Spring Break
Search continues for student
No leads in Ross' disappearance
Brittany Lane
Issue date: 12/4/06 Section: News
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The 19-year-old sophomore is a well-liked student with friends across the campus and throughout Kansas City. He is looking forward to finishing up his new room in his parents' home, which was built especially for him. Ross is also counting down until his promotion from intern to paid employee at radio station 95.7 "the Vibe," where he is popular as on-air personality Opie.
"There was not any reason whatsoever or indication that he was negative about anything," said Ross' father Don Ross. "We had a room we were finishing for him downstairs. Jesse was a UMKC fan, but he liked KU basketball. So we were going to do his room in KU colors. We got the right paint colors. He was anxious to get back and set up his room. We checked his cell phone messages and he had plans with friends."
Ross has so much going for him. That's why family and friends are puzzled why he still has not made it home. Ross has been missing since early Tuesday, Nov. 21. He was in Chicago with UMKC's Model UN team for the American Model United Nations International Conference.
"I found out he was missing last Friday after I got back from break," said Terry Heffern, sophomore. "I'm really concerned. He's been gone for more than a week now. He was a good friend of mine. Everybody's missing him. I get e-mails everyday on Facebook."
Chicago police said there is no new information about Ross' disappearance. He has not been sighted. There is no activity on his cell phone or credit cards, neither of which have been found. GPS tracking could not be used on Ross' cell phone because it is either turned off or the battery is dead.
Searches of the Chicago River and parts of the Lake Michigan shoreline have yielded nothing.
"We talked to the Chicago Police," said Don Ross. "We haven't heard anything significant."
Despite what several media outlets are reporting, the family has not visited Chicago since Ross went missing. Ross' father was planning to accompany concerned friends on a weekend trip to Chicago to look for Jesse. The trip was canceled due to the inclement weather that hit the Midwest last week, but may be reorganized later.
A Where's Opie Hope Rally event is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Dec. 7 at the University Playhouse. UMKC alum Aaron Welch is one of the event's organizers, Ross' friend, and a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, Ross' pledged fraternity. The event was created to garner support to bring Jesse home. Welch said T-shirts will be sold at the event, with proceeds going toward a reward fund for information about the disappearance. Organizers are setting up the fund with U.S. Bank.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
DBanksofKC
Diane Banks
posted 12/07/06 @ 4:46 PM CST
I appreciate the thorough update on Jesse's disappearance and notice of the Hope Rally to be held tonight. I hope local TV stations will take the opportunity to get this information out to a wider audience. (Continued…)
Jessedad
Don Ross
posted 12/23/06 @ 2:06 AM CST
This is a very well written article, factual without being sensationalized. A very professional job.
Our family will be celebrating the holidays, the birth of our Lord, and hoping for word on Jesse sometime soon. (Continued…)
Donald Ross
posted 2/28/09 @ 4:08 AM CST
"Jesse Where are you?" Our son Andy, upon finding out Jesse was missing, typed these simple words sending them out to Jesse's facebook account.
And now they haunt our days and nights, this same unanswered question. (Continued…)
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