“Accidental Drowning” Threads on HFTM

May 1, 2008

After writing the entry about the Smiley Face Killers the other day, and after both reading and viewing the stories that have developed since Kristi Piehl broke the story on KSTP-TV last week, someone suggested that there may be more cases out there than Messrs. Gannon and Duarte are considering, or be aware of. We did some research and found these cases here on HFTM that may, or may not, be related to the Smiley Face Killers. What caught out eyes on these cases were the times the person went missing, the amount of time between going missing and being found, and the autopsy report that says accidental drowning, no foul play detected.

If all of these cases are Smiley Face killings, the MO also includes women and men who are slightly older than college age men. You are welcome to follow the links and read the threads for yourself, and you decide if you think these cases are related.

Gabriel Michael Smith 27, [FOUND DECEASED] MSG Ludington, MI - Last seen at 2:15 AM

Joshua Szostak, 21 [Body Found] MSG Albany, NY - Last seen about midnight.

Jeffrey M. Liepitz 35 [Body Found]Missing Since 2/10/08 from Mosinee, Wisconsin - Last seen at 1:30 a.m. walking out of Dinger’s Sports Bar on Main Street in Mosinee.

Thomas J. Booth, 24 MSG [FOUND DECEASED] Last seen in Ridley, PA on 1-20-08 - Last was seen at the Bootleggers Bar around 1:30 Sunday morning.

Tom Smith- Forsyth (Montana)Missing [FOUND DECEASED] - Last seen leaving a bar late in the evening.

John Schnicke MSG [Body Found] from Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin since 1-11-08 - Last seen outside a bar, late in the evening.

Holly Metzger, 34 MSG[Body Found] Since 12-17-07 from Mansfield, OH - Last seen at 9:11 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Cayle Bywater, 29 [REMAINS LOCATED] MSG from Athens GA Since 12-29-07 - Last seen outside her home on South Milledge Avenue in Athens on Saturday - time unknown

Body found on SIU’s Carbondale campus[IDENTIFIED as Huaijun Meng, 31 ] - Time of disappearance unknown.

Old Photo Helps Solve Drowning Mystery - The body of Andrew Bookless was found on June 13, 1993.

SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT STILL NOT LOCATED

Nicholas Garza-19 Missing Since 2/5/08 Student from Middlebury,Vermont

Craig Hoskie, 22, Missing Since 4/12/08 Pensacola, FL - Last seen 12:30 AM.

EDITED TO ADD

These cases have been added because of observations made by members of HFTM.

Justin Gaines, 18, MSG Nov 1, 2007 - Last seen in a bar late at night, never located.

Phill Gall MSG from Dayton, OH since 10/13/1994 - Last seen walking toward a bar, never located.

Kyle Fleischmann 24 MSG Charlotte, NC since 11/09/2007 - Last seen leaving a bar at 2:20 AM, never located.

Written by Ghost Writer · Filed Under Cold Cases, Commentary, Smiley Face River Killers 

Comments

7 Responses to ““Accidental Drowning” Threads on HFTM”

  1. packy on May 1st, 2008 7:23 am

    Thanks for updating this story. Something about the idea of being drunk and accidently falling into water doesn’t seem to fit well with my thinking. Maybe because it seems that in that supposedly extreme conditon a person may just stagger and fall all over ending up on curbs, doorsteps, etc. not too far from the bar or party. How the heck would they be able to make it to the water in some of these instances if they were in such shape.

  2. The Kitchen Guy on May 1st, 2008 8:29 am

    The police chief in La Crosse refuses to acknowledge this is even a possibility to look at. He insists that the 8 young men who were found floating were either drunk and fell in, or were suicides.

    There is no way to just stumble into the Mississippi River from the downtown bar area in La Crosse, but the authority refuses to recognize that fact.

    I really hope Mr. Sensenbrenner’s appeal to the FBI will reopen those cases.

  3. stan8747 on May 17th, 2008 2:04 am

    I live in madison,wi and these last few days I havent been able to sleep b/c I have been having nightmares of being pushed into a body of water and fighting to reach a ledge of some sort.(I think this is my brothers way of telling me what happened to him) I went to watch tv down stairs about 1 hour ago and I ran across a story on cnn about the “smiley face killers” and there were some words from the report that stood out to like the amount of links in wi, involving students late teens early 20’s and also involving alcohol. My brother was found 10/29/06 floating in a pool at a double tree hotel in madison wi. the police said that he was visiting “guests” (who were never discovered or questioned) at the hotel and that he consummed alcohol before he went to the hotel from a nearby bar and also when he was visting “guests”.He was discovered by one of the hotel staff members at 7:30 am that following morning in the pool with his clothes neatly folded along side the pool wearing only his underware. Which was strange considering it was 35 degrees and he didnt have any other form of underware for we he got out of the pool. we are trying to build a case to have mpd investigate who those mysterious “guests” were and why he was dicovered by a staff member and not the Guests he surposably went to see, how did he get access to a pool that only a person with a room key has access to. I saw on one of the websites that the last case that was linked to this story by the two detectives was 9/30/2006 in la crosse wi about 45 minutes from madison wi But what really made the hair stand on the back of my neck was that there was an “accidental” drowning incident that occurred on 1/16/2006 in madison that the detectives linked to this case. Sorry for the long comment but I felt I had to post it I think that this case could and should be looked at more closely and if so could possibly break this case. they could possible get survellience from that time frame from the hotel or even the specific room and person he was with at the hotel the night of his drowning.

  4. jess on May 25th, 2008 10:16 am

    hello my brother craig hoskie also went misssing in fl and is thought 2 b n the water. stan i would also relate 2 ur matter. whn my brother went missing they found his clothes neatly folded with all his possessions. it is really hard 4 me 2 understand this becouse i know my brother and although he was drinking it is not like him. the story givin about his dissapernce is unusal and has many loose ends. we are native americans and live in poverty. i would like to find my brother. he has been missing for 2 months now and i would appriciate it if u could give me any ideas on how 2 find my brother craig. please.

  5. HarlettOhara on May 25th, 2008 2:02 pm

    Jess we have a thread set up for your brother on Help Find The Missing’s message board. His photo is also listed in the missing database. You are very welcome to come to the board, join in the discussion and we can see what we may be able to do to help you. You will find Criag’s thread in the ‘New Missing Persons’ forum. If you scroll up and look on the right side of this page you will see the links in the blogroll to both the database and the message board.

  6. Jennifer on June 24th, 2008 12:06 pm

    Ya’eeh’teeh Jess,

    As of lastnight I was told of your brother Craig, by the way a wonderful friend is in my prayers, please keep strong for your mother and family Jess.

    Ha’goo’neeh,

  7. JACQUES PARIZEAU on October 24th, 2008 5:29 pm

    I HAD A NEPHEW WHO ACCIDENTALLY ? DROWNED, 21/4 YRS AGO. 1 MONTH LATER THE DA SAID “CASE CLOSED” AUTOPSY SAID “ACCIDENTAL DROWNING” SHERIFF TOLD US “ON-GOING INVESTIGATION” WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT THE OUTCOME,”TO SEE THE FILE”. AFTER MUCH BADGERING , WE FINALLY GET THE FILE. COME TO FIND OUT, THEY HAD STATEMENTS ALL THIS TIME OF PEOPLE ON THE (WHAT I’LL CALL) DEFENDENTS SIDE & NONE OF THE DECEASED SIDE. AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT ,THE VICTIMS SIDE CRIED “FOUL PLAY” & NO STATEMENTS WERE TAKEN. WE KNEW WE WANTED TO PRESS CHARGES BECAUSE OF SUSPICION OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE THE INCIDENCE WITH WITNESSES TO TESTIFY. THEY DID NOT INFORM US OF ANYTHING FOR 21/4 YRS. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE?
    DESPIRATE

    PLEASE NOTIFY AT MY EMAIL & TITLE IT MARK BRIDGEWATER

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