Thomas, its captain.

Nunez said she and Thomas shared clothes and frequently slept over in each other's dorm rooms.

That night, Nunez said, her friend had too much to drink and began arguing with another partygoer.

She said she took a cell phone photo of Thomas, intending to show it to her the next day — to say, “‘See, this is how you get when you're drunk, you fight too much.' It was the last one I took of her.”

Nunez said she herself had too much to drink. She said she told Thomas to “stand here with me” but at some point she lost track of her.

“I don't know if I left her or if she left me,” Nunez said. “It was a crowded party.”

Nunez said Keadle was not at the party.

She and Hayashi both said Thomas and Keadle disliked each other, and they couldn't understand why Thomas would get into a car with him.

The two friends said they disliked Keadle because he had made sexual comments to them.

At some point after she left the party, a family member has said, Thomas sent a text message to a friend saying that she didn't know where she was. Neither Nunez nor Hayashi got the text, they said.

Nunez said she's still hoping Thomas will be found alive.

“Ty cared so much about her studies and she cared so much about her dance team. She cared about her grades. Why would she miss class during dead week (the last week before final exams)? I just hope she's OK, and I hope everybody's praying like they say they are.”

On Thursday, students tied brightly colored ribbons onto a spruce tree near the Student Center in Thomas' honor.

“Missing” posters were displayed in the windows of campus buildings and downtown businesses. One business owner, who declined give her name, said townspeople feel wrenched by the incident. They take pride in providing a safe place for Peru students, she said.

“It's been a tough week,” said college President Dan Hanson. “None of us wants to lose hope.”

For the time being, the college is doing what it can to support Thomas' family and to answer questions raised by students and parents.

More than 100 students signed a banner in the Student Center wishing for Thomas' safe return.

Students said they remain puzzled about what happened to her. The party she attended was only a few blocks from campus.

“Nobody knows what to think,” said Kimberly Miller, 20, of Cheyenne, Wyo. “We're just shocked.”

Miller and Megan Stevens, 20, of McCool Junction, Neb., said they're a little more cautious, but they still walk on campus at night. Stevens said she holds her keys between her fingers for self-defense when she does.

Several students said they were among the hundreds of volunteers who helped search for Thomas last weekend. They're convinced that she's nowhere to be found on or near campus.

“Our searches were really thorough,” said Sean Lawler, 19, a freshman from Oakland, Neb.

Lawler and his buddy, Kyle Rieken, a 20-year-old junior from Tecumseh, Neb., said they coached a flag football team that included Thomas as a member.

“It's hard to believe she'd get kidnapped, because she's a tough girl. She would fight,” Lawler said.

Keadle is a junior studying sports management and exercise science. The Sheriff's Office reported that he had been suspended from school, but Peru State officials said privacy laws prevent them from saying whether the suspension came before or after Thomas' disappearance.

Keadle already faced a criminal mischief charge in Nemaha County Court for an Oct. 29 incident in which he broke the door to his residence hall room. Ligouri said the door wouldn't open, so Keadle allegedly broke it open.

Last year, Keadle was fined $200 and was ordered to pay $320 restitution after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge in Dodge County.

Court records list his permanent address as Swansea, S.C.

Thomas, of Bellevue, graduated from Omaha Bryan High School.

The African-American student is 5-foot-5, about 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a teal shirt, green sweat pants, a scarf and ear muffs.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office at 402-274-3139.

[Kelly]

http://www.action3ne....asp?S=13655944

Arrest Warrant Issued For Keadle In Another County

12/10/2010

Omaha, NE - From your breaking news station, new information in the case of Peru State College student Tyler Thomas missing for more than a week now.

Friday night, an arrest warrant is out for Joshua Keadle considered a person of interest in Thomas's disappearance. Court documents filed yesterday show Keadle admitted to driving to a boat dock near the Missouri River where he had sexual relations with Thomas the night she vanished. Since investigators started questioning Keadle, we've learned he attended three colleges in Nebraska in the last three years: Midland Lutheran, Wayne State and Peru State. The warrant filed today concerns allegations from his time at Wayne State. The arrest warrant issued late this afternoon in Norfolk for an incident police say happened in April of this year.

29-year-old Joshua Keadle linked to the disappearance of Peru State freshman Ty Thomas arrested earlier this week for tampering with evidence and providing false information.

Friday, a warrant for his arrest in a separate crime.

Madison County issuing the warrant for public indecency, a crime he's accused of committing last April. Friday, investigators scour the scene and even the bottom of the Missouri River searching for any evidence of Thomas.

"We're definitely here for specific reasons," Chief Deputy Kris Baker said.

Today, investigators exclusively take KMTV Action 3 News behind the tape, just down the river bank where heavy tire tracks leading directly to the river.

"We're definitely closer than we were a week ago," Baker said. "We're not where we want to be, we're not where Ty's family wants us to be but we're doing everything we can."

Keadle was the last person to see Thomas a week ago before she disappeared.

Court documents show Keadle admits to driving Thomas to the Peru boat dock, admitting to having sexual contact and getting into a physical fight. After that, she threatens to report sexual assault.

A judge has already set bond in this misdemeanor case at $30 thousand.

Keadle remains in jail in Nemaha County.

The search along the Missouri resumes tomorrow morning.

[Kelly]

http://www.ketv.com/...034/detail.html

Teams Search Along River For Missing Student
Tyler Thomas Now Missing For Full Week

POSTED: 5:57 pm CST December 10, 2010
UPDATED: 6:06 pm CST December 10, 2010

PERU, Neb. -- Search teams continued to explore the banks of the Missouri River on Friday, hoping to find signs of missing Peru State College student Tyler Thomas, who has been missing for a week.

"It's very scary that she is still missing and nobody has any clues as to where she might be," said student Shyann Forney. "I mean, there could be a scared girl out there." Fellow student Joshua Keadle, has been charged with false reporting and evidence tampering. Police said Keadle had sexual contact with Thomas on the morning she disappeared but initially lied about it.

Investigators said Keadle told them that Thomas threatened to tell other people that he raped her.

Students said they've been more aware of their surroundings.

"Especially at night when it's dark, like if you were walking out by yourself and you see a group of people and they are like, 'Hey, come join us real quick,' so you have a buddy system," said freshman Ben Owens.

"People are definitely more cautious about where they are going and people around them," said student Nick Kraft.

School officials and the Red Cross are offering support for students who are having a rough time. Students said now is the time to pray that Thomas will be found soon.

"Her friends and family are in my prayers and I hope for the best," Forney said.

[Kelly]

http://journalstar.c...cf7bb1207a.html


Still no signs of missing Peru State student

By ZACH PLUHACEK / Lincoln Journal Star JournalStar.com | Posted: Friday, December 10, 2010 11:55 pm


PERU -- On the campus of Peru State College Friday, Leslie Nunez described her friend Tyler Thomas, who disappeared early Dec. 3, as hardworking, savvy, well-dressed and "awfully beautiful." She's outspoken and strong, Nunez said.

"She was very open-minded ... She wasn't a control freak."

Then Nunez caught herself. "Is" -- not "was," she reminded herself.

After a full week of searches for Thomas, who hasn't been seen since about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 3, Nunez and other students at Peru State College refused to assume the worst.

Thomas last was seen after she left a party at a house three blocks north of campus. The 19-year-old freshman from Omaha was seen on security cameras as she walked southward across the campus on her way to the Centennial Complex, which includes Davidson residence hall, where she lived.

For the past three days, since authorities arrested a 29-year-old fellow student in the case, the search effort has been focused on the Missouri River just east of the city, near a boat ramp at the end of a  stretch of dirt road leading from Peru's business district. Boats have been in the water and firefighters have used hoses to break up ice along the bank.

Joshua Keadle, described by authorities as a "person of interest" in the case, is scheduled to appear in Nemaha County Court Tuesday morning for a bond hearing. Keadle, 29, a junior at Peru State until being suspended, remains in Nemaha County Jail in Auburn on charges of false reporting and tampering with evidence.

In a court document, Nemaha County Sheriff Brent Lottman says Keadle initially told investigators he had seen Thomas walking on campus as he was driving back to his dorm in the early morning of Dec. 3 and that he had had no contact with her.

In subsequent interviews, he changed his story, the sheriff said, in his affidavit. In those later interviews, according to Lottman's probable cause affidavit, Keadle told investigators he left his dorm, drove Thomas outside of town and had "sexual contact" with her. When Thomas threatened to tell others that Keadle had raped her, the two had a physical and verbal confrontation, Keadle said. Then, he said, he went home and took a shower. The affidavit provides no clues as to what may have happened in-between.

Nunez said Thomas -- who had been drinking at the off-campus party before she became upset, left the party and eventually disappeared -- would never have left with Keadle.

Nunez said Keadle had a reputation for allegedly sexually harassing other women on campus, but not Thomas. She's too tough to be harassed, Nunez said. Plus, she said, "Ty has a lot of guy friends."

"You picture this happening to other girls," she said.

Nemaha County Attorney Louie Ligouri wouldn't say whether information from Keadle had led investigators to the river. He said the rest of the area around the college and the town had been searched exhaustively.

Ligouri said he didn't know how long the sheriff's office, Nebraska State Patrol and other agencies planned to continue actively searching for Thomas.

Thursday night, dozens of students tied ribbons to a tree at the center of campus, many with notes attached.

"We are all praying for you to come back home safely! You are in all of our hearts and in our prayers," one read.

Another, likely from a member of the college's new dance team for which Thomas had been named captain: "I miss you so much captain. You mean so much to so many people."

Friday, Peru State President Dan Hanson met for the fifth day in a row with students to help them sort through rumors, express concerns and, mostly, grieve.

"It's mostly adjusting to, you know, Ty not being here," Hanson said.