The Flume.com: Search for Missing Man Tied to Park County

Westminster man missing since April 11

By Christine Ford

The only lead to a Westminster, Colo., man’s disappearance may lie in the last contact with his Blackberry device, recorded at Badger Mountain just east of Wilkerson Pass in southeastern Park County.

Westminster resident Jeremy J. Griess, 39, was last seen around noon on April 11.

According to a Web site set up to assist in his search, a check of his cell phone by Commnet revealed that it registered a signal in the Badger Mountain area on April 11 and April 14, when contact with the device was lost.

Griess is a mountain biker, fisherman and hiker who is familiar with the Eleven Mile Reservoir and Canyon area, said Ted Griess, his father, speaking by phone from Nebraska. The senior Griess said his son had been staying with a college friend in Westminster until his divorce was final and his Littleton townhome became available again.

Original reports placed the missing man in the Woodland Park cell phone tower vicinity, until further technical analysis revealed the Badger Mountain signal.

Flyers with his picture went up from Woodland Park to Hartsel. Friends and family launched a Web site, http://www.jeremygriess.com, and Facebook page to assist in the search. According to the site, members of local mountain biking clubs were the first to go out looking for Griess, although initial efforts were hampered by heavy spring snow.

The Rampart Range Road and Phantom Canyon Road in Teller County were searched. The Teller County Sheriff’s Office led an extensive volunteer effort throughout the county and adjacent areas on April 24. With the assistance of the Air Force Rescue Co-ordination Center at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, which mapped and gridded the search area, volunteers drove local roads and checked trailheads, including those on Park County Road 77.

A helicopter from Colorado Vertical Tours in Colorado Springs also participated, flying over the Badger Mountain area for two hours with no results. The search has encompassed the main roads around both Spinney Mountain Reservoir and Eleven Mile Reservoir.

The search is focusing on locating Griess’s vehicle, a black 1999 two-door Honda Accord with a bike rack on the roof, Colorado license plate number 940 JSE. It is not believed the two-wheel-drive vehicle would be off the main roads, especially considering the muddy conditions prevalent at that time. The cell phone tower quadrant he last registered in is northwest of Lake George, east of Hartsel, and north of Eleven Mile State Park. This area is criss-crossed with an extensive network of forest service roads and has little residential usage beyond the U.S. 24 corridor.

Park County Undersheriff Monte Gore said Eleven Mile State Park officers, Park County sheriffs’ deputies and Park County Search and Rescue participated in actively looking for the vehicle, checking back roads around Badger Mountain and Eleven Mile.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family,” said Gore. “We hope they find him alive and well.”

But he admitted that four weeks without any financial activity on Griess’s bank accounts was “not a good sign”.

Griess, a Minden, Neb., native, is about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds, and has brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a small scar above his lip.

Anyone with specific information regarding this case is asked to contact the Westminster, Colo., Police Department at 303-658-4360.

Griess’s mother, Wanda LaPage, has set up a contact e-mail of findjgriess@gmail.com. His family is continuing to follow up on all leads and ask that “everyone continues spreading the word about Jeremy.” The Web site has a downloadable flyer for Park County residents who wish to post it.

Griess is believed to be dressed in jeans, T-shirt and boots and not prepared for dealing with the elements at this altitude.

“It just doesn’t seem fair,” said his father, when describing law enforcement policies regarding missing persons. “When an adult goes missing, then the police assume they have the right to do that. But that’s just not the case with my son. He was not dressed for the weather. I believe his life was in danger.”

Griess was referring to an article on the Web site taken from a Nebraska TV story in which Westminster Police Department Investigator Cheri Spottke was quoted as saying: “(Griess) could have decided he was just fed up with life and needed a break and wanted to travel and live in Timbuktu, and that’s not a crime.”

The senior Griess, who will travel from Nebraska to Colorado next week to handle his son’s affairs, said: “I don’t have any idea what could have happened to Jeremy. We sit and wait and a thousand scenarios play out in my mind. It’s just heartbreaking.”

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Nebraska.TV: Car Wash for Jeremy Griess

Minden youth chip in to help further the search for a missing Minden native.

Kids from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church youth group and C.L. Jones Middle School offered a car wash Saturday.

It’s a fundraiser to help find Jeremy Griess who went missing in Colorado one month ago.
This contribution lets the kids feel good about  helping others, and gives the family an extra glimmer of hope.

“I think they would feel good because for one thing they have to pay for all these expenses for what they’re just to find him, so i think it’s helping them a lot,” said organizers Zack and Jessica Rehtus.

“It’s just, it’s so heartwarming to see these people still helping us look for our Jeremy, seeing all these young people reminds me of my son when he was their age, it’s just so warm and nice to know that people care,” said Jeremy’s father Ted Griess.
Saturday’s car wash brought in $1,500.

Click Image to Launch Video

Thank you all so very much!

-Griess Family

Link to Article

Kearney Hub: Colorado Resident Jeremy Griess Disappeared April 11; Family Following ‘Any and all leads’

MINDEN — It’s been a little over two weeks since anyone heard from Jeremy Griess, and it’s not getting any easier for his family.

The 39-year-old Minden native, now of Westminster, Colo., disappeared April 11. Since then, family and friends have been combing the mountains near Woodland Park, Colo., where they believe he may have gone to fish or hike.

“We had so many people helping Sunday, and they just came from all over, all walks of life. They searched and searched and again, no car, no Jeremy,” said his father, Ted Griess of Minden.

“We’re all hurting, and it’s hard to understand. We want him back. It’s hard to put into words the emptiness and despair you feel, the helplessness. I know his brother and his sisters, everybody is feeling the same way,” he said, holding back tears.

“I know if this goes on and on, it will continue to be hard to deal with. I don’t know how you ever overcome it. We’re trying to band together with our love and the support and strength from our friends and the power of prayer. I guess that’s what will get us through it.”

AT&T released the last coordinates of Jeremy’s cell phone that show he was in the Woodland Park area northwest of Colorado Springs. “We tried to narrow things down as tight as we could because the countryside is so vast,” Ted said.

“At this stage of the game, we’re trying to follow any and all leads. At the moment, we’re trying to simply regroup and see if we have anywhere else that people can search. All we’re doing is asking people to print off the missing person bulletin and post that anywhere in the Colorado area.

“We’re trying to keep our hope alive that he is alive and somewhere else, and that’s all we can do.”

Ted said there are several theories about what might have happened to Jeremy.

Jeremy was recently going through a divorce, and some friends and family members are hoping he just wanted to get away for a while.

“All his siblings and his mother and I hope that he is alive and being that way. If that’s the case, the grief and the heartache everyone is dealing with, it makes you wonder why anybody would do that, but under duress it’s hard enough to understand our own thinking, let alone somebody else’s. We love him, and we’re not going to hold it against him if that’s the case,” Ted said.

Family and friends have been maintaining a website, jeremygriess.wordpress.com, where they post search updates and news coverage of the search.

A Facebook group called “Help Find Jeremy Griess – Missing since 04/11” now has more than 1,600 members and asks people to post information about Jeremy to their Facebook pages to increase awareness.

Jeremy is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds. He has brown hair, hazel eyes and a small scar above his lip. He was last seen wearing jeans, a T-shirt and boots and may have been driving a black 1999 two-door Honda Accord with Colorado license plate 940 JSE.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Westminster Police Department at 303-658-4360.

e-mail to:

betsy.friedrich@kearneyhub.com

Link to Article

Pikes Peak Courier View: Search for missing man ongoing

Published: 04.24.10

Pat Hill
phill@ccnewspapers.com

Jeremy Griess, 39, disappeared from his home in Westminster April 11 and is believed to be in the Woodland Park area.

Griess is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds and has dark brown/ black hair and hazel eyes. He has a faint scar above his lips.

Three days later, the family picked up a signal from Griess’s Blackberry, which put him within a 20-mile radius of the AT &T cell phone tower in Woodland Park.

Griess often hiked in these areas, where family and friends are now searching:

Trails and roads along Highway 67 between Woodland Park and Deckers.

Along Highway 67, between Divide and Cripple Creek.

On U.S. 24, between Woodland Park and Eleven Mile State Park.

Griess’s car, a 1999 black two-door Honda Accord with a bike rack on the roof, had not been found as of late Tuesday afternoon. The license plate is Colorado plate No. 940 JSE.

According to news articles, local law enforcement will not join the search until the car has been found.

Among the news drifting in is a report from someone in Victor who recalls a car similar to Griess’s with a bike rack on top parked at the corner of Victor Avenue and 3rd Street April 13. Search efforts have also focused on County Road 67 between Victor and Cañon City.

Searchers plan to gather again Sunday morning April 25 in the parking lot in front of the Teller County Sheriff’s Office following a lead that Griess may be in the vicinity of Badger Mountain.

Anyone with information can contact the Westminster Police Department at 303-658-4360, check the Web site, http://www.jeremygriess.com, or e-mail jljcorona@gmail.com. People are also urged to contact the family at 402-499-3665 if they have any leads on Griess’s whereabouts or wish to help search.

Link

York Times: Man with York ties missing in Colorado

YORK — The family of 39-year-old Jeremy Griess continue to search for him after he disappeared April 11.
Link to Article

Griess has ties to the York area, says Art Roemmich who is a distant relative. He said the young man’s family originated in the Sutton community and he is related to the Hornbacher family in this area.

News reports from the Woodland Park, Colo., area say that Griess left his home to pick up some food and never returned.

Cell phone records show Griess’ phone last sent out a signal from Woodland Park. That’s where his family have been searching with dozens of volunteers.

He was said to be driving a 1999 black two-door Honda Accord with a Colorado license plate of 940JSE.

Investigators also say there has been no financial activity detected on Griess’ accounts since his disappearance.

If anyone has any information about the situation, they are asked to call the Westminster police at 303-658-4360.

There is also a Web site where information on the case is constantly updated, at http://www.jeremygriess.com. Concerned individuals may also leave messages for the family at the Web site.

KRDO.com NEWS 13 with video (2:00)

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. — The family of 39-year-old Jeremy Griess said they feel heartbroken and helpless. It has been more than a week since a roommate last saw Griess.

Griess left his Westminster home on April 11 to pick up some food and never returned. He’s a Nebraska native, but calls Colorado home.
Family members say they need help from people in Southern Colorado to find Griess.

“I’ve jokingly said if he walked in the door, I’d strangle him or hug him — I’m not sure which, but I’ll tell you what, that would be a reward,” said Ted Griess, Jeremy’s father.

Cell phone records show Griess’ phone last sent out a signal from Woodland Park. That’s where his family searched all weekend, but even with dozens of volunteers, they found nothing.

“He’s always got his computer with him. He’s always got his phone with him,” said Cassandra Kanter, Jeremy’s sister. “He’s always communicating. It’s just not like him to not communicate with us.”

Jeremy’s family and friends said they will continue to search.

“His family and friends love him dearly,” Kanter said. “We want him back.”

Griess drives a 1999 black 2-door Honda Accord. It has Colorado license plate: 940JSE. If you think you’ve seen it, call Westminster police immediately at 303-658-4360.

In The Media: Australia.to News

On April 11th, Jeremy Griess disappeared from his home in Westminster, Colorado. I am writing to you on behalf of Jeremy and his family in the hope that you will consider this story for publication in your newspaper.

Jeremy’s family believes he may have gone into the mountains close the the town of Woodland Park, Colorado. However, Jeremy’s family, along with many volunteers have been searching the area tirelessly for any sign of him or his vehicle but to no avail. This means that Jeremy could be anywhere.

Please help us circulate Jeremy’s information so that we can draw attention to his disappearance and find him before more time runs out. We are appreciative of your time and assistance in this dire circumstance.

Detailed information can be found at Jeremy’s website: http://www.jeremygriess.com. He also has a Facebook Group: Help Find Jeremy Griess – Missing since 04/11

Link

KHAS-TV News 5: Minden Family searches for missing son (with video 2:22)

(4/20/2010) By Adam Lefkoe – Nine days ago, Jeremy Griess went missing in Colorado. Griess is originally from Minden. News 5’s Adam Lefkoe spent the day speaking with Jeremy’s parents who had just returned from searching.

As News 5 pulled up, Jeremy’s father was mowing the lawn. He said he just had to do something to take his mind off of all the stress. But more than anything he wants Jeremy on the front of everyone’s mind – always looking.

Resting on the comforts of home, Ted Griess said the last 9 days have felt more like 9 years.

“It has just been sleepless. It has just been endless for the last week and two days,” said Ted.

Ted and his wife Rita found out that Jeremy had gone missing from his Colorado home last Tuesday. Lifelong friends called immediately to begin a search.

“He called that morning and I said when do we leave?” said Darin Haight.

They searched his home, his hangout always waiting on the next lead.
When phone coordinates led the family to the Woodland Park area northwest of Colorado Springs. It was just another crash of emotion.

“Ok, now we are here…now what? And then I realized the vastness of it and it just ripped me apart thinking. He is still lost,” said Ted.

Some of Ted’s other children helped create a website that provides up to date information for people to stay informed. This is the first time Ted had seen it.

“Everytime I see that picture it just bothers me,” said Ted.

No matter the location, Westminster Colorado Police said they need everyone’s help.

“Family he might visit, friends, anywhere he might go because right now we really have no idea where he went,” said Det. Bernard Vonfeldt.

This morning, Ted said he received another glimmer of hope. A woman said she spotted Jeremy’s car outside Victor, Colorado. Ted and his family will continue to search – his life forever changed.

“If I ever see any missing persons bulletins from here on I am helping. Because I have a good hunch that I know what people are going through,” said Ted.

The Griess family is asking for your help.

Visit http://www.JeremyGriess.com to get updated information and a missing person poster you can post in your area.

Link

KKTV video update (1:57)

at 28 secs

Nebraska.TV video (2:46)

Link to video

Link to earlier story…

Kearney Hub: Minden family in Colo. searching for lost son

WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Friends and family of a Minden, Neb., native are appealing to the public for help in finding him.

Jeremy Griess, 39, of Westminster disappeared April 11. Family members believe he may have gone into the mountains near Woodland Park.

According to an e-mail from his father, Ted Griess of Minden, Jeremy’s family and friends have been combing the area searching for him for days.

“Needless to say, we’ve been at our wits’ end,” he wrote. “The situation can best be described as the old cliché ‘searching for a needle in a haystack.’”

AT&T released the last coordinates of Jeremy’s cell phone that show he was in the Woodland Park area northwest of Colorado Springs.

“We are now concentrating our search efforts to that area,” Ted Griess wrote. “Unfortunately, the weather has been rainy and overcast. I had contacted the Civil Air Patrol, and they agreed to carry on a search weather permitting.”

A Facebook group called “Help Find Jeremy Griess – Missing since 04/11” now has more than 400 members and asks members to post information about Jeremy to their Facebook pages to increase awareness.

“When you see something like this happen on TV, most, including me, mentally say ‘How bad’ and then go on with our daily lives,” Ted Griess wrote.

“Having been thrust into this type of situation, I feel the pain. Our only hope is we find him before it is too late.”

Jeremy Griess is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds. He has brown hair, hazel eyes and a small scar above his lip. He was last seen wearing jeans, a T-shirt and boots and may have been driving a black 1999 two-door Honda Accord with Colorado license plate 940 JSE.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Westminster Police Department at 303-658-4360.

Link

KKTV, new video (1:34)

A new video today, 4/20/10

McCook Daily Gazette: Native Nebraska Missing in Colorado

WESTMINSTER, Colorado — Friends and relatives of a Minden, Nebraska, native are appealing to the public for help in finding the missing man.

Jeremy Griess, 39, Westminster, Colorado, has been missing since April 11. Family members believe he may have gone into the mountains near Woodland Park, Colorado.

Jeannie Corona of Apple Valley, California, wrote to the Gazette asking our help.

“Jeremy has many people looking for him and praying for his safe return. From the moment we were alerted of his disappearance last Thursday, we rallied around his family to offer prayers and encouragement. The number of supporters continues to grow as membership in the Facebook group, Help Find Jeremy Griess – Missing Since 04/11 has now reached 400. This group was started yesterday,” she said.

“Jeremy’s family believes he may have gone into the mountains close the the town of Woodland Park, Colorado. People have been searching the area tirelessly for any sign of him or his vehicle but to no avail. He has a Web site with current information: http://www.jeremygriess.com\”

Link

Nebraska.TV story: Minden Native Missing in Colorado

A Minden family is clinging to hope even though they haven’t heard from their son and brother
for days.

Jeremy Griess, who grew up in Minden and currently lives in Denver, went missing on April 11th.

Authorities don’t have many clues as to what happened to him —  just a few cell phone hits.

The Griess family is in Colorado looking for clues and working with authorities.

It has been a week since 39-year-old Jeremy Griess seemingly disappeared.

Tony Griess, Jeremy’s brother, said, “A lot of texts and messages were sent, but nothing was
returned.”

That has his family worried besides the fact Jeremy recently went through a divorce.

Cassandra Kanter, Jeremy’s sister, said, “We’re really counting on local people around the area that know the area that are out and about.”

They’ve put up posters, set up the website http://www.jeremygriess.com and with a team of volunteers mapped out the mountains of south-central Colorado. Yet, many of the volunteers left after the weekend to return to work.

Ted Griess, Jeremy’s father, said, “It’s kind of a small team you’re looking at right now from this area. So, our intent is to make contact with all the police forces and the surrounding sheriff
departments in the county.”

Police said while they’ll follow up on leads it is not an active search since there’s no indication of foul play.

Investigator Cheri Spottke, with the Westminster, CO Police Department, said, “He could have decided he was just fed up with life and needed a break and wanted to travel and live in Tim-Buck-Two and that’s not a crime.”

There hasn’t been any activity on his bank or credit cards. However, police have traced his cell phone. The most recent hit happened on April 14th in the Woodland Park area.

“In a few hours he traveled from the mountains down to Colorado Springs. So, the potential
that he traveled out of Woodland Park to some other location is possible,” said Spottke. “So, we just don’t know where to look for him at this point.”

The Griess family isn’t giving up, but fears Jeremy may have gotten lost or hurt himself while hiking.

“Every time I see a missing person report on television, I would stop and say ‘that’s too
bad’ and then go on with my day. But when you are thrust into the situation yourself, you realize the pain they go through,” said Jeremy’s dad.

Jeremy is described as 5’10, 165 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. He may be traveling in a black Honda Accord with the Colorado license plate 940 JSE.

Reporter’s Notes by Jessica Phinney:

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Westminster Police Department at (303)658-4360. It’s case number 2010 6054.

Link

Another Video, KKTV (2:51)

LINK to the video.

Updated Video on KKTV (2:11)

A Colorado family is anxiously searching for any sign of 39-year-old Jeremy Griess. The Griess family believes he went missing in Teller county more than a week ago. No one has heard from him since Sunday, April 11th. Based on the last traces of his cell phone, the family is centering their search on a 20-mile radius around Woodland park. The family is hoping more people volunteer to help find Jeremy.

Rosa May is a waitress at Jo-Mama’s Pizza and Pasta, in Woodland Park. She empathizes with the family and wants to help find Jeremy. “The family members came in very upset, brought in fliers, saying last time they saw him was on such and such day, and he’s not normally a person who would disappear, so they’re scared something majorly bad happened to him,” says May.

Cassandra Kanter pleads for help in finding her brother. “We are really counting on local people, that know the area, and that are out and about,” says Kanter.

While the search still continues, many volunteers have had to get on with their lives and get back to work. Jeremy’s father, Ted, is trying to cope with the pain of missing his son. “Every time I see a missing person report on television, I would emphasize and say ‘that is too bad,’ then I go on with my daily life. But when you are thrust into the situation yourself, you realize the pain they go through,” says Ted Griess.

The family believes a key to finding Jeremy is finding his car, which is also missing. It’s a 1999 two-door Honda Accord. It’s black with a roof rack on the top. The Colorado license plate is 940-JSE. To see a picture of the car, click on the photos tab at the top of this story.

…a link to an updated video from KKTV.

Fox 21 Colorado Connection Story: Hiker is missing in the Woodland Park area

TELLER COUNTY, COLO. — Westminster Police are asking for the public’s help with information on a missing hiker.

Jeremy Griess disappeared on April 11, 2010, from his home in Westminster. Jeremy is 39 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds, has dark brown/black hair and hazel eyes. He has a faint scar above his lip.

Griess’ family believes he was last wearing jeans, a t-shirt and boots. He is driving a 1999 black two-door Honda Accord with a bike rack on the roof (CO tag 940 JSE).

Until Saturday, his family had no information on his whereabouts. However, using cellular phone data technology, they now believe he is within a 20-mile radius of the AT&T cellular phone tower in Woodland Park, most likely the northwest, west or southwest sectors.

Based on areas he frequently visited, they believe the most logical search areas are the following:

*  Along Highway 67, between Deckers and Woodland Park

*  Along Highway 67, between Divide and Triple Creek

*  On highway 24, between Eleven Mile State Park and Woodland Park

Search efforts Sunday are being coordinated from a public parking lot directly in front of the Teller County Sheriff’s office, located on Hwy.24 in Divide. The family requests that anyone interested in helping search for Jeremy meet at the parking lot after 11:30 MST to better coordinate efforts.

The family understands that it is not uncommon for someone to “go missing.” However, they say this is very uncharacteristic of Griess, who is an excellent communicator. “We are deeply concerned that he is injured, and we are desperate to find him before we run out of time. We have a lot of ground to cover,” said sister Amy Cannella.

Anyone with information in this case can contact the Westminster Police Department at 303-658-4360 and reference case number 2010 6054.

Information provided by Jeremy Griess’ sister Amy Cannella.

Link

KKTV Southern CO News Story…with video (1:44)

Search Crews Look For Missing Man In Teller County

No one has heard from 39-year-old Jeremy Griess in a week. Family and friends are arriving from out of town and out state to help look for him in Teller county. Griess is familiar with the outdoors but his family is worried for his safety. “A lot of messages and texts were sent and just nothing was returned,” says Tony Griess, Jeremy’s brother.

So, Tony contacted Jeremy’s cell phone provider looking for clues. The Griess family tells 11 news that Jeremy’s love for the outdoors brought him to Teller county, and they know this because they traced his last known cell phone signals. “We’ve been working hard with AT&T and we’ve actually used other cell phones to localize towers … and we believe we got it pinpointed to Woodland north to Deckers,” says Tony Griess.

His sister Cassandra Kanter says it’s very unusual for Jeremy not to call. “Jeremy is the most precise person always, ya know, let’s us know things and is detail-oriented … just odd for him all of a sudden to not communicate with anybody,” says Kanter.

Dozens of friends are mapping out where to look while the family clings to hope. “I just want all the eyes and ears out there that are living around here to look for him and his car. I just have a feeling in my heart that he is there and he needs someone to find him,” says Kanter.

Jeremy’s sister believes if they find his car, they will find him. Jeremy’s car is a black 1999 two-door Honda Accord, with a roof rack. The Colorado license plate is 940-JSE.
If you have any information on where Jeremy Griess is or if you see his car you are urged to call the Westminster Police Department at (303) 658-4360.

Link to video

Denver Post Story: Family worried about missing Westminster man

Westminster resident Jeremy Griess disappeared on April 11 and family members are asking for the public’s help locating him.

Griess left his Westminster home last Sunday, family members said. They believe he was driving his black, 1999, two-door Honda Accord equipped with a roof rack. Cellular “pings” from Griess’ phone put him in the Woodland Park area on Monday with an additional “ping” from an unknown tower two hours later.

“If people can really be on the look out it would really help us,” said Amy Cannella, Griess’ sister-in-law.

Westminster Police have been working with the family, said Cheri Spottke, police spokeswoman.

“We’ve exhausted all law enforcement resources,” Spottke said.

A final cellular “ping” hit the unidentified tower on Wednesday, she said, and no financial activity has been detected on Griess’ accounts since his disappearance.

Family members are searching and exhausted, Cannella said, and concerned Griess is injured.

“He’s an avid fisherman, a biker, and outdoorsman,” Cannella said. “We’re getting a little despondent and running out of time.”

Link