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Brandon Crisp has not been seen since Thanksgiving Monday

Search continues for Brandon

BY Laurie Watt, Staff October 20, 2008 16:10

Barrie Police are combing farmland along the Oro-Medonte Rail Trail, a popular cycling trail that extends up to Orillia, in attempt to find 15-year-old Brandon Crisp.

The Barrie teen left his family’s east-end home Thanksgiving Monday on his yellow bike, with a few basics packed in a yellow backpack. He had threatened to run away after his parents grounded him from playing Call of Duty, an Internet-based military game.

Police are interviewing friends and classmates at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, and are setting up a Command Centre on Line 2 of Oro-Medonte to conduct a highly specialized GPS ground search. His bike was found in a ditch on Line 2.

“As the weather turns, we become more concerned. With the (temperatures) down to -3 C (at night), he needs assistance if he’s out there,” said police spokesperson Sgt. Dave Goodbrand.

“There’s nothing to suggest foul play, but we do have reasons for concern about his safety. Is he cold? Is he under stress? Each hour sheds new information on that. Each tip we hope is somewhat valuable.”

Tips, so far, however, have been fruitless.

Brandon has not made contact with others on his Call of Duty team over the Internet, police said.

An OPP/Barrie Police aerial search and a preliminary ground search Sunday revealed nothing, noted Goodbrand. Officers also set out in Oro-Medonte between Lines 2 to 4.

Police also are combing through Brandon’s Xbox, laptop and desktop computer in search of clues as to where he may have headed. Two of his Xbox friends live in Oro-Medonte.

Goodbrand also noted police have also listed Brandon as missing on the Canadian Police Information Centre’s database. The case does not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert – which focuses on abducted children, along with suspected vehicles, destinations or individuals.

“A zone alert will be sent out to (police in) areas we believe he could be – those surrounding Barrie. We have a missing young teen and his description,” said Goodbrand, adding he is also enlisting the television media to broadcast his photo and story.

The officer added the public can help find Brandon by thinking critically if they spotted him. He was last seen on Thanksgiving Monday wearing blue jeans, a burgundy hoodie, a yellow-and-grey jacket, and white running shoes. The Grade 10 student is 5-foot-3 and weighs 100 pounds; he wears his hair in a crew cut.

“The more people looking the better,” said Goodbrand. “We have at least a dozen people looking, from the officers in the schools to myself to the Criminal Investigations branch.”

The police may be able to use public assistance later in the week in an area search, but are right now focusing on using specialized search techniques in the southern Oro-Medonte trail area.

The Crisp family continues their all-hours vigil for Brandon – a vigil that has kept his two sisters home from school but in touch with friends on Facebook and other internet-based networks. Groups have been formed to find Brandon.

“It’s been a nightmare. I just want him home,” said his mother, Angelika Crisp.

“The posters we put up will get wet (due to the rain).

“He’s going to be found.”

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