Lee Cutler, 18, Buffalo Grove IL. 10-20-07

[Pauli]

CHicago Sun-Times (http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/615666,missingteen102307.article)




Parents, Police Hunt For Missing Teen


POSTED: 6:34 am CDT October 23, 2007
UPDATED: 12:34 pm CDT October 23, 2007

BARABOO, Wis. -- Parents of a missing Illinois teen were on hand Monday as authorities searched fields and forests between Baraboo (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Baraboo,+Sauk,+Wisconsin,+United+States&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hl=en&cd=1&geocode=0,43.468490,-89.744280&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.334641,59.765625&ll=43.149094,-89.197998&spn=1.627113,3.735352&t=h&z=8&om=1) and Portage in the area where his car was discovered at a roadside rest area.

Beth Frazin, the teen's mother, and his stepfather Barry Frazin traveled to Sauk County from their Buffalo Grove, Ill., home as soon as they learned the car was found. Baraboo is about 48 miles northwest of Madison, Wis.
Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Fults said 18-year-old Lee S. Cutler's gray 2007 Toyota Corolla was at a rest area along state Highway 33 when found Sunday night.
Barry Frazin said authorities planned to conduct a dive search in the Baraboo River on Tuesday as a precautionary measure.

He said Cutler went to a birthday party Friday night and spent the night at a friend's house. On Saturday morning, Cutler drove another friend home and said he was going to work.
"We don't really know why he came here," he said.
Cutler has an ex-girlfriend who lives in Cedarburg, north of Milwaukee, but that wouldn't explain why his car would be in Sauk County, Frazin said.
Tracking of calls on his cell hone indicated the last time it was used was at 12:30 a.m. Saturday, he said.
Cutler has been going through a difficult time, trying to cope with his grandmother's battle with cancer, another friend having cancer and stresses with school, Frazin said.
Cutler is a student at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill.
http://www.nbc5.com/news/14400888/detail.html

http://www.dailyherald.com/images/stories/4/normal/4697.jpg (http://www.dailyherald.com/story/image/?id=4697) Police are search for Stevenson High School student Lee Cutler, who has been missing since Saturday.

More items found, but still no clues to Buffalo Grove teen's whereabouts

BARABOO, WIS. _ Searchers on Wednesday found the favorite yarmulke of missing Stevenson High School senior Lee S. Cutler, but no clues as to what happened to the 18-year-old Buffalo Grove student.
While volunteers in a helicopter with a heat-detecting infrared camera combed the Wisconsin cornfields and hills near here for any sign of Cutler, searchers on foot found the young man's yarmulke near the bank of the Baraboo River, a couple hundred yards from where officials found his backpack and a blanket Tuesday. Divers, armed with sonar, waded into the muddy river, but could provide no answers to the mystery.
"The water is high, and it's moving right now," said Capt. Kevin Fults of the Sauk County Sheriff's Department, which is handling the missing person's case.
Cutler was reported missing Saturday. Friday night, authorities say, he attended a birthday dinner for a friend, then gathered with a small group of teens at another friend's house, where he spent the night. He dropped a buddy off at home about 9:50 a.m. Saturday, but then failed to show up for his job in Hawthorn Center Mall in Vernon Hills.
His locked car was discovered about 3:30 a.m. Monday in Wisconsin, parked in a wayside area near a historical marker off Highway 33, a few hundred yards from the river.
Police have no evidence of foul play, Fults said. Worried family members who have gathered at the search site said Cutler, a student who got A's and B's in school, had pressure and stress in his life but gave no indications that he headed to Wisconsin to escape from them.
He had been to this area just south of the Wisconsin Dells several times, but no one knows of a special connection to the area, said Dan de Grazia, a family friend who is handling media requests for the weary family.
Hundreds of friends and classmates who have responded to a "Let's Find Lee" appeal on facebook.com have told stories about how Cutler made them laugh, but haven't been able to provide solid clues. Cutler talked last week of going to a concert tonight, and acted normal before he disappeared, de Grazia said.. De Grazia meets with them every night either in person or on the Internet.
As days pass and nighttime temperatures drop, so do hopes of a happy ending in this mystery. But searchers and the family aren't giving up.
"Maybe he really did decide to get away for a weekend, and he really didn't plan it well," de Grazia said. "We just have to look in the right spot."
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=62280&src=3

[Pauli]

Search for Ill. teen turns up pill bottle, letters

October 24, 2007 (BARABOO, Wis.) - An empty pill bottle and letters to and from loved ones have been found by searchers looking for an Illinois teen whose car was found parked in a highway rest area Sunday night near the hiking country of the Baraboo bluffs.

Details about the letters were not disclosed, but Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen says in a news release that the bottle was for Advil PM, an over-the-counter pain reliever and sleeping aid.

Search teams yesterday found a backpack and blankets that belong to 18-year-old Lee Cutler of Buffalo Grove, Illinois. The items were found near the Baraboo River; his car was found at a wayside next to a bridge over the river.
Cutler was last seen Saturday morning when he dropped off a friend after a Friday night birthday party in his hometown. A helicopter that uses heat imaging technology joined in the air search of the area Wednesday, but no trace of Cutler was detected.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5725154

[Pauli]

Teen's clothing, letters are found

Belongings of man who vanished were near Wisconsin river

By Carolyn Rusin | Special to the Tribune October 25, 2007 Searchers in Wisconsin have found clothing belonging to a missing Buffalo Grove teenager and letters to and from family members, authorities said Wednesday.

The items were found near the banks of the Baraboo River, where a backpack belonging to Lee S. Cutler also was found and about 75 to 100 yards from where his car was discovered, said a spokeswoman for the Sauk County sheriff's police.

The search continues in the Baraboo area for Cutler, 18, a senior at Stevenson High School, who was reported missing after he failed to show up Saturday at a part-time job in the Hawthorn Center Mall in Vernon Hills.

Authorities continued to search on foot between Baraboo and Portage, and used a helicopter with an infrared camera. A patrol boat with sonar and divers searched the river for a second day, the sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Sheriff's police and Buffalo Grove police also have interviewed friends and family members in an effort to determine why Cutler drove to the Baraboo area.

Cutler's mother reported him missing Saturday night, Buffalo Grove police Cmdr. Steve Husak said.

He was last seen about 9:50 a.m. Saturday when he drove home a friend, who also lives in Buffalo Grove. The night before Cutler had stayed at another friend's house for a birthday party, police said.

His cell phone, which last tracked to a text message to a friend around midnight Friday, is believed to be turned off, Husak said.

Authorities found his car, a 1997 Toyota Corolla, early Sunday parked and locked without the keys in it, in a wayside next to a bridge that crosses the river, off Wisconsin Highway 33 in Fairfield Township. The car has since been turned over to Cutler's mother and stepfather, Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen said.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-missing_25_bothoct25,0,6397478.story

[Pauli]

Search for missing teen continues


October 25, 2007
By Katie Okon and CHARLES BERMAN Staff Writers

As the search nears day five for 18-year-old Lee S. Cutler, the window of finding him safe and alive is narrowing, said family spokesman Dan De Grazia.
"We're concerned because Lee was not prepared to stay outdoors this long without warmth or shelter," he said.

http://media1.pioneerlocal.com/multimedia/bg-wedmissing-102407-p1_pp_feed_20071024_18_15_35_158-116-165.imageContent (http://javascript<b></b>:dc_popup_win('http://www.pioneerlocal.com/buffalogrove/news/618816,bg-wedmissing-102407-p1.fullimage', 'fullimage', 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,m enubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=650,hei ght=650'))Lee Cutler, 18 of Buffalo Grove, was last seen in a dark blue sweater with a red stripe kippah on his head and khaki pants.

However, friends and classmates are rallying around each other in hopes of good news. The "lets find lee!!" group on Facebook.com has exceeded 2,000 members, many ready to join the search party, but authorities in Sauk County, Wis., haven't requested local assistance.
"The (Baraboo) River is flowing pretty heavy right now," said Buffalo Grove police Cmdr. Steve Husak. "They don't want anybody to go in there and get hurt."
The rugged terrain near the river also poses a threat to untrained individuals in the search effort, Husak added.
De Grazia said the Sauk County Sheriff's Department, assisted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, are using heat-seeking sensors from helicopters to search the vast Baraboo region and a dive team in the river to locate Cutler.
"Everywhere (Lee) could be, if alive or hurt, the Sauk County sheriff is confident they have searched those areas," De Grazia said. "Not many options are open, frankly."
Despite these terrible times, De Grazia said he is amazed with how well (Cutler's) family is holding up.
"There is no worse fear. There is no scary movie, no natural disaster, nothing that compares to (not knowing where your son is)," he said.
De Grazia, a friend of the family for eight years, said Cutler "is the kind of kid that makes you smile and laugh. If you are watching the Cubs, he cheers for the other team. He always tries to make things interesting. He has a real zest for life. His friends said he'd 'always smile and poke you in the ribs when he saw you in the hallway.' He was able to poke fun at himself, too. If you've seen his Facebook pictures, he's smiling broadly, smirking or looking like he's about to stir things up again. That is the Lee I know."
Cutler has been an active member with BBYO, a trans-denominational Jewish teen organization, since eighth grade, starting a chapter in Buffalo Grove two years ago, said Stacey Heller, BBYO Midwest regional director.
"He's a great kid, a role model and a valuable member to our organization," said Heller. "We are all supporting one another during this time."
Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, where Cutler is a senior, has designated the recital hall and auditorium for students to go and talk to counselors specially trained for grief situations, said school spokesman Jim Conrey.
"Stevenson has been great about making sure the kids are supported and having people available to them," said De Grazia.
Beth Frazin, Cutler's mother, first reported him missing Saturday (Oct. 20) after he failed to show up to work at Rock America in Vernon Hills. He was last seen at 9:50 a.m. that morning, when he dropped a friend off at home.
His vehicle, a gray 2007 Toyota Corolla, was found at 3:45 a.m. Monday off a road near a cornfield in Fairfield Township in Wisconsin, about three hours away, according to Sauk County Sheriff Randy M. Stammen and Buffalo Grove police.
Blankets and a backpack belonging to the missing teenager were found Tuesday, and clothing, an empty Advil PM bottle and letters written to and from Cutler's loved ones were found near the Baraboo River, said Sauk County, Wis., sheriff's officials.
"Right now everything (the sheriff's department) knows leads them to believe he is somewhere near or, sadly, in the Baraboo River," said De Grazia.

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/buffalogrove/news/621266,bg-missing-102507-s1.article

[Pauli]

River search continues

By Tim Damos

A dive team is dealing with mucky water and obstructions in its search for 18-year-old Lee S. Cutler of Buffalo Grove, Ill., whose car was found Sunday night parked at a wayside east of Baraboo.
Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen said in a press release Thursday evening that teams will keep searching the Baraboo River today, and his department will continue to assist the Buffalo Grove Police Department in their missing person investigation.
After air searches of the surrounding Baraboo bluffs proved unsuccessful, authorities continued their search of the river Thursday.
Guy Matthews, dive team coordinator with the Sauk County Sheriff's Department, said submerged trees and other debris have made it difficult for divers to navigate the water.
Only one diver is searching at any time, but several divers take turns going under.
"They use a full facemask with a headset and microphone built in," Matthews said. "It makes the diver feel more at ease."
It also allows the diver to tell the boat driver where to move when there is an area that needs more prodding. But having a cord that connects the headset to the boat also can cause problems, Matthews said.
The cord can get tangled in tree branches, so heavily obstructed areas generally are searched with sonar and video equipment, Matthews said.
Visibility in the water isn't good, either, he said. He describes certain areas of the river as "chocolate milk."
Matthews said Thursday afternoon the team already had searched a 100-yard portion of the river south of the Highway 33 bridge, near the wayside where Cutler's car was found.
Cutler's mother and stepfather — who had traveled to Wisconsin after their son's car was found — returned to Illinois on Wednesday.
Cutler's natural father, Daniel Cutler of Skokie, Ill., was back at the wayside Thursday where search efforts are being coordinated.
He had been staying at a local hotel, but checked out Thursday morning and was preparing to head back to Illinois on Thursday afternoon.
He said he has appreciated the support of people in the area, but needs to be back with family.
There have been people from all over who have traveled to the site to offer their prayers for Lee Cutler, his father said.
Four days of searching have been unsuccessful in locating Cutler, who was last seen dropping off a friend in his hometown Saturday morning.
Authorities found an empty bottle of Advil PM, clothing and letters to and from loved ones of Cutler in search efforts earlier this week. They also found a backpack and blankets that belong to the teen near the river, which runs under the bridge less than 100 yards from the wayside where his car was found.
In the meantime, classmates have continued posting messages on a Web site set up after Cutler disappeared.
A longtime family friend of Cutler's, Daniel De Grazia, has been serving as spokesman for the family, and has been updating Cutler's friends on the search efforts through the Web site.
In a Thursday post, he asked everyone to remain strong.
"Don't go it alone. We have all seen how strong we are together, so let's not stop now," De Grazia wrote. "Take care of each other today. We still have some road ahead of us and we need to keep up both our emotional and physical strength."


Schoolmates hold out hopeLINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. — Students at Adlai E. Stevenson High School are hopeful that their friend and classmate, Lee S. Cutler, will turn up soon, a school official said Thursday night.

Though the whereabouts of Cutler, whose car was discovered in Sauk County Sunday night after he disappeared Saturday, are still unknown, students are getting help to cope with the events of the week.
"Those students that know him best are effected the most," said Jim Conrey, the school's public relations coordinator. "Word is getting around. It's the talk of the school."
Conrey said school officials set up counseling centers in the east and west wings of the school, which has about 4,500 students and is located roughly 30 miles north of Chicago.
Though daily situation updates have not been provided to students, Conrey has been e-mailing articles from the News Republic to staff on a nightly basis, he said.
The circumstances of his disappearance just don't sound right, Conrey said.
"It's still a mystery," he said. "Some of it just doesn't add up to us."


http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/253266

[4thekids]

Buffalo Grove teen's friends cling to hope


Wisconsin divers today once again will search for a body in the muddy Baraboo River, as loved ones and friends of missing Stevenson High School senior Lee S. Cutler cling to slight hope the 18-year-old will unexpectedly show up alive somewhere else.

"We're already deeply into the unexpected," notes Dan de Garzia, a family friend who has become the spokesman for Cutler's parents and the hundreds of teenagers and parents who continue to meet nightly in person or online in an attempt to solve the mystery that has gripped them since the Buffalo Grove teenager was reported missing Saturday.

An active and friendly student who turned 18 early this month, Cutler attended a birthday dinner for a friend Friday evening, and was in a small group of teens who then spent the night at another friend's house. Cutler dropped one of the teens at home at 9:50 a.m. Saturday in Buffalo Grove but never showed up for his part-time job at Westfield Hawthorn shopping center in Vernon Hills.

Instead, he apparently drove by himself to rural Wisconsin without telling anyone. The teen's locked car was discovered at 3:30 a.m. Monday along the Baraboo River just south of the Wisconsin Dells. His yarmulke, a blanket and his school backpack -- containing letters to and from family members, but no obvious clues to his disappearance -- were found on a muddy riverbank near a Highway 33 bridge east of Baraboo.

Rescue workers on foot, in airplanes and in a helicopter with a heat-sensing infrared camera found no sign of the missing teen in the hilly forest or nearby cornfields this week; neither did a dog trained to sniff out dead bodies.

Friends continue to support each other through a facebook.com discussion group called "lets find lee!!"

"Don't go it alone. We have all seen how strong we are together, so let's not stop now," one Thursday posting reads. "Take care of each other today. We still have some road ahead of us and we need to keep up both our emotional and physical strength."

"We're encouraging students who have questions and concerns to talk with us," says Jim Conrey, a spokesman for Stevenson High School, which has counseling stations for students who need them. "Unfortunately, like many people, we're a little uncertain about what's going on ourselves.

"We don't know the circumstances that led him to do what he did. We're not sure what the underlying factors are, so to some degree it's difficult to talk about it."

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=64458&src=1

[Pauli]

18-year-old missing a week

By Tim Damos
Today marks one week since the car of Lee S. Cutler, Buffalo Grove, Ill., was found at a wayside east of Baraboo. No one has seen the 18-year-old since Oct. 20.

Authorities plan to keep searching the Baraboo River today, but no new evidence or leads were found over the weekend, Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen said in a news release.

After searching the river for the fifth straight day Saturday, the Sauk County Sheriff's Department Dive and Rescue Team took Sunday off.
The team located Cutler's pants, wallet and keys Friday.

Cutler's father, Daniel Cutler, was waiting at the wayside Saturday afternoon as the dive team searched a portion of the west bank of the Baraboo River about 50 yards north of the Highway 33 bridge.

Cutler and Barry Frazin, Lee Cutler's stepfather, came back to Baraboo Friday to get the teen's car and see how the search was going.

Daniel Cutler said he was grateful for the efforts of search teams, including divers, some who continued to work through sickness.

He said he planned to go back to Illinois Sunday.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/253746

[Pauli]

Search called off
Wisconsin police have called off their search for a missing Buffalo Grove 18-year-old and turned the case over to Buffalo Grove police, officials said Tuesday. Sauk County sheriff's officials have exhausted their leads searching for Lee Cutler after his car was found off Highway 33 near Baraboo, Wis., on Oct. 22, police said. Cutler, a senior at Stevenson High School, was last seen in Buffalo Grove around 10 a.m. Oct. 20. Several of his belongings, including his vehicle, were found near and in the Baraboo River.



http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=67666&src=1

[Pauli]

Efforts to find missing Illinois teen continue

Associated Press - October 31, 2007 11:55 AM ET
BARABOO, Wis. (AP) - Sauk County sheriff's deputies continue to patrol the banks of the Baraboo River for clues in the disappearance of an Illinois teen.
Eighteen-year-old Lee Cutler of Buffalo Grove was last seen October 20th. His car was found two days later at a wayside along Highway 33 near a bridge that crosses the river.
Sauk County sheriff's officials met yesterday with Buffalo Grove police and decided to continue the search.
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=7291214

[Pauli]

Posted: Friday, 02 November 2007 10:44AM

Police Ending Search For Missing Buffalo Grove Teen

BARABOO, WIS. (STNG) -- The Sauk County (Wis.) Sheriff's Department has concluded the majority of the search effort for Buffalo Grove teen after more than week scouring the Baraboo River and surrounding area, a family spokesman said Wednesday.

Investigators found Lee S. Cutler's gray 2007 Toyota Corolla, a backpack, clothing and other personal belongings in Fairfield Township, Wis., but have not located Cutler, a Stevenson High School senior.


Dan De Grazia said Buffalo Grove police will take the lead in the investigation because Wisconsin officials are confident Cutler is not in the area along the river.


The search effort employed foot patrols, ATVs, planes and helicopters equipped with infrared scanners, sonar and cameras in addition to dive teams in the river.


"The family is having a hard time adjusting to the news," De Grazia said.


Cutler was last seen dropping off a friend at 9:50 a.m. Oct. 20 after attending a party the previous night. He failed to show up to his part-time job at Rock America in Vernon Hills, where he was scheduled to work at noon.


He also failed to show up for work at a Vernon Hills clothing store and his locked car was found at a rest stop near Baraboo on Sunday morning, Oct. 21. A search of the nearby rugged countryside uncovered the backpack and blankets, and Sauk County Sheriffs police also announced the discovery of an empty Advil bottle and letters on Oct. 24.

http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/1167403.php?

[Pauli]

Buffalo Grove Police take lead in search for missing teen


November 2, 2007 - Buffalo Grove Police are now taking the lead in the search for a missing teenager from the northern suburb.

Wisconsin police have ended their search near the town of Baraboo because they are confident Lee Cutler is not there.

The 18-year-old Stevenson High School student was last seen October 20. Investigators found his car, clothing and other belongings near the Baraboo river in Sauk County. Wisconsin. But the Sauk County Sheriff's Department is certain he is not there after spending more than a week scouring the river and surrounding area.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=l...&id=5740048

[Grande]

Private eye aiding hunt for missing Illinois teen

BARABOO, Wis. - A private investigator is sorting through possible leads in the case of a missing Illinois teen whose car was found in a roadside rest area near the Baraboo River more than a month ago.

Searchers have found possessions of Lee Cutler, 18, in and around the river, but searches of the river itself failed to find him.

Friends and family members have held out hope that he is alive, possibly after trying to fake his own death.

"It doesn't appear that he's in the river," said Penni Clobridge, director of investigations with ETS Investigative Services in Wilmette, Ill.

"I'm contacting people that know him and getting to know Lee through other peoples' eyes," said Clobridge, who is a friend of Cutler's mother and is working on the case for free.

Cutler was last seen in his hometown of Buffalo Grove, Ill., after he dropped a friend off the morning of Oct. 20. He was at a birthday party the previous night.

His car was found in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, and investigators later found his personal possessions in and around the river near the wayside. They found letters to and from loved ones and an empty bottle of Advil PM. Divers turned up his pants, wallet and keys from the river.

Clobridge said authorities did a basic search of Cutler's personal computer, but she plans to do a thorough forensic search of his hard drive.

Cutler's family and friends, meanwhile, plan a candlelight ceremony Sunday in Buffalo Grove organized by Diane Smolensky, who has a daughter who attends Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Cutler's school.

"If, God forbid, it were my child, I would hope people would show me the same support," Smolensky said.

A statement from Cutler's mother Beth Frazin on a Web site to help find Cutler says, "Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers concerning Lee. I truly believe that Lee is alive."

Smolensky suggested Cutler might have wanted people to think he was in the river.

"It looks like he was setting all this up," she said.

Daniel De Grazia, a longtime family friend, won't go that far but doesn't rule anything out.

"If he's out there and he believes he doesn't have any friends, we're here to show him that he's absolutely wrong," De Grazia said.

The Sauk County Sheriff's Department still checks the river regularly for Cutler, Chief Deputy Chip Meister said Monday.

http://www.rhinelanderdailynews.com/articles/2007/11/26/ap-state-wi/d8t5r6l00.txt

[Grande]

Candlelight ceremony planned for missing Stevenson senior

Friends and loved ones of a missing 18-year-old from Buffalo Grove have scheduled a "We Miss Lee" candlelight ceremony as a way of coping with the emotional case.

Lee Cutler, a senior at Stevenson High School, disappeared Oct. 20. His car was found two days later near a river outside Baraboo, Wis. Searchers found Cutler's pants, wallets and car keys in the river, and his backpack and favorite yarmulke on the shore, but no sign of the teen.

A large support group has been using www.facebook.com to share information and feelings about the case. The latest posting notes the candlelight ceremony "is most definitely not a memorial of any kind," but simply a way of proclaiming, "We do not know where he is, and we miss him."

The ceremony is scheduled from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the park near the Buffalo Grove Park District's Golf & Sports Center, 801 McHenry Road. Flames aren't allowed, but 500 flameless candles have been donated for the event.

A Find Lee Fund -- Harris Bank, 500 Half Day Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089, Attn: Valbona Ceci (847) 876-8408 -- offers a reward for information about the missing teenager.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=85202&src=3

[Grande]

Book on living in the wild found in missing teen's car
By Nadia Malik | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 1/4/2008 12:25 AM

Police on Thursday said Lee Cutler, the missing 18-year-old from Buffalo Grove, had a copy of "Into the Wild" in his car when it was found abandoned in October.

The book chronicles the story of Christopher McCandless, a 24-year-old who was found dead in the wilderness of Alaska in 1992.

McCandless had shed most of his personal belongings and his previous life -- cutting off ties with his family -- in an endeavor to survive on his own in the wild.

Author Jon Krakauer posits that McCandless died either of starvation or from moldy seeds he had been eating. A movie based on the book was recently released.

Buffalo Grove police Cmdr. Steve Husak said investigators found the book in Cutler's abandoned Toyota Corolla in Sauk County, Wis.

"That was part of the investigation throughout," he said. "Some friends had said he had read the book."

That book was a reason the Sauk County sheriff's police thoroughly checked the nearby Baraboo River and surrounding area. They recovered his pants, wallet and car keys in the water. Police had also found a backpack with personal letters and a yarmulke near the river.

Husak said Cutler didn't seem to prepare himself in any way to survive in the wild, however, and the book was just one of the leads police followed.

Husak said he recently talked to investigators in Sauk County, who said no new information has come forward in the Cutler case.

Sauk County sheriff's police "are confident that he's not in the river, so he might be out on his own," he said.

The family clings to the hope that Cutler is still alive.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=106590&src=1

[Pauli]

Friends, family not giving up on missing teen
By Tim Damos
A non-profit group will continue an underwater search of the Baraboo River for an Illinois teen reported missing five months ago.

Meanwhile, friends and family of Lee Cutler, 18, Buffalo Grove, Ill., have not given up hope that the high school senior is alive.

About nine of Cutler's closest friends will travel to Baraboo next week to hang fliers and see with their own eyes the area where the teen's car was found.

"We just kind of want to look at the area and see where we know he last was... just kind of for sentimental value," said Katrina Englerth, a senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School and a close friend of Cutler.

The group will visit the wayside near a corn field along Highway 33 east of Baraboo where a Sauk County deputy found Cutler's grey Toyota Corolla Oct. 22. The wayside was within walking distance of the Baraboo River, where authorities found items belonging to Cutler — including an empty pill bottle, clothing, and letters to and from loved ones.

A dive team later located the teen's wallet, keys, a belt and a pair of pants in the river, but there was no sign of a body.

The high school senior ate dinner at Rokbonki Japanese Steak House in Illinois to celebrate a friends birthday the night of Oct. 19. Later that night, he attended a bonfire party with friends.

Cutler wasn't talking much and seemed withdrawn from the conversation at the party, Englerth said, and he used his cell phone to send a text message to another friend that said, "I need your help."

The friend sent a return message asking what she could do, but never heard back from Cutler, Englerth said.

"He didn't really respond, and he didn't give her anymore information than that," she said.

The next morning, Cutler dropped a friend off at home on the way to his part-time job at a mall. But he never showed up for work.

"A day turned into two days, which turned into Monday morning, which turned into finding his car in Wisconsin and then it just kind of all blew up in our faces," Englerth said.

Englerth is part of a group that started a Web site devoted to locating Cutler. That same group holds occasional meetings.

"We're not going to give up," she said.

There have been several developments recently, but nothing concrete, said Penni Clobridge, a private investigator working on the case free of charge for Cutler's mother.

Clobridge said one person thought they saw Cutler at a New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square in New York City. The person sent a video to Clobridge by e-mail.


"Oh my gosh, I sent it to (Cutler's mother), it looked just like Lee," she said.
Another person thought they spotted Cutler at an Arby's fast food restaurant. But surveillance footage proved otherwise, Clobridge said.

"Plus, he's a vegetarian," Clobridge said.

Cutler is now registered on the Web site of a non-profit group dedicated to providing resources for missing person searches, Texas EquuSearch.

Cutler's mother, Beth Frazin, said the organization will use sophisticated underwater search equipment to reopen the river search for Cutler.

A Texas EquuSearch employee confirmed the search will take place, but offered no further details.

Frazin said a group of Cutler's friends will travel to area high schools to talk about their experience and try to prevent teens from running away from their problems.

"I don't know if he's in danger, I don't know if he's just taking a break, but it's just devastating," Frazin said. "It's so horrible. It's something that has broken up my family... I don't sleep well anymore. It's as if I'm waiting for him to walk through the door."


On April 20, Cutler will have been missing six months.

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/278034

[Pauli]

On the lookout for Lee

http://www.wiscnews.com//images/articles/bnr/2008/03/26/66260_thumb.jpg (http://www.wiscnews.com//images/articles/bnr/2008/03/26/66260.jpg)
Friends of missing 18-year-old Lee Cutler walk along Broadway in Baraboo Wednesday afternoon after visiting the site where their friend's car was found more than five months ago. Shown above, from left, are Anna Graham, Katrina Englerth, Robert Levy (obscured), Mark Levy and Brian Meyer. Photo by Tim Damos

By Tim Damos
After seeing Sauk County's rolling hills and beautiful scenery firsthand, friends of Lee Cutler said they can understand why their high school classmate wanted to stop in the area last October.


"He would go off on his trips," said Cutler's high school friend Brian Meyer. "He really liked to observe nature."


But none of Cutler's friends who visited the area Wednesday could explain why the trail of a missing person case ends at a wayside on Highway 33 east of Baraboo.


After making the two and a half hour drive Wednesday morning from northeastern Illinois, the 10 current and former students of Adlai E. Stevenson High School visited that wayside where their friend's vehicle was found Oct. 22.

"It explained why he would've gone there," Meyer said, adding that Cutler loved the outdoors and was attracted to beautiful scenery.


The teens ventured away from the wayside to the nearby Baraboo River, where authorities found some of Cutler's personal possessions, including a backpack, blankets, an empty pill bottle and letters to and from loved ones. A dive team later found some of Cutler's clothes in the river, but no body.


They also visited downtown Baraboo, eating lunch at a local restaurant and shopping at a thrift store. They hung fliers around the area.


Meyer and Cutler were good friends. They would hang out together most days after school, Meyer said, and Cutler was at a bonfire at Meyer's home the night before he disappeared.


"When I first heard he was gone, it was like, 'OK, Lee is just chilling somewhere,'" Meyer said. "Then, when the whole thing stretched into November, it was just like, 'Wow, he's gone.'"


Meyer said it's difficult dealing with the unknown. He tries to keep a sense of humor about the situation.


When asked what he thinks happened to his friend, he says with a smile, "My version involves aliens."


But the unknowns surrounding Cutler's disappearance are making things difficult for his friends.


"The problem is there's nothing that says he's definitely dead and nothing that says he's definitely alive," said Stevenson High School senior Anna Graham.


Though there is evidence pointing to the possibility that Cutler drowned in the river, Graham said a dive team should have been able to locate his body.


"The divers said a bunch of people have drowned in the river, but they've found them all," she said.


The teens still meet on a weekly basis to discuss their next move. Some of them occasionally speak to students at other schools about what it's like to have a friend vanish.


They also want to talk with officials at their school in Lincolnshire, Ill., about what they felt was a less-than-adequate response to a delicate situation.
"There were some problems with how information was handled," senior Katrina Englerth said. "There were teachers that made some really inappropriate comments."


One teacher told Cutler's ex-girlfriend that Cutler likely was dead, Englerth said.


The group will be split up soon. Many are headed off to college in different parts of the country in the fall. But they plan to keep in touch.


College freshman Mark Levy said he was Cutler's friend for seven years. He was visiting home the weekend that Cutler disappeared.


Dealing with a lost friend isn't easy, he said. But he keeps a positive attitude.


"I'm dealing with it in the same way (Lee) would want me to deal with it," he said. "Lee is more diligent than people give him credit for. I think he's fine."

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/278826

[Mysticalmom]

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/282382
Concert aids search for missing teen
By Tim Damos


BARABOO - Friends and family of an Illinois teen who disappeared near Baraboo six months ago will hold a benefit concert next month to raise money for renewed search efforts.

Five bands will play and businesses will offer raffle prizes in a concert to be held sometime in May, said Beth Frazin, mother of 18-year-old Lee Cutler, Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Cutler's car was found at a wayside east of Baraboo along Highway 33 in October, two days after he was reported missing.

A dive team's search of the Baraboo River did not turn up a body, but authorities found Cutler's personal possessions in and around the river.

Cutler is now registered on the Web site of a non-profit group dedicated to providing resources for missing person searches, Texas EquuSearch.

The company plans to complete another search of the river using sophisticated equipment, Frazin said.

"They've told me if he's down there, they will find him," she said.

The company's Web site says a "special water teams is working closely with law enforcement officials" and will conduct a sonar scan of the river once conditions are suitable.

To find out more about the concert for Cutler, visit his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com and search for the profile "lets find lee!!"

[Mysticalmom]

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/287623

River to be searched again
By Tim Damos


Search efforts along the Baraboo River for an Illinois teen who went missing seven months ago will be renewed, possibly this weekend.

The search will be conducted by an Illinois underwater search expert who will use advanced sonar equipment to check for the body of Lee Cutler, 18, of Buffalo Grove, Ill.

"To be honest with you, there's very little chance that I'm going to find him," said Dennis Watters of TeamWatters, Inc. "If he's truly in that river, he would have floated somewhere by now."

Watters may visit the river near the Highway 33 bridge east of Baraboo sometime this weekend, close to where Cutler's car was found in October. Watters isn't saying exactly when he'll visit.

"I'm going to slip in and slip out," he said.

Local law enforcement searched the river seven months ago using sonar equipment and a dive team, but could not find Cutler. Cutler's clothing and other possessions were located in and around the river.

Watters said after Cutler's family contacted him months ago, he talked to Sauk County Sheriff's Department investigators.

"They were comfortable with the search they had done in the river, they didn't think he could be in there and they would not officially request our assistance," Watters said. "To be honest with you, the only way that he could be in the river is if he's weighted down. ... It is a possibility."

As water temperatures rise, Watters said, a body would begin to decompose more rapidly.

He had hoped to do the search weeks ago, but hadn't heard from Cutler's family or law enforcement in months.

He said he's confident local authorities did a thorough search, but he will give the area one final check.

Sauk County Sheriff's Department Detective Mike Foster said Cutler's missing person case appears to be at a standstill.

"Right now, it's pretty well closed," Foster said. "I mean we haven't heard hide nor hair of any new sightings."

Foster said anyone is free to search the river, as it is public property, but the sheriff's department cannot approve searches on private land.


New leads, new dead ends

A private investigator working on the Cutler case for free said she has received plenty of tips, but most have not panned out.

Most recently, a Baraboo citizen thought they saw Cutler living on the streets of Las Vegas during a vacation to the area this April, said Penni Clobridge, director of investigations with ETS Investigative Services in Wilmette, Ill.

"We're checking up on that," Clobridge said. "I got (in touch with) a homeless shelter out there."

She said she sent posters to the shelter, which has posted fliers throughout the area.

Cutler's mother, Beth Frazin of Buffalo Grove, Ill., said she likely will travel to Sauk County to be there for the new search.

She was recently contacted by the "Dr. Phil" show regarding a possible show on missing persons.

Dr. Phil McGraw is a TV psychologist with a daily one-hour syndicated show that takes a "get real" approach solving peoples' problems.

"I don't know what to do at this point," Frazin said. "I'm going through a lot of stuff in my life, and this is very, very hard."

[packy]

Thanks for the updates, Mysticalmom. It would seem to be a good idea to give one more search. The tip about Vegas is interesting, it does give hope that Lee can still be found safe.

[Nut44x4]

I have been waiting for ANYTHING on this kid....any news at all. Thank you.

[Mysticalmom]

http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/299049
9 months later, missing Ill. teen case has gone cold
By Tim Damos / News Republic

It's been more than nine months since Lee Cutler's car was found at a wayside east of Baraboo on Highway 33. But the whereabouts of the 18-year-old high school student from Buffalo Grove, Ill., are still a mystery and his case has gone cold.

"We've administratively closed the case," said Buffalo Grove Police Department Commander Steve Husak.

Police could reopen the case at any time if they come across new information, Husak said, but nothing new has materialized for months.

Cutler was seen in his hometown of Buffalo Grove after dropping a friend off the morning of Oct. 20. He had been at a birthday party the previous night.

Sauk County authorities found his car in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, and later found his personal possessions in and around the Baraboo River near a wayside on Highway 33. A dive team search of the river turned up Cutler's pants, wallet and keys, but was unsuccessful in locating Cutler.

Cutler's mother, Beth Frazin, has given authorities a DNA sample, which will be stored in a database.

"That's more so for when bodies are located," Husak said.

He said Sauk County Sheriff's Department officials are adamant that Cutler's body is not in the river.

"Especially after a lot of rains this spring and flooding and things, that would have dislodged a body ... " Husak said.

In May, an Illinois-based underwater search expert traveled to Sauk County to search the river using advanced sonar equipment. But his boat never touched the water.

A private landowner that had provided river access to authorities when Cutler first went missing was unavailable, said Dennis Watters of TeamWatters, Inc.

But Watters said he surveyed the area, and thinks Cutler should have been easy to find if he were in the river.

"We looked around at it, and to be honest with you, it would have been hard for them not to have found him," Watters said.

A private investigator is still following up on leads for Cutler's family, but hasn't had any new ones in a while.

"Everything is basically on hold. It's just a waiting game," said Penni Clobridge, director of investigations with ETS Investigative Services in Wilmette, Ill. "Chances are he's someplace and he doesn't want to come back."

Clobridge said she suspects Cutler met a friend in Wisconsin who helped him disappear

[Nut44x4]

Posted: Wednesday, 15 October 2008 9:34AM

New Information On Note Left By Missing Buffalo Grove Teen

(WBBM) - This coming Monday will mark one year since the disappearance of a Buffalo Grove teenager, Lee Cutler. And now there is new information about him and the note he left behind, near his locked car in the Wisconsin woods.

Lee Cutler's mother Beth Frazin cautions about reading too much into the note.
"He said, 'My head is too big for my body. I finally get to sleep. I love you, Mom. Please be happy.'"

See the "Let's Find Lee!" Facebook page HERE

Beth Frazin believes her son, who was 18 when he disappeared, may have wanted people to think he had killed himself to buy more time to get away.

"I am convinced totally that he did not take his own life."

And the copy of the book "Into the Wild" that was found in his locked car? Frazin says it was required reading for school. And she does not believe it means he left the real world to live off the land, as the book's main character does.

"It happened to be in his car."

Beth Frazin says the last time she saw Lee, he hugged her. And held on longer than usual.

Frazin says Lee Cutler needed to get away, partly because of the volatile relationship he had with his stepfather, Barry Frazin.

"He was an addict, all around. And he was smoking pot with my kid."

Lee's stepfather died almost two months ago.

Beth Frazin says she'd like her son Lee to know it's safe to come home.

Beth Frazin asks anyone who may have information about her son Lee Cutler, who would be 19 now, to contact her at oneredraisin2@aol.com.

Frazin hopes her son may walk back into her life on Monday based on something Cutler had written on a web page before he disappeared. That he would be "home on Monday."

Frazin is clinging to the hope that Monday means this coming Monday, the one-year anniversary of the day he vanished.

"So I'm really hoping that he'll be home. That that was some kind of message."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Comments on site:

10/15/2008 10:53AM My prayers are with you
I have a 20 yr old son who I worry about daily. Luckily he is still near me in body so I can't imagine the heartache you are going thru. My prayers are with you. As a mother, I truly hope your instincts about Monday are correct. God bless you both.

10/15/2008 12:20PM You are in My Prayers
I am praying for you! I pray peace for your soul and I ask God to calm your spirit! This is in the hands of God almighty

10/15/2008 12:58PM Spare Me!!
I am sick of hearing how a step mother or step father has abused children to the point child needs to run away... Frazin says Lee Cutler needed to get away, partly because of the volatile relationship he had with his stepfather, Barry Frazin. "He was an addict, all around. And he was smoking pot with my kid." if the mom knew there was an issue why did she not kick the loser out of house, i am sure the son would have backed her and would still be at home...who's to say this lady wont hook up with yet another loser who once again abuses kids that are not his, i am sorry but hopefully the son is alive and will someday contact mommy.

http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/3141297.php?contentType=4&contentId=2902205

[Nut44x4]

I just need to comment..... Marijuana is not a drug and it is not addictive. Chemicals in pot are not addicting, such as in cigarettes. The only so called addiction to pot is psychological...not physical. addiction to pot is nonsense.
And just for the record, I do not smoke it. I quit many years ago. It made me stupid and I simply quit.

[Grande]

How sad for his mother. I feel for her, she's lost alot in this last year, I hope she get's the answers she seeks.

:1222423:

[Faith]

http://i.dailyherald.com/stories/100/normal/100713.jpg

Mother clings to hope one year after her son's disappearance.




Every day for the last year, Beth Frazin has been hoping her son will walk through the front door with some explanation of where he's been.

Today marks the anniversary of Lee Cutler's disappearance, which is still shrouded in mystery.

The first sign of trouble came on Oct. 20, 2007, when the 18-year-old Buffalo Grove teen failed to show up at his job. Frazin said she knew right then that something was wrong.

"I just had this intuition that he was gone," she said.

Frazin's motherly instinct also led her to think Cutler headed to Wisconsin, although she couldn't figure out why exactly he would go there that day. She was right, though: His car and some personal belongings were found there in the days following his disappearance.

But that's where the trail goes cold. Frazin, Cutler's friends and authorities all are at a loss to explain what could have happened next.

It's been months since any new information has been found, either by a private detective hired by the Frazins, or by police.

Buffalo Grove authorities have closed their investigation for now, pending new tips about Cutler.

"We still communicate with Sauk County (Wisc.)," Cmdr. Steve Husak said. "You hope if he is out there that he would contact the family."

Cutler had slept over at a friend's house the night before his disappearance. He was supposed to be working that Saturday, Oct. 20, at Rock America in Vernon Hills. Police at the time said he was dropped off at 9:50 a.m. for his shift, which started at noon.

Frazin said Cutler's boss thought that he had just forgotten that he was supposed to be working. But she knew something was off.

The night before, he had given Frazin a hug that lasted longer than usual.

"I probably should have realized then," she said. "It just didn't seem like there was anything wrong."

Two days later, the Stevenson High School senior's Toyota Corolla was found in Wisconsin. The Sauk County sheriff's police did an air and ground search of the cornfield and Baraboo River. Officers found blankets and a backpack belonging to Cutler near the river.

A few days after than, police also found Cutler's tan pants, wallet and keys in the river itself. They also found Cutler's yarmulke, letters to and from loved ones and an empty Advil PM bottle.

Cutler also left a note telling his mom to be happy, which led to speculations of suicide.

However, Frazin doesn't believe that could be the case.

Much conjecture also followed after a copy of "Into the Wild" was found with Cutler's belongings. The main character in the book left his family to live off the land, and theories surfaced that the nature-loving Cutler planned the same.

Frazin again disputes those theories, saying the book was just assigned reading in a class and that she doesn't put much stock into the finding.

While the sweep of the river continued, no sign of Cutler himself was ever found.

"We believe we searched the river well enough that if the body had been there, we would have discovered it," said Capt. Kevin Fults of the Sauk County sheriff's police.

Frazin said her big fear is that her son was abducted while in Wisconsin and is in danger. She's spent the year worrying and unable to move forward.

"I feel like I'm suspended in the air," she said. "A part of my heart is broken."

Frazin has also had a hard time packing up Cutler's belongings as she moves out of her Buffalo Grove home. Her husband, Barry, died in August of a heart attack, and she found it too trying to live in the house any longer.

Frazin said her husband, Cutler's stepfather, was integral in searching for her son, but he may also have contributed to him leaving.

"He had a volatile relationship with the kids," she said.

Frazin has continued working at the Northeastern Illinois University library to keep some semblance of normalcy in her life, but takes medication to hold back the ever-present tears.

On Oct. 2, Cutler's 19th birthday, Frazin went to work so that she wouldn't spend her day crying. The decision provided a moment of serendipity when a woman came into the library talking about her own missing son.

One of the hardest parts of the year was the fact that no support groups exist in the area for parents of missing children, but Frazin found a kindred spirit with the stranger.

She also relies on her family *- including her 21-year-old son - and friends to keep her spirits up; she meets every month for breakfast with a group of local women who provide an outlet for her. Cutler's friends also keep in touch with her and make sure she's doing OK.

"Every holiday and birthday, they'd call me or text me," Frazin said. "Family and friends, I don't know what I'd do without them."

She will be holding a conference call today with Cutler's friends, many of whom are at college this year, to relive their memories of the missing teen.

Frazin also continues to check her e-mail address, oneredraisin2@aol.com, for clues that someone may have spotted Cutler somewhere or that he might send her a note to reassure her he's OK.

"It's like I have a piece of him in me," Frazin said. "I think about Lee every single day. I can't give up hope. Wherever he is, I hope that he's healthy and safe."


http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=243883

[Faith]

My prayers are with Beth. Never give up hope! :1222423:

[Nut44x4]

Barry S. Frazin Obit

Barry S. Frazin, of Buffalo Grove, passed away on Aug. 28, 2008. He is survived by his wife, Beth Frazin; daughter Lauren, and stepsons Carl and Lee Cutler; brothers

Irwin and Leon Frazin. Barry received his Undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University; J.D. from DePaul University and M.S. from Northeastern University. For many years he worked as an educator with the Chicago Public Schools and until his death served as Principal at Nob Hill School in Country Club Hills, IL. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008, 3 p.m. at Temple B'Nai Jeshuran Beth Elohim, 1100 Milwaukee Ave., Glenview, IL.

http://www.legacy.com/chicagotribune/Obituaries.asp?Page=Notice&PersonID=116923376

Barry Frazin

Former Chicago attorney Barry Stephan Frazin, a Buffalo Grove resident, died Aug. 28 at age 63. A 1971 graduate of the DePaul University College of Law, he had a master’s degree from Northeastern University.

Mr. Frazin left his law practice in 1986 and became an educator with Chicago Public Schools. He was principal of the Nob Hill School in Country Club Hills at the time of his death.

http://www.illinoisbar.org/pubs/barnews/2008/09/epilogue.html

[Faith]

How sad, thanks nut!

[annalyzer]

http://texasequusearch.org/2009/01/cutler-lee-portage-wi-missing-102007/

http://texasequusearch.org/wp-content/themes/busybee/thumb.php?src=/images/missing/CutlerLee.jpg&h=160&w=120&zc=1&q=95

Cutler, Lee - Portage, WI - missing 10/20/07
Posted on 18. Jan, 2009 by B Tarr in Cold Cases

Lee Cutler, age 18, was last seen on Saturday, October 20, 2007 around 9:50 a.m. in Portage, Wisconsin and has not been seen or heard from since. Police searched an area near Baraboo River after his 2007 Toyota Corolla was found parked near a rest stop in Sauk County at 3:45 a.m. Monday off of Highway 33 (WI-33) between Baraboo and Portage. He was last seen wearing a dark blue sweater with a red stripe and khaki pants.

[annalyzer]

http://www.nampn.org/cases/cutler_lee.html

[nanabillie]

http://www.amw.com/missing_persons/brief.cfm?id=53547

http://media.amw.com/multimedia/fileRepository/db/459/535/cutler_prim_sm.jpg Lee Cutler




Report a Tip (http://www.amw.com/report-tip/?id=53547)
[/URL]




Teen Misses Work, Vanishes

http://media.amw.com/multimedia/fileRepository/db/472/174/cutler_prim_cont.jpg

[URL="http://media.amw.com/multimedia/fileRepository/db/472/174/cutler_prim_CTE.jpg"]http://www.amw.com/images/magglass_red.gif View Larger (http://addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&pub=amwcom)
Lee Cutler turned 18 just two weeks before his disappearance.


When Lee Cutler left for work at a music store in the local mall on the morning of October 20, 2007, everything seemed as normal as could be.
The young man, who'd just recently celebrated his 18th birthday, said goodbye to his mom and headed off to work at around 10 a.m. in his brand new 2007 gray Toyota Corolla.
But Lee never made it to his job at the mall in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Belongings Recovered In Wisconsin

http://media.amw.com/multimedia/fileRepository/db/472/174/cutler_smile_cont.jpg

http://www.amw.com/images/magglass_red.gif View Larger (http://media.amw.com/multimedia/fileRepository/db/472/174/cutler_smile_CTE.jpg)
At the time of his disappearance, Lee Cutler was in the midst of his senior year at Stevenson High School in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.


Two days later, Lee's Corolla was recovered 170 miles away from Buffalo Grove in Baraboo, Wisc. Cops found it near the Baraboo River.
Many of Lee's personal belongings were found in the car. There did not appear to be a struggle, but several of Lee's things -- like his Yarmulke and letters from loved ones -- were left behind.
In the following days, Lee's pants were found in the river with his wallet and keys to his Corolla still in the pocket.
Police searched the river and nearby wilderness extensively, to no avail. While they do not believe that Lee met with foul play, there is a possibility that he may have been in danger.

No News Is Bad News


At the time of his disappearance, Lee was in the midst of his senior year at Buffalo Grove's Stevenson High School.
Shortly after he vanished in late October 2007, the Wisconsin winter settled in and the weather worsened, hampering the search.
To this day, however, investigators continue to look for any clues in both Baraboo and Buffalo Grove. Thus far, nothing new has surfaced. Cops are hoping someone has information about Lee's whereabouts and they can help bring him home to his family.
If you know where Lee Cutler is, you've got to call our hotline right away at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

[nanabillie]

Lee was featured tonight, Feb.1, 2010 on the TV show Disappeared.

[nanabillie]

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/10739466.html
UPDATE: Missing Teen Focus of TV Program
A local investigation is the focus of a television documentary on the "Investigation Discovery" cable network. UPDATE: Teen's mother talks about broadcast.




http://media.graytvinc.com/designimages/wrdw-video-included.gif VIDEO: Missing Teen Focus of TV Program 1-19-10 (http://javascript<b></b>:playVideo('4471972', 'VIDEO: Missing Teen Focus of TV Program 1-19-10', 'v', 'News', '40656', 'News', 'fvCatNo=&backgroundImageURL=', 'video.nbc15.madison.com','flv');)



UPDATED Tuesday, January 19, 2010 -- 4:45 p.m.
Posted by NBC15's Dana Brueck
A mystery out of Sauk County is about to get some national exposure.
A cable program is featuring the case of a missing teen.
"We miss you! I love you and I want you to be home! That's where you should be is home," Beth Frazin said back in October of 2007.
More than two years have passed since Beth Frazin pleaded for help finding her son.
Now, a cable program... the show "Disappeared" is featuring the Sauk County mystery...in hopes of uncovering news leads in the case.
NBC15 News talked with Lee Cutler's mother in Illinois by phone Tuesday.
"Who knows, maybe Lee fell, and he can't remember who he is... I don't know. There are so many stories we could put to this. It's important to get the word out about missing people."
Then 18-years-old, Cutler is from suburban Chicago.
But in October of 2007, his Toyota Corolla was found at a wayside along Highway 33... then some of his belongings near the Baraboo River.
"... we discovered a backpack and some blankets that had been in the car...," Sauk County Sheriff Randy Stammen said in October of 2007.
The case grabbed the attention of producers for "Disappeared."
"They even hired an actor who so much looked like Lee that when I came outside and I saw him .. sitting on the lawn reading I started to cry because that's Lee, you know," Frazin says.
Beth Frazin hopes the broadcast will help bring her son home.
"I never in my entire life would imagine that this would happen to my family," she says, "I'm never going to give up hope. All I want to do is just hold him and be with him."
Police in Buffalo Grove, IL, where the missing person report originated say they've closed their case unless they get new leads.
The case remains open in Sauk County but local investigators also say they need fresh tips.
Cutler's case premieres February 1st, locally at 9 p.m. on the Investigation Discovery channel.
You can WATCH a preview of this special, by clicking the LINK in the "RELATED LINK" Section at the bottom of this story.
UPDATED Tuesday, January 19, 2010 -- 2:15 p.m.
Posted by NBC15's Dana Brueck
A local mystery's going to get national play.
A cable program will feature the disappearance of a teen whose belongings were found in Sauk County more than two years ago.
As you can imagine, the teen's mother is desperate for leads into her son's whereabouts.
She hopes this program will help uncover new leads because investigators say they need them.
"A mother's youngest son disappears into thin air... leaving behind a trail of disturbing evidence..." That's a clip from a cable show called "Disappeared."
It's featuring the case 18-year-old Lee Cutler. Cutler's from a suburb of Chicago... but his vehicle and some personal belongings were found in Sauk County in October of 2007.
NBC15's Dana Brueck spoke by phone Tuesday with Cutler's mother in Illinois.
"They even hired an actor who so much looked like Lee that when I came outside and I saw him ... sitting on the lawn reading I started to cry because that's Lee, you know."
Police in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where the missing person report originated say they've closed the case unless they get new leads.
And, investigators in Sauk County say their case is open, but they need new leads.
Cutler's case premieres February 1st, locally at 9 p-m on the Investigation Discovery channel.
You can WATCH a preview of this special, by clicking the LINK in the "RELATED LINK" Section at the bottom of this story.
__________________________________________________ _
UPDATED Friday, January 15, 2010 --- 10:55 a.m.
A local investigation is the focus of a television documentary on the "Investigation Discovery" cable network.
It will air February 1rst.
The show spotlights the investigation surrounding the disappearance of Lee Cutler. He vanished in October, 2007. Investigators have found some of Cutler's possessions in and around the Baraboo River; but his body was never found.
The description of the broadcast: Lee Cutler is a universally loved high school senior who disappears after dropping off his best friend on a cool autumn morning. Don't miss this episode premiere on Monday, February 1 at 10 PM e/p!
You can WATCH a preview of this special, by clicking the LINK in the "RELATED LINK" Section at the bottom of this story.
__________________________________________________ _

[annalyzer]

Many of Lee's personal belongings were found in the car. There did not appear to be a struggle, but several of Lee's things -- like his Yarmulke and letters from loved ones -- were left behind.

Why would an eighteen year old have letters from loved ones in his car?

[nanabillie]

I just watched the show and at the end they were saying he wanted to join the Israeli army. I guess it's possible.

I feel so sorry for his Mom.

[SavannahStar]

I just watched the show and at the end they were saying he wanted to join the Israeli army. I guess it's possible.

I feel so sorry for his Mom.

I caught the re-run last night as Monday night I went to sleep early and missed it.

Oh what a heartbreaking case! I vaguely remember when it happened but I had forgotten all the details.

What a total, absolute mystery! So odd about the pants, belt and wallet being found. IF he had commit suicide, surely his body would have been found. If he joined the Israeli army, how could his tracks leading there not have been found? How could he have gotten anywhere with nothing on him....no wallet, no anything?

I pray with all my heart he is still alive and one day is reunited with his Mom. Boy my tears were flowing when they showed the footage of her right after he disappeared and she was on the news. I don't think I've ever seen such a distraught mother....her pain was palpable. I felt for her, being a mom of a son myself. I would feel like my heart had been ripped out.

Such a sad, sad case!!! :cray:

:1222423: