64 replies to this topic

[Kelly]

BRIAN SULLIVAN
Alias: Charles Brizwald
DOB:  Dec 5, 1987
Missing:  Jul 7, 2007
Height:  5'11" (180 cm)
Eyes:  Blue
Race:  White
Age at time of disappearance: 19
Sex:  Male
Weight:  170 lbs (77 kg)
Hair:  Black
Hair, Other: Very thick eyebrows

Clothing: Brian was last seen wearing blue jean shorts, a pinstriped button down long sleeve shirt, flip flops, and a green baseball cap. 

Missing From:
ROCHESTER
NY
United States

Brian was last seen on July 7, 2007. His car was found at a dead end street, backed up towards the woods. His wallet and cash card were in the car. His nickname is Sully.

Monroe County Sheriff's Department (New York) 1-585-753-4900

Print a poster: http://www.projectja...ianSullivan.pdf

[Kelly]

Family Website: http://www.myspace.c...ndbriansullivan

[Kelly]

From the Family:

"Family of Missing Man Brian Sullivan to Hold Prayer Service

Rochester, NY October 4, 2007 - The family of missing 19 year old Chili native Brian Sullivan, will be holding a prayer service on Sunday, October 7th at 3:30 pm. The service will take place at 1372 Paul Road (off Route 259) in Churchville and will mark the 3 month anniversary of his disappearance. The public is invited.

Family members will be on hand to speak to the media about Brians case.

More information is available by emailing mcamman@ncmec.org or by calling (585) 242-0900 x 3346 or (585) 303-5773."

[Kelly]

http://www.whec.com/...5.shtml?cat=565

Posted at: 10/07/2007 07:15:00 PM

By: Deanna King


Chili teen has now been missing for three months 

CHILI - The parents of a missing Chili teenager held a prayer vigil on Sunday to mark the three-month anniversary of his disappearance.

There have been few new leads and no sign of the 19-year-old. 

"I can't describe it, what were going through, it's one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life," said his mother Barbara Sullivan.

Brian was last seen July 8th. His car was found near a wooded area in Gates. Police spent an entire day searching the woods, but found nothing.

Sullivan's mother says she never could have imagined her son would be the face on a missing persons poster.

"I always stopped to look and those posters and now seeing him I just hope that other people do take the time to look at these posters, because you never know," said Barbara.

Melissa Swald Camman, of The Centers for Missing and Exploited Children, says it's important to constantly get information out about Brian.   

"Somebody who may not have heard of the case hears of it on this evening's news and it's going to be the one tip that leads to some sort of conclusion here," said Camman.

Brian's sister has even started a MySpace page in hopes of getting tips on his whereabouts. You can click here to view the page: http://www.myspace.c...ndbriansullivan

Anyone with information on Brian Sullivan's disappearance is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Department (New York) at 1-585-753-4900.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is investigating this case.

[Kelly]

www.13wham.com

Search Continues for Man Missing Since July
Last Update: 8:21 am 


Search Continues for Man Missing Since July
(Chili, N.Y.) -- The family of a missing 19-year-old man from Chili is hoping new efforts will help them figure out what happened to their son.

Brian Sullivan was last seen July 9 at a Burger King on Chili Avenue in Gates. His car was found less than a mile away.

Family members say they're creating a poster with Brians picture on it- to hand out to truck drivers- in the event they see or hear anything about his disappearance.

They've also started a MySpace page reaching out to anyone who might have information.

[Kelly]

http://www.mpnnow.com/news/x368603330

Sullivan family clings to hope

By Amy Cavalier, staff writer
Gates-Chili Post
Wed Oct 10, 2007, 09:09 AM EDT

Chili, N.Y. -
Barbara Sullivan, the mother of missing 19-year-old Brian Sullivan of Chili, was relieved when a search of the woods at the end of Lettington Avenue came up empty.

“I didn’t want him to be found in those woods,” she said, “so I was very thankful that he wasn’t because it probably wouldn’t have been a good thing.”

Brian Sullivan was last seen in the drive-through at the Chili Avenue Burger King at 5:38 a.m. July 8. Earlier that night, he spent time at a friend’s house watching a movie.

His 1995 red Pontiac Sunfire was found at the end of Lettington Avenue, in front of the woods. According to a myspace page dedicated to finding Brian, he was last seen wearing blue shorts, a blue and white pinstriped button-down shirt, a green baseball cap and flip-flops. He is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. 

“We’re just trying to hang in there and keep it in the news and do everything we can to find him,” said his mother.

“It gets easier and easier the more people you talk to,” said his father, Daniel Sullivan. “You’re not breaking down and crying.”

On Sunday, Oct. 8, the three-month anniversary of Brian’s disappearance, about 75 family members and friends gathered at the Sullivans’ Chili home for a prayer vigil.

“People I don’t even know showed up,” said Barbara Sullivan.

Brian’s sister, Brittney Murphy, 21, has set up a myspace page to raise awareness of her brother’s disappearance.

On Monday, the site received 800 hits, said Barbara Sullivan.

“I had my niece here and we just watched the numbers go up,” she said. “We just couldn’t believe it.”

She is also spreading the word with posters, which she’s sent to friends in other states, truck drivers and even a moving company in Rochester. She and her husband have received a lot of advice and support from organizations such as www.projectjason.org and Teen Hope, an organization of people who have lost loved ones or found them.

“They’re volunteers that call ... we have a guy that calls us a couple times a week to see how we’re doing,” she said. “We’ve been very fortunate.”

Police have been checking his phone records and trying to interview people they’ve already interviewed.

“They’ve been supportive, but I think they’re just at a dead-end,” she said. “It’s just like he disappeared.”

Anyone with information on Brian Sullivan’s disappearance should contact the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office by calling 911 or (585) 753-4176.

[Kelly]

http://www.democrata...50353/1002/NEWS

No major clues in 3-month search for Chili man

Ernst Lamothe Jr.
Staff writer


(October 25, 2007) CHILI Expanding the search nationally has not yielded significant clues to the whereabouts of a Chili man who disappeared three months ago. But officials said missing-person cases like this take time and patience.

Brian Sullivan, 19, of 1372 Paul Road was last seen July 7 at the Burger King restaurant on Chili Avenue in Gates. His red 1995 Pontiac Sunfire was found nearby. There were no signs of foul play in or around the vehicle. Searchers have combed more than 100 acres in the woods where Sullivan was last seen.

Since then, his family has worked with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and created a poster of Sullivan, linking it to its Web site for national exposure.

"We do encourage families not to give up," said Robert Russo, case manager for the National Center. "Just this month, we had a kid from Syracuse that was missing for five years that was recovered. You have to keep hope."

Daniel Greene, former Monroe County undersheriff, said his office has had dozens of leads and doesn't plan on ruling anything out. He said the case is considered high priority.

"We have weekly and sometimes daily briefings," said Greene. "We have had some leads that generated other follow-up leads. But it is too early to call any lead promising as we look at it one piece at a time."

Sullivan graduated from Churchville-Chili High School and attended Monroe Community College last summer.

[Kelly]

http://www.democrata...20012/1002/NEWS

Family of missing man to offer reward

Ernst Lamothe Jr.
Staff writer


(November 20, 2007) CHILI After four months of patiently waiting with no avail for a tip that would lead to a Chili man being found, his family has stepped up their efforts by offering a reward.

The family had offered $1,000 for information that will lead to the recovery of Brian Sullivan.

Sullivan, 19, of 1372 Paul Road was last seen July 7 at the Burger King restaurant on Chili Avenue in Gates. His red 1995 Pontiac Sunfire was found nearby. There were no signs of foul play in or around the vehicle. Searchers have combed more than 100 acres in the woods where Sullivan was last seen.

Since then, his family has worked with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and created a poster of Sullivan, linking it to its Web site for national exposure.

[Kelly]

http://www.whec.com/...4.shtml?cat=566

Parents offer reward for information on missing son
 

11/20/07

A local teenager has been missing for more than four months.

No one has seen or heard from Brian Sullivan since July.

Sullivan was last seen at a Burger King on Chili Avenue near Interstate 390. That was July 8th.

His red Pontiac Sunfire was found nearby in a wooded area.

Brian Sullivan's parents have said it before and now they're saying it again. They will not give up hope until they find out what happened to their son.

His family will give $1,000 to anyone who can tell them where he is.

Back in July, the Monroe County Sheriff's office organized a search for Sullivan. Four 10-man teams worked in shifts combing through a wooded area in Gates.

It's where Sullivan's car was found.

The army reserves and rescue dogs were also called in to help with the search.

Sullivan was last seen at the Chili Avenue Burger King the morning of July 8th, since then, no one has heard from him.

[Kelly]

http://www.publicbro...408&sectionID=1

Family of Missing Chili Teen Puts up Reward

Alex Crichton

ROCHESTER, NY (2007-11-20) The family of a Chili teenager missing for four months has put up a one thousand dollar reward for information leading to the discovery of his whereabouts.

19-year old Brian Sullivan was last seen at a Burger King on Chili Avenue on the morning of July 8th.

His mother, Barbara Sullivan, says the family wants to keep Brian's face and story alive. She says she can't explain what her family is going through not knowing what has happened to him.

Brian Sullivan had a passion for hiking, and authorities say with the onset of hunting season, there's an opportunity to find evidence that may be in wooded areas.

Another factor is the return of many people to the area for the holidays. That may shed some more light on the situation.

Investigators are also seeking information on Sullivan's whereabouts before he went to the Burger King in the wee hours of July 8th.

Sgt. Doug Comanzo with the Monroe County Sheriff's Department says they've conducted several extensive searches in the area where Sullivan's abandoned car was found.

A missing persons report on Sullivan was issued July 11th.

Sgt. Comanzo says their investigation began at that point. He says they've worked on a number of leads, but have no determination on where Sullivan is at this point.

Barbara Sullivan says someone out there knows what happened to her son, or where he may be now.
She says Brian is someone's son, brother, uncle, nephew, grandchild, cousin and friend. She's asking for help from the public in finding him.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Monroe County Sheriff's Department at 753-4900.

[Kelly]

http://www.democrata...10364/1002/NEWS

Chili family offers $1,000 reward to find their missing son


Ernst Lamothe Jr.
Staff writer

(November 21, 2007) CHILI Hoping a financial incentive provides some answers after four months of patiently waiting, the family of a missing man is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to his recovery.

Brian Sullivan, 19, of Chili was last seen July 7 at the Burger King restaurant on Chili Avenue in Gates. His red 1995 Pontiac Sunfire was found nearby. There were no signs of foul play in or around the vehicle.

Searchers have combed more than 100 acres in the woods where Sullivan was last seen.

The family considered a reward early on but wanted to give investigators time to go through the case. But now, they believe something new has to be done.

"We thought this was the best way to let people know that he still hasn't been found," said Barbara Sullivan, his mother. "We thought this would help someone who was afraid to come forward and help. Someone knows where Brian is."

Since his disappearance, the Sullivan family has worked with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and created a poster, linking it to its Web site for national exposure.

"Anytime you can offer something additional to get eyes back on the situation, then that's a good thing," said Ed Suk, executive director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's New York affiliate. "Jogging someone's memory that Brian is still missing is important because with situations like this, it is often out of sight, out of mind."

Expanding the search nationally has not yielded significant clues to the whereabouts of Sullivan. Officials have said missing-person cases like this take time and patience.

Suk said with hunting season under way, he is urging deer hunters to be on the look out for Sullivan.

In addition, the holiday season may offer hope.

"There are people coming back to the greater Rochester area for Thanksgiving who may have information and give us a viable lead," he said.

Sullivan graduated from Churchville-Chili High School and was attending Monroe Community College.

[Kelly]

New Photos:


Brian with shorter hair  (his hair was longer than the original photo when he disappeared)

[Kelly]

Brian is now on Project Jason's 18 Wheel Angel campaign. A special poster has been made for him and can be downloaded and printed for placement. More information about the program, and the link for the poster can be found here:

http://projectjason.org/18wheel.shtml

In addition to the campaign, Brian is also featured in a national trucking publication, either Through the Gears or Independent Contractor. These free magazines are distributed in truck stops nationwide and have a circulation of about 150,000.

Through the Gears and Independent Contractor are two of Target Media Partner's many publications. In partnership with Project Jason, they each feature two missing persons each per month. You can pick up your free copies at a local truck stop, but if it's far from you, you may want to call and ask if they carry that magazine. These are NOT with the regular for purchase magazines.

You can also see the current campaign information on this Target Media Partners site: http://www.thetrucke...ing_Week_4.aspx

We hope this helps in the search for Brian. Please consider printing and placing a poster in businesses in your community.

Updates on Brian's Case: http://www.projectja....php?topic=1267



Thank you.

Kelly, Project Jason

[Kelly]

Brian’s Story

By Barbara Sullivan, Brian’s Mother

July 8th, 2007 was a beautiful day. My husband was cooking ribs on the grill, one of Brian's favorites. I was starting to think I should give him a call. He had recently bought a car and had not returned from the evening before. I thought he was at a friend’s house and then spent the night.

An officer from the Monroe County Sheriff pulled up at our house, and that is when my family’s nightmare began. He asked for Brian, and then informed us that Brian's car had been found on a dead end street which is surrounded by 125 aces of woods. Nothing was out of place. He said they were not going to tow it because maybe he went with someone and was coming back for it. I called him on his phone and it went straight to voice mail. I went to see the car and because I did not yet get a key, I was unable to get into it. His cash card, phone charger, and wallet were on the seat. My husband and I decided to leave it there hoping he would come back for it. He never did come back to it. The next day we towed it.

We still thought maybe he had just taken off for a couple of days. He never had before, but he is19. He was undecided about returning to the community college he had been attending and was possibly going to look out of state. We had been discussing that he should either sign up for school or get a job.

My family had conducted a couple of searches on their own and then at our insistence that something was not right, the police did 2 searches. They then reported Brian as missing and started getting ready for a big search with horses, dogs, army national guard, swat, police, atv's, and helicopters. They did not even pick up a scent.

Since then we have handed out flyers with the help of the community and some local trucking companies. We have sent flyers to friends and family out of state. When ever I hear of someone traveling, I ask them to take some. These are at the Canadian and American borders and some thruway booths. We have him listed on many missing persons’ websites. We have created a MySpace account for him and have used that to keep the message out. Recently, we offered a reward. We have tried to keep it in the news every 3 to 4 weeks.

I have not slept for more than 2 hours at a time since this began. One minute I feel like he’s O.K., then a wave of nausea hits me thinking he would never just not call me. My daughter who is 21, newly married, and pregnant with a husband deployed, needs her baby brother. He was excited about Brittney being pregnant and becoming an uncle. My husband who is disabled to begin with has aged 20 yrs both physically and mentally. His friends and extended family are also hurting. Life just isn’t the same with out him here. We do believe that some one knows what happened or where our Brian is.

I am asking the 18 Wheel Angels for help. We could never begin to reach the amount of people you can and I think timing is of the essence. My family and I appreciate all the help you can. You truly are angels.

[Denise]

http://www.missingki...earchLang=en_US
 
Case Handled By: 
 
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children - 1-800-843-5678 

BRIAN SULLIVAN 
Case Type: Endangered Missing 
DOB: Dec 5, 1987 Sex: Male
Missing Date: Jul 7, 2007 Race: White
Age Now: 20 Height:  5'11" (180 cm)
Missing City: ROCHESTER Weight:  170 lbs (77 kg)
Missing State : NY Hair Color: Black
Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Blue

Case Number: NCMA1076583 
Circumstances: Both photos shown are of Brian. He was last seen on July 7, 2007. Brian's nickname is Sully.

[Denise]

http://www.troopers....7c-9b795f38ee28

Missing: Brian W. Sullivan  NIC #M426762668 
   
Basic Information
Race: White
Sex: Male
DOB: December 5, 1987
Height: 5' 11" 
Weight: 170 pounds
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown

Additional Information
Last Seen: Date: July 8, 2007
Time: 5:48 am
Location: Gates, New York 
Last Seen Wearing: Brian was last seen wearing blue jean shorts, a blue, pinstriped, button down shirt and a green baseball cap. 

Miscellaneous: Brian was last seen at the Burger King restaurant on Chili Avenue in Gates, N.Y. His vehicle was recovered abandoned later that day. He was last heard from when he left a friend a voice mail at 6:10 am on Sunday, July 8th. He has not been seen or heard from since. 

If you have any information, please call:

Agency:  Monroe County Sheriff
Address: 130 So. Plymouth Ave. Rochester, N.Y.
Phone:  (585) 753-4177

[Denise]

http://www.charleypr...ivan_brian.html

Details of Disappearance

Sullivan was last seen at the Burger King restaurant on Chili Avenue in Gates, New York at 5:48 a.m. on July 7, 2007. His red 1995 Pontiac Sunfire with New York registration DXU 3048 was found abandoned at the end of Lettington Street later that day. There were no signs of foul play in or around the vehicle. Sullivan was last heard from when he left a friend a voice mail at 6:10 a.m. on July 8, the day after he was last seen. He has not been seen or heard from since.

Sullivan is a graduate of Churchville-Chili High School, and was a student at Monroe Community College at the time of his disappearance. His hobbies include taking long walks and listening to music. His case remains unsolved.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Monroe County Sheriff's Department
585-753-4900

[Denise]

http://www.mpnnow.co...epage/x20520997
VIDEO: Where's Brian?

By Christine Carrie Fien
Messenger Post

Wed Jul 18, 2007, 03:40 PM EDT

Chili, N.Y. -
You get the feeling that if Brian Sullivan is out there to be found, Michelle Sullivan will be the one to bring him home.

The petite blonde attacks Lettington Avenue with flyers of her missing stepbrother and pointed questions for neighbors. She is unstoppable.

"Excuse me!" she shouts to a Lettington man hosing down his driveway and another just passing the afternoon on his porch. "I have a question. I'm Michelle. My brother's the one that's missing..."

She's greeted almost universally with sympathy, promises of prayer, and attempts to help – good-hearted, to be sure, but the end result is a disjointed jumble, fragments of already fading memories that fit together like pieces of two distinct puzzles. Someone saw an old Pontiac drive down the street and come back up a little later with an extra passenger who looked like Brian. That was Sunday – or was it Monday? Someone saw two cars, one of them Brian Sullivan's, parked at the head the wooded area at the end of the street – unusual – but she remembers nothing about the second car.

"It's a terrible thing," neighbor Glenn Pittman said.

Before approaching neighbors, Michelle Sullivan took a walk through the woods at the end of Lettington Avenue in Gates. Lettington residents have stories about these woods. People ride all-terrain vehicles out there, they say, and a guy allegedly lives in the woods.

Michelle Sullivan doesn't understand, on a residential street, in a wood that's more open fields than trees, and with clear evidence of regular human activity in these woods, how somebody didn't see something.

"It's just weird," she said. "It's bizarre."

Michelle's brother, 19-year-old Brian Sullivan of Chili, disappeared on Sunday, July 8. He was last seen in the drive-through at the Chili Avenue Burger King at 5:38 a.m. His 1995, red Pontiac Sunfire was found at the end of Lettington, in front of the woods. The Burger King receipt, food wrappers, and his bank card were in the car.

"We thought maybe he'd just gone off a couple days," father Daniel Sullivan said. "Did he ever do it? No, but he was 19."

Barbara Sullivan, Brian's mother, said her son watched a movie at a friend's house the night before he disappeared. There was no discord in the family, she said, but she was good-naturedly urging him to find a job. Barbara and Brian jokingly counted down the days, she said, remaining for him to do so.

"The deadline was the day he went missing," Barbara Sullivan said, but explaining that there was no "or else" attached if Brian missed the deadline.

The Sullivans' garage has been converted into a command center, with a folding table loaded with freshly-printed flyers, a full ashtray and a box of issues among the lawn mower, Christmas decorations and extension chords.

"It gets easier and easier the more people you talk to," Daniel Sullivan said. "You're not breaking down and crying."

Brian Sullivan, his parents say, has not had any contact with family and friends. His bank accounts are untouched, his room is just like he left it with all this clothing accounted for.

"Somebody just doesn't take off like that," Barbara Sullivan said. "It's been hell."

Brian Sullivan is a social, easygoing teenager, his mother said, who loves music – he hoped for a career in the music industry – and loves to write and to walk.

"(I want) him to just call and say, 'Mom, I'm all right,'" Barbara Sullivan said.

Brian Sullivan is 5-feet-11-inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing blue-jean shorts, a blue pin-striped button-down shirt, and a green baseball cap.

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the Sheriff's Central Records Unit at (585) 753-4176.

Christine Carrie Fien can be reached at (585) 247-9200, Ext. 303, or at cfien@mpnewspapers.com.

[Denise]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Ny1c8SJbz_w

Parents talk about missing son

[Denise]

http://www.democrata...60329/1002/NEWS

Brian Sullivan's family waits, hopes for his return

(February 26, 2008) — More than seven months ago, Brian Sullivan bought something to eat at the drive-through window at a Burger King in Gates — and disappeared.

Later that day, July 8, his red 1995 Pontiac Sunfire was found nearby. The car was locked. His bank card and cell phone charger were inside. There were no signs of foul play.

"People ask, 'Do you think he just took off?'" says his mom, Barbara Sullivan of Chili. "I hope he did."

The truth is, the 20-year-old's disappearance has left his family emotionally drained, frightened and not knowing what to think or even what to hope for. As a parent I can only imagine what Barb and Dan Sullivan are going through.

Of course, they hope Brian wandered off to find himself. But nothing in Brian's past would lead them to think he did.

"Brian is a very smart, creative, funny and laid-back kid," Barb says. "He had a way of making you laugh even if you were mad at him."

"If you're going to take off," Dan says, "you take your money, you take some clothes, you take your car."

Brian was a 2006 graduate of Churchville-Chili High School. He went to Monroe Community College that summer, and again in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007. During the first two terms he had a job in the college bookstore, where he saved enough money to pay cash for his car.

The Sunfire was a concession to reality, Dan says. "He wanted a 1976 Cadillac. It was white with red leather interior." But gas would be expensive. "He said he didn't care if he couldn't (afford to) drive it," Dan says.

Brian wasn't sure where he would continue in school or what he'd study. "He was going to go somewhere else," says Dan. "He was too close to home." Nothing unusual about that.

The Sullivans have worked closely with Sheriff's Office investigators and with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which has circulated posters with Brian's photo and details of his disappearance.

"Unfortunately, we haven't received any leads or information," says Bob Russo, case manager for the center. But, he says, missing persons have been known to surface even after years.

Every morning, Barb gets up and checks the MySpace account she set up for Brian after he disappeared. She uses it to keep his friends in the loop. She hopes that somebody will see or hear something and let the family know.

Through the center, the Sullivans have communicated with other families of missing persons. It's been helpful, they say. But they wait alone.

Brian's disappearance, they say, is a complete mystery.

"He is interested in writing music," Barbara says. "He thought he'd be the next rap songwriter."

Just before he disappeared, he ordered some microphones and sound mixing equipment — which remain in unpacked boxes in his room. He's a kid with dreams. His sister Brittney Murphy says he sometimes talked of being a social worker. "He's good with people," Barbara says.

"Sometimes, I'm afraid to leave the house," Dan says, worried that he might miss a call.

Brittney (whose husband Patrick Murphy is serving in Iraq with the U.S. Army), gave birth to her first child — Kaleb William Murphy — on Feb. 16. The baby shares Brian's middle name. And his family hopes Brian will have a chance to be the doting uncle he has long wanted to be.

[Kelly]

http://investigation...ar19/mar19.html

The Missing -- A Weekly Exposé of Lost Souls -- Issue #5

       
In this week's edition of "The Missing," we revisit the mysterious disappearance of Brian W. Sullivan, a 19-year-old resident of Churchville, New York, who went missing in July 2007.

"I was given your name in hopes that maybe you could possibly help us," Brian's mother, Barbara Sullivan, said in a recent e-mail. "We have had no leads or anything from the police or the private investigator we have hired and we are desperate for information."

According to Barbara, an officer from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office contacted her on July 8, 2007, and told her that Brian's car, a 1995 red Pontiac Sunfire, had been found abandoned at the end of a dead-end street in Gates, New York. Barbara had not seen her son since the previous evening and calls to his cell phone went straight to voicemail. Concerned, Barbara and her husband decided to drive to the dead-end street to look over Brian's car and see if anything was out of place.

"We did not have a key, so we were unable to get inside," Barbara said. "When we looked inside we saw Brian's wallet and various other personal effects laying on the front seat. Hoping Brian would be coming back, we decided to leave the car where it was."

Unfortunately, Brian never returned for his vehicle and his parents had to have it towed. Not wanting to let their imaginations run wild, Brian's parents initially suspected he might have run off without telling anyone. "He was undecided about returning to college and we had been discussing that he should either go back to school or get a job."

During the course of the investigation into Brian's disappearance, a Burger King receipt was found inside his car. The receipt showed that Brian had purchased food on July 8, 2007, at 5:38 am, from the chain's restaurant on Chili Avenue in Gates, New York. It was also revealed that on that same day, at 6:10 am, Brian had left a voicemail message for a friend. Unfortunately, neither clue led to Brian's whereabouts.

"The police, with cooperation from the Army National Guard, conducted a large search with horses, dogs, and helicopters but they found nothing. The search dogs did not even pick up on a scent," Barbara said.

As the search dwindled down, Brian's parents took the lead by posting flyers and starting a MySpace profile specifically devoted to their son's disappearance. They also reached out to 18 Wheel Angels, an organization of truck drivers who volunteer their time by posting missing person posters along their routes. Brian's parents are also offering a reward of $1,000.00 for information in the case.

"Our life has not been the same since Brian disappeared," Barbara said. "Someone out there has to know what happened to him or where he is today."

Please take a moment to visit the MySpace page Brian's family has set up, and if you have any information, contact the Monroe County Sheriff's Office at 585-753-4177.

[Lori Davis]

http://www.mpnnow.co...issing-children

Spinning wheels for missing children
By Robert Barlow, staff writer
Messenger Post
Mon May 19, 2008, 01:33 PM EDT

Brian Sullivan is just one of the 2,200 youths reported missing in the U.S. every day. Brian, 20, was last seen at the drive-through at the Chili Avenue Burger King at 5:38 a.m. July 8, 2007.

To spread awareness and raise money for the search for missing children like Brian, the New York branch of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children held its 8th annual Ride for Missing Children on May 16. More than 200 riders took part in the 100-mile bicycle trek throughout Monroe County.

The event began at the Total Sports Experience in Rochester as riders were led off by bagpipes and the national anthem. Many participants were given pictures of missing children to wear with computerized images of what the children might look like depending on the amount of time missing. On the back of each picture was the child’s name, date the child went missing and other background information.

The ride included stops at several elementary schools, where chapter representatives lead mini student rallies of songs and messages to raise awareness of child safety issues. The first two legs of the trip were to Northwood Elementary School in Hilton and Munn Elementary in Spencerport.

Brian Sullivan’s parents, Daniel and Barbara Sullivan, along with other family members, showed their support for the riders by cheering them on at the stop at Chestnut Ridge Elementary School in Churchville. They joined hundreds of students, staff and volunteers outside the school that Brian had attended when he was younger. The Sullivans wore T-shirts that featured various pictures of their son and the question, “Where’s Brian?”

“This is a wonderful organization with a great cause,” said Barbara. “We’re just trying to keep Brian’s name in the public eye and raise awareness for missing children everywhere.”

Joining the riders was Clicky, one of three characters used to promote Internet safety for children. The “spokesrobot” led the children in songs as they cheered on the cyclists.

At each stop, riders got to take a bathroom break, grab some much needed food and water, and most importantly meet and talk with the children who made signs with words of encouragement written on them.

Eight-year-old Eric Andolin was so excited to see the group of two-wheeled warriors coming down the road that he ran back into the school because he had forgotten his sign. Retrieving his multi-colored sign that read, “Go Riders Go!” Eric and a group of his classmates, including Destini Marshall, stood on the sidewalk outside their school screaming and cheering with all the might their lungs could muster.

“This is so exciting,” said Destini. “I wish I could I could ride with them.”

This was only the third of eight stops that the riders would make but already some of them were overwhelmed by the support from the children.

“This is amazing,” said 47-year-old Mark D’Angelo while resting and eating a granola bar with peanut butter. “It’s great to see the kids getting involved with such a important event,” he said.

The next stop for Mark and his fellow riders was Winslow Elementary School in Henrietta where they were met with the exact same adulation as the previous legs of their journey.

Leading the pack were 19-years-olds Zachary Schwasman and Matt Rankin. Jeanne Schwasman, Zachary’s mother and nurse at Winslow Elementary School was there to cheer her son on. When Jeanne told her son, an avid cyclist, about the event, he immediately signed up.

“I knew right away that I wanted to be part of this special event,” said Zachary. “I even called up my friend Matt and got him to enter as well.”

Matt, also an avid cyclist, was more than willing to help out.

“This event gives us a chance to help create awareness for missing children as well as hopefully inspire kids to take a step towards their own personal fitness,” said Matt. “Zach and I are both looking forward to doing this again next year.”

Lisa Rankin, Matt’s mother, works at Crane Elementary School in Henrietta where Matt and Zachary both attended as children. Staff members there donated $200 for Matt and Zachary’s entry fees and the children from Winslow raised $1,500 to contribute to the search for missing and exploited children.

The journey, which averaged a pace of 15 mph, continued on to School 46 in Rochester and then past White Haven Memorial Park for a silent ride-by in memory of Jennifer Koon. Jennifer’s father, Assemblyman David Koon, D-Perinton, was among the riders. His daughter was abducted and murdered in 1993 when she was 18 and is laid to rest at White Haven Memorial Park.

The day ended with a stop at JCC Day Care and a return to the Total Sports Experience.

“Our families are really proud of us,” said Zachary after the 100-mile ride was over. “I hope we were able to do our part in helping families that are not as fortunate as ours,” he said.

[Denise]

http://www.mpnnow.co...or-missing-teen


Family holds out hope for missing man

By Mike Costanza, correspondent
Gates-Chili Post
Tue Jul 08, 2008, 07:14 AM EDT

Chili, N.Y. -
For the Sullivans of Chili, the long wait for word of their missing son continues. Brian has been gone a year.

“It’s on your mind 24 hours,” said Daniel, the young man’s father.

“You just try to keep busy doing something throughout the day. It’s not easy.” said Barbara, Brian’s mother.

Times are hard for the family.

Brian Sullivan disappeared early in the morning of July 8, 2007. According to reports, the a 19-year-old Churchville-Chili High graduate had spent the previous evening watching a movie at a friend’s house, then bought breakfast at the drive-through of a Chili Avenue Burger King. Investigators found a receipt for the food stamped with the time of 5:38 a.m. in Brian’s car. The red 1995 Pontiac Sunfire was found in front of a 100-acre wooded area on nearby Lettington Avenue.

Law enforcement officers swung into action.

“There was a grid search performed where his vehicle was last seen,” said Cpl. John Helfer of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies, U.S. Army Reserve troops, members of the Gates-Chili Fire Department and others combed and re-combed the area while a state Police helicopter flew overhead, searching the woods three times.

The story made all the local news outlets, and family members passed out or hung posters bearing Brian’s smiling picture and asking for help in the search. When the search didn’t turn up useful leads, the Sheriff’s Office turned to the New York Branch of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for additional help.

“We assign these cases to our case managers,” said Ed Suk, the branch’s executive director.

The case managers, who are generally highly trained investigators, can help develop leads for law enforcement personnel.

“It can involve database searches, the development of high-quality posters, the targeted distribution of those posters around the country,” Suk said.

It’s essential to keep the case, and the person who’s missing, in the public eye.

“One out of six kids is returned as a result of someone seeing a poster,” said Suk.

Though family members can pass out posters, help push the search, seek solace or take other actions, waiting for word of their loved word, whatever that word may be, is often terrible for them to experience. They can often go through a range of emotions, from “a tremendous sense of grief and loss to a sense of hope that they passionately cling to,” according to Suk. As they approach a year without word on the loved one, a family can find it more and more hard to stay positive.

“There will be some realization that the leads are much fewer and fewer far between,” he said.

As easy as it is to get wrapped up in all of the terrible potential outcomes in a missing persons case, there is still a basis for hope, Suk said.

“You can come up with all kinds of ideas and scenarios,” Daniel said.

Barbara sometimes hopes that Brian just took off for his own reasons.

“He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do; he didn’t know if he wanted to go back to MCC,” she said of Brian, who had taken classes at Monroe Community College.

One of three psychics Barbara consulted while searching for information on her son seemed to support this idea. The psychic told her that Brian was in Buffalo amongst bad companions, but that “he was good, and he was going to leave these people.”

“That was the one good thing; that he was still alive,” she said.

At the same time, she found it hard to accept that Brian would’ve just left behind the car he’d just bought, all his clothing, and about $1,000 of new sound-recording equipment.
“It’s still in the box,” Barbara said.

Helfer said investigators continue to search for clues to Brian’s disappearance.
“At this point, there haven’t been any new leads,” he said. “It’s still an ongoing investigation.”

Family members and friends have helped the Sullivans cope with the months of uncertainly, and four months ago, on Daniel’s birthday, someone else came into their lives. Their 21-year-old daughter, Brittney Murphy, gave birth to a blue-eyed baby boy.

“That is a blessing that we have,” Barbara said. “He’s just happy and thriving, and that makes me happy.”

Daniel called the cherubic boy “my birthday present.”

The Sullivans have contacted the crime show “America’s Most Wanted,” hoping to put Brian’s case before the nation, though they haven’t heard back from the show. Today, the family had planned to gather in the area in which Brian disappeared. They talked about releasing balloons bearing his picture and asking those who find them to help in the search for Brian.

“Please, don’t forget Brian,” Brittney said.

If you have information on the disappearance of Brian Sullivan, please call 911.

[Denise]

http://rochesterhome...text/?cid=20701

One Year Later

Reported by: Ali Touhey
Monday, Jul 7, 2008 @04:50pm EST

Chili, NY—Barbara and Daniel Sullivan still remember the last time they saw their son Brian like it was yesterday.   

"(It is) Very clear. We had taken the dog for a walk...and when we got back he was gone which wasn't unusual. He just bought a new car."

It’s been a year since that day. Brian’s car would be the first clue into their then 19 year-old son’s disappearance. Police found it abandoned on Lettington Avenue in Gates. Brian’s last known location was just down the street.

Brian was last seen here at this Burger King on Chili Avenue the morning of July 8th. His parents say they don't know what happened to him but they do know they just want their son back.

"I'm hoping that he just needed a break or something. We had a good relationship or I'd like to think we did. I don't know when he's coming, soon I hope," adds Barbara.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Representative Pam Weaver is optimistic too. According to Weaver, 96 percent of cases similar to the Sullivan’s find closure in some way. She says that with Brian’s story surfacing again, she’s confident this cold case could heat up.

"Many times were hoping that someone comes forward with some new knowledge that may be able to help solve the mystery."

But for now, sunglasses hide the pain Brian’s parents’ feel. They are left holding onto memories and hope that one day Brian will come home again.

"Just bring Brian home."