Billy Ray Eskew, 18,[BODY IDENTIFIED/C-O-D PENDING] from Logan Co., IL 5/14/08 [Archive]

Faith

05-14-2008, 12:14 PM

Search underway for missing teen in Lincoln

05/14/2008 10:32:05

Logan County authorities have launched a ground and air search for a missing Lincoln man who was last seen yesterday morning. Nearly 100 searchers have been combing the area around Sportsman's Park south of Lincoln for 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew.

Logan County Emergency Management Director Dan Fulscher says Eskew is a quiet man who never went missing before, he seemed glad to have just finished school at Salt Creek Academy and was getting ready for a job interview. Eskew left his cell phone at home.

Foul play is not suspected. Eskew is white, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds with blondish brown sort hair, a goatee and blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a red-hooded coat with white sleeves.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Logan County Sheriff's Office at (217) 732-4159.

Listen: to the audio
http://www.wjbc.com/wire2/news/07545_Lincoln_Missing_MINIWEB_103207.htm

Faith

05-14-2008, 12:15 PM

County crews search for missing Logan County teenager
http://www.pantagraph.com/content/articles/2008/05/14/news/doc482ae28eef7ce196297721.jpg
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/doc482ae28eef7ce196297721.txt

Search underway for missing teen in Lincoln
05/14/2008 09:29:20

Logan County authorities are searching for a teenager who went missing last night. Logan County Emergency Management says 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew was last seen at a campsite near the Sportsman's Club. Police say Eskew is a white male, 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. He was wearing jeans and a red-hooded coat with white sleeves.

McLean County's Emergency Management is offering help in the search.

WJBC will have more details as they become available.

Police ask anyone with information about Eskew's whereabouts to call the Logan County Sheriff's Office at (217) 732-4159.

http://www.wjbc.com/wire2/news/07541_Lincoln_Missing_MINIWEB_092921.htm

Roamer

05-14-2008, 12:49 PM

Thanks, Faith. I'm glad there's an active search going on.

TeeOne

05-14-2008, 12:53 PM

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll116/helpfindthemissing/Billy.jpg

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=179953730

Is it just me or is that a scary Myspace? Is that his picture under the 'when will I die?'

Faith

05-14-2008, 01:30 PM

Is it just me or is that a scary Myspace? Is that his picture under the 'when will I die?'

Tee, I have no clue what you mean about 'when will I die?'. The profile is private, we can't see anything.

Please explain.

TeeOne

05-14-2008, 01:33 PM

Tee, I have no clue what you mean about 'when will I die?'. The profile is private, we can't see anything.

Please explain.

Wow = this is strange, it is the box where the ads are, but when I went on before a young man's picture popped up and it said "do you know when I will die?" I don't know now if it were a game or a book.....very strange!

TeeOne

05-14-2008, 01:36 PM

Okay - it was a advertisement for this website

http://www.swamipredicts.com/20628?C=3971

Faith

05-14-2008, 01:36 PM

LINCOLN: Area search teams help to look for missing 18-year-old Lincoln man
Posted on 05/14 at 11:05 AM

By GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

LINCOLN—A massive search effort is under way for an 18-year-old Lincoln man who has gone missing near Salt Creek.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, of Lincoln has been missing since Tuesday morning. More than 100 searchers — with many more on the way — are combing wooded areas just south of Lincoln.

Eskew just graduated from Lincoln Community High School and was camping with three friends to celebrate.

“He was so happy, so happy to conclude his school,” Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, said this morning near the creek after speaking with Eskew’s friends and family. “He had a job interview the next day.”
Eskew’s buddies said they awoke around 7 a.m. Tuesday and Eskew was still at their campsite. They awoke again at 10 a.m. and found him gone. He had left behind his cell phone and all his fishing gear.

“It was very uncommon that he’d leave his fishing pole, tackle box and everything that meant so much to him,” Fulscher said.

Eskew is an outdoorsman who knows the area intimately, and had gone mushroom hunting in the vicinity a few weeks ago. His friends looked for him for a while, and then called his family when they didn’t find him. His family called police when they still hadn’t heard from him shortly before 7 p.m.

Foul play is not suspected.

The Logan County Horse Search and Rescue team was on the scene by 9 p.m. Tuesday.

They searched for about an hour, then cleared out to make way for the Sangamon County canine search team. Officials are asking citizens to stay clear of the area so as not to confuse the dogs, who search by scent.

The search was temporarily suspended at 3 a.m. when rain moved into the area. It resumed at 7 a.m. today with the horse team coming back in.

Search teams from DeWitt, Tazwell and McLean counties are helping as well.

An Illinois Emergency Management helicopter arrived just before 8:30 a.m. today.

http://www.pjstar.com/php/index.php?/news/lincoln_area_search_teams_help_to_look_for_missing _18_year_old_lincoln_man/

Faith

05-14-2008, 01:37 PM

Okay - it was a advertisement for this website

http://www.swamipredicts.com/20628?C=3971

ok ty ty. :)

Faith

05-14-2008, 05:03 PM

http://www.wjbc.com/wire2/news/07556_BillyRayEskew.jpg
Billy Ray Eskew was last seen Tuesday morning at a campsite near Sportsman's Park south of Lincoln.

Search underway for Lincoln teen
05/14/2008 13:15:18

Logan County authorities have launched a ground and air search for a missing Lincoln man who was last seen yesterday morning. Nearly 100 searchers have been combing the area around Sportsman's Park south of Lincoln for 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew.

Logan County Emergency Management Director Dan Fulscher says Eskew is a quiet man who never went missing before, he seemed glad to have just finished school at Salt Creek Academy and was getting ready for a job interview. Eskew left his cell phone at home.

Foul play is not suspected. Eskew is white, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds with blondish brown sort hair, a goatee and blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a red-hooded coat with white sleeves.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Logan County Sheriff's Office at (217) 732-4159.
http://www.wjbc.com/wire2/news/07555_Lincoln_Missing_MINIWEB_131520.htm

Faith

05-14-2008, 05:04 PM

http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x165090980/Searchers/g13c1a54dcc8e972505a6eb01320b248f285e371ab76b66.jp g
A helicopter tops the trees this morning as searchers gather under a bridge just south of Lincoln. The Logan County Emergency Management Agency called out its Horse Search and Rescue Team after learning that 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew had gone missing near Salt Creek. EMA also brought in five boats to search the creek itself.

A massive search effort is under way for an 18-year-old Lincoln man who has gone missing near Salt Creek.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, of Lincoln has been missing since Tuesday morning. More than 100 searchers — with many more on the way — are combing wooded areas just south of Lincoln.

Eskew just graduated from Lincoln Community High School and was camping with three friends to celebrate.

“He was so happy, so happy to conclude his school,” Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, said this morning near the creek after speaking with Eskew’s friends and family. “He had a job interview the next day.”
Eskew’s buddies said they awoke around 7 a.m. Tuesday and Eskew was still at their campsite. They awoke again at 10 a.m. and found him gone. He had left behind his cell phone and all his fishing gear.

“It was very uncommon that he’d leave his fishing pole, tackle box and everything that meant so much to him,” Fulscher said.

Eskew is an outdoorsman who knows the area intimately, and had gone mushroom hunting in the vicinity a few weeks ago. His friends looked for him for a while, and then called his family when they didn’t find him. His family called police when they still hadn’t heard from him shortly before 7 p.m.

Foul play is not suspected.

The Logan County Horse Search and Rescue team was on the scene by 9 p.m. Tuesday.

They searched for about an hour, then cleared out to make way for the Sangamon County canine search team. Officials are asking citizens to stay clear of the area so as not to confuse the dogs, who search by scent.

The search was temporarily suspended at 3 a.m. when rain moved into the area. It resumed at 7 a.m. today with the horse team coming back in.

Search teams from DeWitt, Tazwell and McLean counties are helping as well.

An Illinois Emergency Management helicopter arrived just before 8:30 a.m. today.

Eskew’s grandparents and parents were with searchers this morning. They and his friends describe Eskew as a good-hearted person.

“He’s a very quiet young man with no fear of outdoor life and it’s not unusual for him to be in this environment,” Fulscher said.

If Eskew is still in the area, searchers expect he may not have returned to camp because he was hurt. He may have fallen and become disoriented.

Five boats have also been dispatched to search the creek, although finding him there would be a worst-case scenario, Fulscher said.

Searchers say the temperature last night shouldn’t have posed a threat of hypothermia.

“Right now our greatest hope for survival for Billy Ray is that he is not here in the area but that he went somewhere else,” Fulscher said. “If he’s in the area, he’s probably injured. If he’s in the water, then that’s probably a recovery effort.”

Rescuers say trying to use a dive team is useless unless they have a specific place to search.

They also are warning off amateur searchers because the creek is very treacherous, with a strong undertow and a lot of debris in the water.

Curtis Hawk, McLean County ESDA director, has helped set up a unified command post with Homeland Security and the Logan County Mobile Communications unit.
The searchers’ next step is to speak with Eskew’s family and get to know him better
“By this afternoon we’ll know him as well as our best friend,” Hawk said.

Eskew is 6-feet-1-inch tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has short blondish-brown hair, a goatee and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, a red hooded coat with white sleeves, a tan Carhartt jacket and black boots.

Some people are holding out hope that Eskew wandered away and is unhurt.
“Billy Ray, just come home if you’re out there,” Fulscher said. “There is no trouble, there is nothing that you’ve done wrong, the family just wants you to come home.”
http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x101649491/MAN-MISSING

Faith

05-14-2008, 05:06 PM

Search for missing Logan County man steadily growing

Posted: May 14, 2008 12:29 PM

The search for a missing Logan County man is steadily increasing in manpower as Wednesday goes on.

Logan County EMA officials say no one has seen 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew since he left a group of friends at a campsite south of Lincoln nearly 24 hours ago. The site is in a wooded area near the Sportsmen's Club.

The multi-agency search is focusing on a 1 mile by 3 mile radius of wooded land. They are looking by foot, horseback and helicopter.

Dan Fulscher with the Logan County EMA says there are currently around 80 searchers looking for Eskew and that number might increase to 150 by this afternoon.

"With the good weather we've got, the calm air, we are going to do everything we possibly can with the helicopters, the horse team, and the ground team," said Fulscher.

Fulscher says the teams plan to eventually look underwater also.

Eskew is described as a white male, who is 6 foot 1 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has a goatee and short brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a red-hooded coat with white sleeves.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, you're asked to contact the Logan County Sheriff's Office at 732-4159.

Featured Videos
Raw video: The search for missing Logan County man
Search grows for missing Logan County man
Multiple agencies search for missing man in Logan County

http://www.wandtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8323140

Faith

05-14-2008, 05:19 PM

Search Is On For Missing Teenager

http://week.mediacache.clickability.com/images/police_rescue_boat.jpg
Story Published: May 14, 2008 at 2:09 PM CDT

Story Updated: May 14, 2008 at 3:11 PM CDT

Logan County officials are searching for a missing 18-year-old camper.

Authorities say Billy Ray Eskew has not been seen for more than 24 hours after leaving his friends at a campsite near Lincoln yesterday morning.

They say he lives about a mile from the wooded campsite in Edward Madigan State Park.

Volunteers from several coounties looking in a nearby river while searching on foot, ATV, horseback and helicopter for any sign of Eskew.

Dan Fulsher with the Logan County EMA said, "He could have fell, been disoriented. He could be lying on the ground; he could have been disoriented and walked quite a ways from this area. He could have fallen in the water so that's the reason why we're going to have five boats now that's going to be going into the area."

He is described as a six-foot-one white male weighing 200 pounds with short brown hair and blue eyes.

Authorities say he was last seen wearing red-hooded coat with white stripes.

If you have any information on Eskew's whereabouts you can call the Logan County Sheriff's Department at 217-732-4159.
http://www.week.com/news/local/18940974.html

Faith

05-14-2008, 05:35 PM

Search Is On for Missing Teen
Reported by: WMBD/WYZZ TV News Staff

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 @03:59pm CST

WMBD/WYZZ- LINCOLN - More than 100 people are searching the woods just south of Lincoln for a missing 18 year old man. Billy Ray Eskew has been missing since Tuesday morning while on a camping trip with 3 friends. When the teenagers woke up at 7am, Eskew was still on site. When they re-awoke at 10, Eskew was gone but his fishing gear was left behind. Police do not suspect foul play.
http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=7636

Faith

05-14-2008, 09:31 PM

Search for missing Logan Co. teen continues

By Nishi Gupta
Posted: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 4:37 p.m.

LOGAN COUNTY -- Dog and horse teams in Logan County have joined helicopter and ATV crews in the search for a missing teen.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, was last seen Tuesday at 7 am near Salt Creek by the local sportsman's club.

Police say he's a white man, with light brown hair, and a goatee.

He's 6'1 and about 200 pounds and was wearing a hooded red jacket with white sleeves, and jeans.

Police do not suspect foul play.

The recent high school grad was out fishing with friends, and didn't show up for a job interview.

If you have any information, police ask you call the Logan County Sheriff's Office at 217-732-4159.

http://hoinews.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=134471

Faith

05-15-2008, 12:01 PM

Ground search called off for missing Lincoln teen
05/15/2008 09:36:31

Still no sign of a missing Lincoln teenager and the ground search has been called off. Eighteen-year-old Billy Ray Eskew disappeared while camping with his friends near Salt Creek. Logan County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Fulscher says they've done as much as humanly possible to find Eskew.

Fulscher says the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will continue searching the Creek with its sonar equipment.

Fulscher says four other counties helped in yesterday's ground search.

2 audio clips:
http://www.wjbc.com/wire2/news/07638_Search_Update_3WEB_093630.htm

Faith

05-15-2008, 12:38 PM

Ground search called off for missing Lincoln teen

UPDATED 10 a.m. LINCOLN -- The search for 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew of Lincoln will continue, however, officials have ended the intensive ground search near the campsite where he went missing. | Photo gallery

A search of the Salt Creek near the campsite will continue, although Logan County Emergency Management Agency Dan Fulscher said finding him there would be a “worst case scenario.”

Family members have not yet made any comments about the search.

“We have saturated the area where we was last seen four or five times,” Fulscher said. “We just don’t know. He is an adult and he can go where he wants, but it’s unusual for him to disappear without telling his family where he is at.”

Eskew has been missing since Tuesday morning. He was last seen at approximately 7 a.m. Tuesday when he was at a campsite located south of Lincoln with his friends.

When they awoke, there was no sign of him, but the friends told authorities he had not taken his fishing gear.

He is described as a white male, 6-foot-1, around 200 pounds with blondish brown hair, a goatee and blue eyes. At the time of his disappearance, he was wearing jeans and a red-hooded coat with white sleeves.

The campsite was located near the Sportsmen’s Park facility near Salt Creek. Foul play is not suspected.

Volunteers began arriving early on Wednesday as word spread about the missing teen. The search area was expanded later in the day.

“Our hope is that he is not here in the area, but he went somewhere else for whatever reason,” Fulscher said. “But if he is in the area, he may be injured.”

Anyone with information about Eskew is asked to call the Logan County Sheriff’s Office at (217) 732-4159.
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/15/news/doc482ae28eef7ce196297721.txt

Faith

05-15-2008, 12:49 PM

Searchers looking for missing man

Posted May 15, 2008 @ 10:32 AM
LINCOLN —

A massive search effort is under way for an 18-year-old Lincoln man who has gone missing near Salt Creek.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, of Lincoln has been missing since Tuesday morning. Eskew just graduated from Lincoln Community High School and was camping with three friends to celebrate.

Eskew’s buddies said they awoke around 7 a.m. Tuesday and Eskew was still at their campsite. They awoke again at 10 a.m. and found him gone. He had left behind his cell phone and all his fishing gear.

Eskew is an outdoorsman who knows the area intimately, and had gone mushroom hunting in the vicinity a few weeks ago. His friends looked for him for a while, and then called his family when they didn’t find him. His family called police when they still hadn’t heard from him shortly before 7 p.m.

Foul play is not suspected.

Eskew is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has short blondish-brown hair, a goatee and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, a red hooded coat with white sleeves, a tan Carhartt jacket and black boots.
http://www.galesburg.com/news/news_state/x401616169/Searchers-looking-for-missing-man

packy

05-15-2008, 12:50 PM

They'll do water searches today.

http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8328941

We feel as though any time that you have covered the area four or five times as we did, the probability of detection in that area is approaching 90 percent," said Dan Fulscher with the Logan County EMA. "When it reaches that level we suspend it."

Faith

05-15-2008, 08:47 PM

Search for Missing Teen Heads to Water
Reported by: Sarah Barwacz - WMBD/WYZZ TV

Thursday, May 15, 2008 @04:41pm CST

WMBD/WYZZ TV – LINCOLN -- A search for a missing 18-year-old man from Lincoln is in its second day. The land search is suspended, so crews are now focusing on water searches. Recent high school graduate Billy Ray Eskew went missing on Tuesday. He was last seen camping along salt creek with friends. His friends saw him at seven in the morning, but when they woke back up at ten Eskew was gone. Yesterday police combed the area to see if he had fallen, or been injured. Helicopters also turned up no clues. DNR is now checking the water ways. Meanwhile, the sheriff's department is treating Eskew's disappearance like a missing person's case. The canine search team was unable to pick up Eskew's scent near the creek. This weekend a dive team and sonar will be used to scan the waterways.
http://centralillinoisproud.com/content/fulltext/?cid=7647

Faith

05-15-2008, 08:48 PM

Search for missing Logan County man hampered by rain, will continue

Posted: May 15, 2008 03:25 PM

The search for a missing Logan County Man was cut short this morning because of rainy weather.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, was last seen Tuesday morning with friends while camping in a wooded area near Lincoln.

Emergency management agencies from Logan, Sangamon, Macon, DeWitt and McLean counties are all aiding in the search.

The search was scaled back today with one boat searching the water for Eskew from about 7:30 a.m. to about 11:00 a.m. when it started raining.

Daniel Fulscher with the Logan County EMA says the search won't stop this weekend.

"We're going to continue today, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday with the Logan County dive team out doing water surveillance and checking shorelines," said Fulscher.

Eskew's family says they are very thankful to everyone helping in the search and they're hopeful Billy Ray will turn up soon.

The Logan County Sheriff's Office says nothing has been found that points to criminal activity in Eskew's disappearance.

If have any information, call 732-4159.

Featured Videos
Search for missing Logan County man hampered by rain, will continue
http://www.wandtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8331356

Faith

05-15-2008, 08:50 PM

Search shifts to creek

http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x273550608/Steve-Nichols/g13c0ed6b462526a48039a158b02df788e84c83711608dd.jp g

May 15, 2008

The search for 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew continues today, although hopes are dimming.

Eskew, a Lincoln native, went missing Tuesday morning during a camping trip with three friends near Salt Creek just south of Lincoln.

His family requested a search at about 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The Logan County Horse Search and Rescue team was on the scene by 9 p.m., followed quickly by the Sangamon County canine search team.

The search was temporarily suspended at 3 a.m. Wednesday because of rain. It resumed at 7 a.m. Wednesday. An Illinois Emergency Management helicopter joined the search Wednesday morning and searchers continued their work throughout the day.

But it all was for naught.

“Ground operations have been suspended,” Dan Fulscher, Logan County Emergency Management Agency director, said this morning. “We suspended operations last night for the ground search. We went over, multiple times, the highest probability of area based on the information we have received.”

Fulscher said searchers will continue scouring Salt Creek for signs of Eskew.
The Department of Natural Resources will use sonar as they continue the underwater search, and the Logan County Dive Team will continue a shoreline and water search.

Treacherous waters, with a strong undertow and lots of debris after recent rains, have prevented an extensive dive campaign.

Workers will continue searching the creek through Sunday.

“We feel very good about the efforts and the talents and all the crews that were out there,” Fulscher said. “Again, based on what information we had received in the search, we have done as much as possible to clear that area.”

Fulscher said EMA coordinated the search effort, while the Logan County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of the missing person case as a whole.

“(Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols) did an incredible job with helping with the resources and coordinating the efforts,” he said.

Eskew’s parents and friends, who were on-scene during the search, said he was a good-hearted young man.

Eskew has had a few run-ins with the law in Logan County in recent months.
In late 2007 he was charged with possession or consumption of alcohol by a minor and battery. The battery charge was dismissed and he pleaded guilty to the minor-in-possession charge.

In January, he was charged with illegal transportation of alcohol. In February, he was charged again with two counts of possession or consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Eskew is 6-feet-1-inch tall and weighs 200 pounds. He has short blondish-brown hair, a goatee and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans, a red hooded coat with white sleeves, a tan Carhartt jacket and black boots.

Initial reports indicated that Eskew was a graduate of Lincoln Community High School. Actually, though, Eskew had attended Salt Creek Academy. SCA is the regional safe school for students facing suspension or expulsion from the regular school system.

Those students sent from LCHS to SCA do receive LCHS diplomas upon graduation.
Eskew had completed his coursework at SCA, and he planned to complete one more course at LCHS over the summer, said SCA Director Del Sutter.

“He’s a very likeable young man,” Sutter said.

Anyone with information about Eskew is asked to call the Logan County Sheriff’s Department at 217-732-4159.
http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x1902438480

TigressPen

05-15-2008, 08:56 PM

I wish they could find this young man. His family and him too is added to my prayers. :1222423:

belle08

05-16-2008, 12:53 AM

i just got a phone call telling me they've found him in the water.

Faith

05-16-2008, 01:16 AM

i just got a phone call telling me they've found him in the water.

Welcome Belle, thank you for the update. :sad0119:

packy

05-16-2008, 09:17 AM

i just got a phone call telling me they've found him in the water.

Thank you, Belle, so sorry to hear this. Apparently some of the media sites haven't updated yet.

My condolences to Billy's family.

iowa

05-16-2008, 11:19 AM

Faith

05-16-2008, 12:01 PM

Thanks to all that post on this site daily! Concerned friends and family in Iowa appreciate the information on Billy, it helps us stay updated. Please check your sources before posting false information. The rescue teams are continuing to search the waters this morning.

We are all praying for you Billy and family!

Thank you for the correction and update iowa. I am praying Billy is safe and will be home soon.

Roamer

05-16-2008, 12:04 PM

Thanks to all that post on this site daily! Concerned friends and family in Iowa appreciate the information on Billy, it helps us stay updated. Please check your sources before posting false information. The rescue teams are continuing to search the waters this morning.

We are all praying for you Billy and family!

We wait for news links before we post anything as sure, Iowa. We appreciate all information, but we wait to confirm before we officially announce it here.

Our prayers are with Billy and his family.

packy

05-16-2008, 12:17 PM

Oh thank you, iowa, this gives hope.

And yes we acknowledge a post in the thread, but we don't post in the heading that a person has been found until we see the report. Thank you for your concern, and we are keeping prayers up for Billy.

dojewo

05-16-2008, 10:31 PM

Prayers for Billy, his family and friends

desmom

05-16-2008, 11:29 PM

I spoke to a family member this evening...well I didn't know he was a family member until the conversation drifted toward what is new.

The person said Billy's camping buddies have refused polygraphs and lawyered up.

Faith

05-16-2008, 11:39 PM

desmom

05-16-2008, 11:48 PM

This definitely doesn't sound good. Thank you desmom. Please keep us updated.

I agree it does not sound good.

DH and I have known this man for a couple of years, but it is more of an acquaintance type thing. DH and I run into him maybe 1 or 2 a month. We don't know him well, but was kind of :shock: by his camping friends reactions.

Snowbird

05-17-2008, 02:38 AM

Praying for Billy and his family.

TigressPen

05-17-2008, 08:30 AM

Boats will continue search for missing teen

Lincoln, Ill. -
Searchers will continue to patrol by boat along Salt Creek over the weekend for any signs of a missing Lincoln man.

Logan County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Fulscher said Friday night that a total of five boats from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Logan and McLean counties will be launched into the creek around 9 a.m. today.

Officials still hope to find some sign of 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew.

Eskew went missing sometime between 7 and 10 a.m. Tuesday from a campsite he shared with three friends. They had spent the night near the Lincoln Parkway bridge over Salt Creek just south of Lincoln.

One of the campers said Eskew was still around when he awoke briefly at 7 a.m., but there was no sign of Eskew when all the campers got up three hours later.

A massive ground search was called off Wednesday night and officials are now concentrating on the creek.

“There’s a different area the sheriff would like for us to check,” Fulscher said. “We’re going to stretch out a little bit, go a little bit farther down the creek.”

Fulscher said if the weekend effort is unsuccessful, the situation will be evaluated before the search continues on Monday.

“The sheriff is gathering some other information,” he said.

Fulscher said the EMA is willing to help in any way it can.

“All he has to do is just point us in a direction,” Fulscher said, “and we’re gone. Any information or leads he wants us to search, we do. We all agree that the water is one area where we need to continue.”

Fulscher said he has heard little more about people from the community starting their own search since The Courier published a story Friday afternoon about a citizens search effort.

“I know they’re wanting to help,” he said, “but they’re taking a risk when they’re untrained searchers.”

Fulscher said searching calls for proper clothing, training and equipment. He fears that untrained volunteers may get hurt or add to the work of the official search team.

http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x1191422464

Roamer

05-17-2008, 08:44 AM

That's very troubling, that his camping buddies have "lawyered up".

I hope this young man is found safe.

Faith

05-17-2008, 09:31 AM

My prayers are with the family and searchers.

helpusfindshannon

05-17-2008, 01:33 PM

my prayers are with billy and his family that he is returned safe.. you are not alone..

Faith

05-17-2008, 02:09 PM

Friend of Family
3 hours ago
Report Abuse (http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x1191422464/Boats-will-continue-search-for-missing-teen#)Unheard news they wont share. Please search all of your barns and sheds. Especially those east of sportsmans. The family was out all night looking again. So please take a little time and look in buildings or any abandon structures around your area. Or if you know of any old barns please let the family know so they can search that area since the police wont help. We pray Billy comes home soon!

Thank you.

http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x1191422464/Boats-will-continue-search-for-missing-teen

TigressPen

05-17-2008, 04:03 PM

That's very troubling, that his camping buddies have "lawyered up".

I hope this young man is found safe.

That comment about lawyering up was what caused me to go see if any updates were out and any mention of the buddies.

I find these statements from the article (included below) very interesting. Made me wonder if the Sheriff is suspicous of something told him.

“There’s a different area the sheriff would like for us to check,” Fulscher said. “We’re going to stretch out a little bit, go a little bit farther down the creek.”

Fulscher said if the weekend effort is unsuccessful, the situation will be evaluated before the search continues on Monday.

“The sheriff is gathering some other information,” he said.

packy

05-17-2008, 06:51 PM

Hopefully someone knows where he is and can tell the sheriff. Keeping prayers up for him.

desmom

05-17-2008, 06:51 PM

http://www.wandtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8341535

The effort to find missing Logan County teen scales back after another ground search.

18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew was last seen Tuesday while camping in a wooded area near Lincoln.

Officials are running out of places to look and may call off all searching.

Roamer

05-17-2008, 07:08 PM

Search continues for missing Logan County teen

Posted: May 17, 2008 05:23 PM CDT

The effort to find missing Logan County teen scales back after another ground search.

18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew was last seen Tuesday while camping in a wooded area near Lincoln.

Officials are running out of places to look and may call off all searching.

The search has moved into an area on Lincoln's West side, searchers have no leads but it is a place officials say he could have been.

Eric Hodges, Chief of Operations for McLean County EMA said, "The Logan County Sheriff asked us to come out today and do two things, search a plot of land in the city of Lincoln which we are out doing today and put some boats on the water."

Hodges said this is still a search and rescue operation even though five days have gone by with no clues.

"Any evidence that he has been out there, that he might have left behind any tracks anything like that may help us in locating him," said Hodges.

A Tazewell County group specialized in these types of searches came down to help with the search.

Chris Yount with the Tazewell County ESDA said, "We are able to put together any where from 12 to 18 people at any give moment so we can get a search going really quickly."

The team trains every month and used it for this search, but still no sign of Eskew.

Saturday's search is the third the Logan County Emergency Management Agency organized with the help of surrounding counties and agencies.

Officials said no more ground searches are planned and on Monday they will re-evaluate and decide if any more searches are necessary.

If you have any information about Billy Ray Eskew, call the Logan County Sheriff's Office at 732-4159.

http://www.wandtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8341535

desmom

05-17-2008, 07:30 PM

According to this article, http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x1902438480

Eskew has had a few run-ins with the law in Logan County in recent months.

In late 2007 he was charged with possession or consumption of alcohol by a minor and battery. The battery charge was dismissed and he pleaded guilty to the minor-in-possession charge.

Could his disappearance be linked to the dropped battery charge?

Faith

05-17-2008, 11:19 PM

According to this article, http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x1902438480

Could his disappearance be linked to the dropped battery charge?

He may have taken a plea deal and they dropped the battery charge in exchange for pleading guilty. It saves time in the courts by accepting a plea. JMO.

Faith

05-18-2008, 09:56 AM

member search and rescue

6 hours ago
To everyone who seems to have something to say. I want to thank all of the people who have came out and assisted us in the search. We have spent a lot of man hours out there without any luck. I hope we are able to find him soon. My prayers go out to the family and friends.
http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x1874995402

TigressPen

05-18-2008, 10:56 AM

My prayers go out to Billy's family. I hope he comes home safely. The searchers have tried hard to find him. :1222423:

forcedbyangels

05-18-2008, 02:59 PM

My thoughts are with Billy and his family <3

Roamer

05-18-2008, 03:38 PM

His family must be heartbroken and afraid for his safety. My heart goes out to them.

Snowbird

05-19-2008, 09:01 AM

His family must be heartbroken and afraid for his safety. My heart goes out to them.

Any news on this young man yet ?

Roamer

05-19-2008, 09:15 AM

http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x1874995402

By Erin Frost
The Courier
Fri May 16, 2008, 10:24 AM CDT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lincoln, Ill. -
Searchers continue to scour the waters of Salt Creek just south of Lincoln, seeking any sign of 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew.

“Nothing’s changed at this point in time,” said Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols this morning. “We’re still continuing with the water searches this morning.”

A massive ground search was called off Wednesday night and officials are concentrating on the creek. Nichols said no evidence has yet turned up that Eskew might have left the area, as searchers originally hoped.

“I want to just focus on the facts that we have and the area that we have and make sure that we’ve cleared that well,” Nichols said. “Right now with the water being up, that’s hampering us somewhat. We’re going to keep looking there.”

Eskew, a Lincoln native, went missing Tuesday morning during a camping trip with three friends near Salt Creek just south of Lincoln. His friends reported they awoke by the campfire around 7 a.m. and Eskew was still there, but by 10 a.m. he had disappeared.

He left behind his cell phone and fishing gear.

Eskew’s friends searched for a while, knowing Eskew to be a competent outdoorsman who had recently been mushroom hunting in the area. Eventually, they called his family. The family called police and requested a search at about 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Since then, various rescue teams have been scouring the woods and creek. The Logan County Horse Search and Rescue team, the Sangamon County canine search team and an Illinois Emergency Management helicopter crew were among the more than 100 searchers called in.

Nichols said officials have not found any indication of foul play surrounding Eskew’s disappearance. But, they’re not eliminating the possibility.

“We’re always going to keep an open mind to anything,” Nichols said. “Hopefully at the end of the day we’ll have some more questions answered and some more guidance and we’ll go from there.”

Many officials seem to suspect — and fear — the search is now a recovery effort.
The Department of Natural Resources will use sonar to conduct an underwater search, and the Logan County Dive Team will do a shoreline and water search.
Recent rains have put Salt Creek several feet above its normal level. A strong undertow and lots of debris mean it’s very difficult to put a diver in the water safely.

While the team is still out searching, officials have said an extensive dive campaign is out of the question for the time being.

Workers will continue searching the creek through Sunday.

Roamer

05-19-2008, 09:21 AM

http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x1191422464/Boats-will-continue-search-for-missing-teen

By Nancy Rollings Saul
The Courier
Sat May 17, 2008, 06:42 AM CDT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lincoln, Ill. -
Searchers will continue to patrol by boat along Salt Creek over the weekend for any signs of a missing Lincoln man.

Logan County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Fulscher said Friday night that a total of five boats from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Logan and McLean counties will be launched into the creek around 9 a.m. today.

Officials still hope to find some sign of 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew.

Eskew went missing sometime between 7 and 10 a.m. Tuesday from a campsite he shared with three friends. They had spent the night near the Lincoln Parkway bridge over Salt Creek just south of Lincoln.

One of the campers said Eskew was still around when he awoke briefly at 7 a.m., but there was no sign of Eskew when all the campers got up three hours later.

A massive ground search was called off Wednesday night and officials are now concentrating on the creek.

“There’s a different area the sheriff would like for us to check,” Fulscher said. “We’re going to stretch out a little bit, go a little bit farther down the creek.”

Fulscher said if the weekend effort is unsuccessful, the situation will be evaluated before the search continues on Monday.

“The sheriff is gathering some other information,” he said.

Fulscher said the EMA is willing to help in any way it can.

“All he has to do is just point us in a direction,” Fulscher said, “and we’re gone. Any information or leads he wants us to search, we do. We all agree that the water is one area where we need to continue.”

Fulscher said he has heard little more about people from the community starting their own search since The Courier published a story Friday afternoon about a citizens search effort.

“I know they’re wanting to help,” he said, “but they’re taking a risk when they’re untrained searchers.”

Fulscher said searching calls for proper clothing, training and equipment. He fears that untrained volunteers may get hurt or add to the work of the official search team.

packy

05-19-2008, 09:28 AM

I wonder if there is a chance that he might have decided to take off for awhile, I say that because of course I want to keep up hope that he can be found safe. Unless there is something to the accounts given by his camping friends that doesn't look good, then anything is possible.

Roamer

05-19-2008, 09:33 AM

It troubled me a lot when his buddies "lawyered up". Why would they do that?

packy

05-19-2008, 09:56 AM

It troubled me a lot when his buddies "lawyered up". Why would they do that?

It does rouse suspicion, but in this day and age it seems anyone last seen with someone who disappears or is found dead is under suspicion so it's hard to tell. I do wonder though why it seems in the articles that LE is checking into something that seems more specific but not being made public. So maybe there is something to the stories that the buddies are telling.

packy

05-19-2008, 05:43 PM

http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8346564

Over the weekend, officials and volunteers had several boats out concentrating their efforts on Salt Creek.

Starting today, only the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be out during business hours performing shoreline and surface checks.

Authorities will decide their next step on Friday.

"We are looking for any evidence he might have left behind: any articles of clothing, any objects that he may have had on him," said Eric Hodges, McLean County EMA Chief of Operations. "Last, we are looking for any type of evidence that he may have been in the area - so that could be old camp sites, little places that he may have hold up or foot prints or something like that."

desmom

05-19-2008, 10:50 PM

Search turns up no traces

http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x194400239/Search-turns-up-no-traces

“We’re going to request (the Department of Natural Resources) during the workweek days that they would go ahead and do a creek check for us,” said Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency.

The DNR will be doing a surface, water and shoreline search.

That arrangement will last until Friday.

Check out the comments under the aticle.

packy

05-19-2008, 10:53 PM

Faith

05-19-2008, 11:36 PM

They are there packy.

Faith

05-19-2008, 11:38 PM

Tracy Jule, Jr's Cousin, formerly of Lincoln
4 minutes ago
Report Abuse
All I can do is cry for JR and Billy's Mother for all of this surrounding them. We as a family, and as friends of our people of Lincoln, need to stop, take a good look at what kind of affect all of this is having on family (such as myself, who cannot be there to search, I feel like my only venue is to keep checking the paper and postings) and when I get done reading all of the words above, I am so sad. Sad that young children are wrapped up in something that is larger than most children can deal with.) I am a Mother, before anything else, I would want to protect my children from harm. Therefore, I know that JR is not giving up hope that there are answers to the questions he has and we have. If you give up hope, that is like giving up on Billy Ray, and our family does not give up that easily. We have had to endure too much pain in the past to just lay down and do nothing, We will come together and make this work as a family, we will keep each other strong, and know that Billy will be found safe! AND if any of you in the community that have a pen or a stamp, how about sending a card with some well wishes in it to the Eskew family? How about sending in a pizza delivery or helping keep up with other things that are going to the wayside, while JR and Rhonda try to find their son? I am many miles away, but I will be there this weekend. When all of you are celebrating your children graduating from HIgh school, remember one of our children, one of the leaders of our future, is missing... Like I said before, where is the compassion we all were raised to have in Lincoln, IL???
Just my thoughts, written to you, who might want to know how a family member is feeling from far away.
Thank you for the prayers we have received from so many wonderful citizens of Lincoln and the surrounding areas.
Tracy Jule
tracyj2472@aol.com
http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x194400239/Search-turns-up-no-traces

desmom

05-19-2008, 11:39 PM

I couldn't find a comments section anywhere on the page. Hmmmm.

Under the news article.

packy

05-20-2008, 12:13 AM

Under the news article.

This is strange. I get an advertisement under the article and then the contact info. I copied it to show you and when I copied it there was like a list that said pool rules, comments, etc. in place of the advertisement but yet they do not show up on the page with the article. Must be something with my puter.

packy

05-20-2008, 10:34 AM

Bad weather is stalling the search according to the latest WAND article. http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8351537

Faith

05-20-2008, 10:48 AM

Bad weather is stalling the search according to the latest WAND article. http://www.wandtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8351537

That's terrible. I pray Billy is found safe. :1222423:

Roamer

05-20-2008, 10:59 AM

I found the comment section where desmom said, packy, under the article. Maybe you didn't scroll down far enough.

If I had a missing loved one, I don't think I could handle reading all the speculation and rumors. One person even said to look up in the trees.

I just hope he's found safe, and, if not, that he's found so his family can have their son back.

packy

05-20-2008, 11:01 AM

Roamer

05-20-2008, 11:04 AM

I have IE, packy.
Thanks, Roamer, I don't know what the problem is then because they won't show for me.

desmom

05-20-2008, 03:55 PM

We have had a lot of rain in IL but it seemed like yesterday was a good day and I'm not real far from that area.

BTW, I tried to find the comments again but no luck. There is only an ad at the bottom, but when I copy and paste it shows that there is a comment section. You who see the comments, are you using firefox or IE? I'm on IE but I noticed at the bottom it says web redefind with firefox2. That may be why I can't get them.

I didn't understand the statement about the weather either. There was some fog around the capitol city this morning. Maybe that is the weather problem. :confused:

I use IE and have not had any problems. Under the article, there are links to "Related Stories". Under the related stories links, it has "Comments" in bold blue letters. The comments are listed under this heading.

Some interesting comments (or I should say allegations) have been posted with this story:

Sheriff: ‘Nothing’s changed’ in search for teen
http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x934427206/Sheriff-Nothing-s-changed-in-search-for-teen

Rumors are flying about the disappearance of a Lincoln teen, but officials still have no new information to aid them in their search.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, went missing last week during a camping trip with three friends.
The Logan County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of the missing persons case, while local emergency responders organized a massive search effort. Sheriff Steve Nichols said there have been no new developments.

packy

05-20-2008, 04:34 PM

Hmmm, still can't get to comments. I do get related stories at the bottom of the link you just posted but under that is a box with two ads in it. So apparently the ads are replacing the comments. I usually don't get ads too so not sure why I am in this case.

We did have fog down here in the Effingham area this morning but it cleared early. Maybe just that everything is till waterlogged and swampy in that area because there has been a lot of rain.

Faith

05-20-2008, 04:49 PM

The story is the 3 boys took sleeping pills to sedate themselves PRIOR to taking the polygraph tests. That way, they wouldn't get nervous when they were asked questions and flunk the test. LOCK THEIR A@@ UP FOR 24 HOURS, then give them the test. This is APPALLING to have 3 kids who know EXACTLY what happened to Billy Ray, out there walking around like nothing happened. Get them to talk, AND NOW!!! And the parents should be ashamed of themselves if they know the truth and are not going to the authorities. Teach your kids to be responsible now, or they'll end up in a worse case scenario down the road. It's really upsetting to know there are people out there capable of doing something to someone and not accepting responsibility for their actions. This is someone's LIFE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!! I hope neither my 17 years old son or I ever run into any of those three in a dark alley. We could end up in the same predicament, MISSING!!!

http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x934427206/Sheriff-Nothing-s-changed-in-search-for-teen

many more post there.

packy

05-20-2008, 05:00 PM

Thanks, Faith.

What a shame.

Faith

05-20-2008, 10:38 PM

Search continues for Logan Co. teen; new clues sought

LINCOLN – When asked when a search for a missing Lincoln man will end, Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols has one answer.

“Later.”

Since last Tuesday, Nichols has helped lead a search effort for 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew who vanished from a campsite Tuesday morning. Searches from the air, ground and on the nearby Salt Creek River have not yet led to any clues.

While the massive ground search has been suspended, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will continue to navigate the river for several more days and some DNR search teams will also be on foot.

“We searching in areas a little more west and a little more north of the area where he was last seen,” said Logan County Emergency Management Agency Dan Fulscher who is leading the search effort. “We are also rechecking a few areas on the ground, but we’re not involved with a massive ground search effort because we just don’t have any new clues to go off of.”

Should new clues develop, Fulscher said there are five to six ground crews on standby alert, ready to go.

“We’re just not going to give up,” Fulscher said. “It’s difficult to explain how much of a stress and strain it is for those of us who were first responders and have been looking so hard and have not been able to find anything.

"But, it doesn’t even compare to the strain and stress the family is going through and that is something we keep thinking about and is the reason we are going to continue to search.”

Fulscher said he hopes there is someone out there that finds something or notices something that can help in the effort. Mutual aid from surrounding counties is still being used and with the weather forecast for the middle and later portion of the week looking dry, Fulscher has hopes that Eskew will be found.

Meanwhile, while the search teams appreciate the volunteer effort to help with the search, Fulscher cautions those that go out on their own without assistance from the Sheriff’s Department or EMA office.

“We appreciate the efforts, but at this point, we really need trained search teams out there,” he said. “The last thing we want is to have someone get hurt or lost and then we can’t concentrate on the search for Billy.”

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/19/news/doc4831de0e46a0f109825976.txt

desmom

05-21-2008, 01:56 PM

http://www.wandtv.com/ is reporting LE is searching Kickapoo Creek Park. This is on the north side of Lincoln. The boys camped on the south side of Lincoln. The parks are about 5-6 miles a part.

Faith

05-21-2008, 02:14 PM

http://www.wandtv.com/ is reporting LE is searching Kickapoo Creek Park. This is on the north side of Lincoln. The boys camped on the south side of Lincoln. The parks are about 5-6 miles a part.

Thank you, desmom, I sure hope if he's out there they find him soon.

Roamer

05-21-2008, 03:15 PM

desmom

05-21-2008, 04:18 PM

So that's why the comments section said the tests were inconclusive. Well, one person said they passed.

But what an awful thing for them to do. This is their supposed friend. I can't imagine why they wouldn't tell everything they know, unless they know (for whatever reason) that something has happened to him.

Desmom, if they're searching 5-6 miles away, is that becuase if he fell in on the south side, he could wash down to the north side ?

Salt Creek is on the south side of Lincoln and flows to the west emptying into the Sangamon River.

The Kickapoo Creek Park is on the north side of Lincoln. It was reported the boy's were camping at Lincoln Sportsman's Club which in on the south side of Lincoln.

Point A on this map is Kickapoo Creek Park. Point B is the address that came up on a google search for the Lincoln Sportsman's Club. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=7335210501055573098,40.127820,-89.395099,11260762567757889362,40.170436,-89.377495&saddr=2000+N+Jefferson+St,+Lincoln,+IL+62656+(Kick apoo+Creek+Park)&daddr=1450+1056th+Ave,+Lincoln,+IL+62656&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=40.15112,-89.386296&sspn=0.102343,0.268478&ie=UTF8&ll=40.156311,-89.377899&spn=0.102335,0.268478&z=11

http://ilrdss.sws.uiuc.edu/maps/maps_thematic/sangamon_watershed.pdf shows the city of Lincoln in the middle of the map. Salt Creek is blue meandering line just south of Lincoln.

jmo

Roamer

05-21-2008, 04:36 PM

Thank you for the map, desmom.

TigressPen

05-21-2008, 04:46 PM

I just hope Billy is found and soon. All the post on the Lincoln Courier are suppositions and accusations. Sadly. People's imaginations are riding the wave when they should wait for proof of what they're being told and hearing.

My prayers are still with Billy and his family. :1222423:

desmom

05-21-2008, 05:36 PM

Searchers comb park on Lincoln's north edge for missing teen

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/21/news/doc4831de0e46a0f109825976.txt

The search for a missing 18-year-old Lincoln man was resumed Wednesday at a park on the north edge of the city.

Dozens of vehicles and searchers and upwards of a dozen horses were being used to search Kickapoo Creek Park near Lincoln, about 2 1/2 miles from the campsite location where Billy Ray Eskew was last seen.

The search at Kickapoo Creek Park began about 8 a.m. Wednesday, park ranger Don Hellman said.

“There are all kinds of vehicles, horses and (all-terrain vehicles) here,” Hellman said. “It’s a real circus.”

Dan Fulscher, Logan County Emergency Management Agency director, said the search of the park was being conducted based on a request from the Logan County Sheriff's Department.

About six people from the McLean County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency were aiding in the search at the park, said agency director Curtis Hawk.

Hawk said that the move to the park was part of a planned expansion of the search and that it was not in response to any specific evidence.

desmom

05-22-2008, 02:09 PM

As search expands, crews hope to find closure for teen's family
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/22/news/doc4831de0e46a0f109825976.txt

There is also a video link and photo gallery link ....

LINCOLN -- It wasn’t immediately clear why the search for a missing Lincoln man expanded Wednesday to a new area, but volunteers each had their own reasons to pitch in to the ramped-up effort. | Photo gallery | Video: Expanded search

One of them, Terry Ferchow, doesn’t know much about 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew but joined up anyway, thinking often of his two daughters and grandchildren. An emotional Ferchow said he’d want strangers to band together, take days off of work and comb through thick brush and creek beds if they ever went missing.

“A lot of us have taken off work today … to come and show and do what they can for this family, to try to get closure, or at least something we can tell them about what happened to their son,” said Ferchow, of Douglas County, one of about 85 people who worked Wednesday around Kickapoo Creek Park.

The search expanded to include areas in and around the park, about 2½ miles north of a campsite in south Lincoln where Eskew was last seen with friends May 13. It was the farthest north the search had stretched, though officials said nothing significant was discovered.

The search expanded to several miles along Kickapoo Creek, which runs through the park and flows southwest until it hits Salt Creek west of Lincoln. The ground efforts — suspended after initial searches turned up nothing near the campsite — were restarted after Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols specifically asked search crews to explore the park and surrounding areas, said Dan Fulscher, director of the county’s Emergency Management Agency....

Roamer

05-22-2008, 02:30 PM

Thanks for the update, desmom. His family must be devastated at this point, but still holding out hope for this young man to be found safely.

packy

05-22-2008, 06:44 PM

So good to hear that many are trying to help.

breezybidj

05-22-2008, 07:37 PM

http://week.mediacache.clickability.com/images/Billy%20Ray%20Eskew.jpg

Missing From: Lincoln, Illinois

Logan County authorities are searching for a teenager who was last seen with friends May 13. Logan County Emergency Management says 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew was last seen at a campsite near the Sportsman's Club. Police say Eskew is a white male, 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. He was wearing jeans and a red-hooded coat with white sleeves.

Police ask anyone with information about Eskew's whereabouts to call the Logan County Sheriff's Office at (217) 732-4159

Faith

05-23-2008, 01:57 AM

Air search for missing teen yields nothing in Lincoln
Thursday, May 22, 2008 10:44 PM

LINCOLN — The search for a missing Lincoln man shifted on Thursday back to the area around the campsite where he was last seen May 13, but searchers used a helicopter this time.

The air search yielded nothing, and sonar-equipped boats will be back out on Salt Creek today, said Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency.

“We’re still concentrating on the Salt Creek River using sonar equipment,” he said. “The water levels are still high and there is a strong undertow and that is making it more difficult.”

The search on Thursday was expanded and extended three miles to the north to Kickapoo Creek Park, but the crews found nothing, he said.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, was last seen camping with friends near Sportsmen’s Park Lodge one mile south of Lincoln.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/22/news/doc48363a70dceef037245027.txt

Amusedtdth

05-23-2008, 10:43 AM

Hello all! I was just wondering if they checked the was the water has been running. If he did fall in and God forbid, with the water levels he may be farther than they think. Still and all, my prayers are w/the family and really hope he's safe.

Faith

05-23-2008, 10:47 AM

Faith

05-23-2008, 11:05 PM

desmom

05-25-2008, 12:53 AM

Search for Lincoln man suspended
Man last seen near creek at Sportsmen's Park Lodge

By Brock Spencer
Posted: Friday, May 23, 2008 at 4:55 p.m.

LINCOLN -- The search for a Lincoln man who went missing on May 13 will be suspended until Tuesday.

Logan County emergency crews have tried air searches and sonar equipped boats to find 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew.

He was last seen near the creek at the Sportsmen's Park Lodge one mile south of Lincoln.

Rescue officials say the treacherous current in the creek has made the search difficult.

The recent high school grad had been camping with friends, before he went missing.
http://www.hoinews.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=138331

Comment posted with this story:

Are they doing enough??
I hope that this young man is not in any kind of danger or was in danger and now because the rescue people want a weekend off, because it is a holiday they have decided to end the search until Tuesday. What if something did happen to him and cops and other detectives are letting it go for FOUR days!! A lot can happen in four days!!! I think they should pay closer attention to the friends he was with. They were the last ones to see him and they could have done anything with him, I doubt he just ran away and that there is nothing wrong. People don't run away and not tell anyone for weeks at a time, ecspecially when there has been such a fuss about it on the news!The cops and rescue crews have looked for him and found nothing, I mean there has to be something out of the ordinary going on here.I hope that this young man, who's life was just about to begin, is found safe and unharmed!

— brandi hansen, secor

ITA! Many moons ago, I was a member of a volunteer EMT/S & R Team! We did not take off holidays! What the heck is up with this crap?!?

Faith

05-25-2008, 08:08 AM

desmom, I agree with the comment posted. What if he's hurt somewhere?

Search put on hold for Lincoln teen
Emergency crews still on standby for holiday

LINCOLN —

Authorities have temporarily suspended the search for a Lincoln teenager who went missing May 13 while camping with friends.

"For 11 days straight, we had boats or searchers or something out," said Dan Fulscher, director of the Logan County Emergency Management Agency. "We decided to let the searchers have the long weekend off."

Emergency crews will be on standby until Tuesday in the search for 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew, who was last seen about 7 a.m. while camping with three friends near Sportsman's Park.

Fulscher said Saturday he'd talked to Eskew's family and assured them that many civilian volunteers will continue searching with boats this weekend. If anyone finds anything, Fulscher said, a dive team will respond.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will continue searching Salt Creek - near Sportsman's Park - on Tuesday, though the turbulent waters are still too dangerous for a thorough search, Fulscher said.

The search crews will continue concentrating on the campsite and downstream of the creek, which is 16 to 18 feet deep in places.

"It's just a great big circle of turbulence in places," Fulscher said of the creek, which has proven difficult for dive teams to tackle. "The DNR is telling me there are a lot of logjams in there."

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1192324286/Search-put-on-hold-for-Lincoln-teen

Roamer

05-25-2008, 09:16 AM

I think that's just wrong to suspend the search for the holiday. I know the searchers are tired, but this young man could need help. I know his family does. I'm afraid if it was my child, I would not be happy about this.

desmom

05-26-2008, 11:05 PM

http://www.wics.com/news/news.shtml#news1

Body Recovered in Logan County
Law enforcement officers and emergency personnel have recovered a body from Salt Creek, west of Lincoln.

Logan County sheriff Steve Nichols confirms it's the body of a white male.

The sheriff says his department has tentatively identified the body, but he won't comment on who it is until more tests are done and the autopsy is complete.

Nichols says his department got a call around three Monday afternoon from a person boating on Salt Creek, who spotted a possible body in the water.

The Lincoln Fire Department Search and Rescue team, along with the Logan County Sheriff's Department responded to the creek in a rural area near the intersection of 1400 Street and 700 Avenue.

Crews searched the water by boat and recovered the body about two miles upstream.

"Right now, we're starting to try to determine how it happened and why. After we figure out for sure who we have, we'll start in on the other stuff tomorrow and go from there," said sheriff Steve Nichols.

Nichols says he cannot comment on a possible cause of death, or age of the male found at this point.

The recovery comes nearly two weeks after 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew went missing in Logan County.

He was last seen leaving a camp site along the creek on May 13th.

Nichols tells us an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

Faith

05-26-2008, 11:24 PM

I'm so very sorry. My prayers are with the family.

packy

05-27-2008, 07:52 AM

It does appear that it may be him, and they will probably confirm soon. Sending up my prayers for his family.

Roamer

05-27-2008, 07:56 AM

Waiting for word on the autopsy. If it's him, I'm sorry that it ended this way.

TigressPen

05-27-2008, 09:02 AM

Maybe the results of the autopsy will be announced today. Billy's family need answers. :1222423:

Faith

05-27-2008, 09:18 AM

Body found in creek near Lincoln

Posted May 26, 2008 @ 11:19 PM

LINCOLN — A body was recovered from Salt Creek southwest of Lincoln Monday afternoon.

Authorities would not say whether the body was that of 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew, who has been missing since Tuesday morning when he disappeared while he was camping near the creek with friends.

They would identify the deceased only as a white male.

The body was discovered by a boater who called authorities about 3:10 p.m.

An autopsy is scheduled for this afternoon in Springfield, according to Logan County Coroner Robert Thomas.

“We don’t really have a tentative ID,” Thomas said. “We’ll be doing DNA testing to verify everything.”

The Lincoln Rural Fire Department, Logan County Sheriff’s Department, the county’s emergency management agency’s underwater search and recovery team, coroner’s office and Illinois State Police all were on scene where the body was found, Thomas said.

The three friends Eskew was camping with said they awoke about 7 a.m. Tuesday and Eskew still was at the campsite. Three hours later, he was gone.

An intensive water, ground and air search was undertaken, although the creek’s waters, with a strong undertow and lots of debris after recent rains, had prevented an extensive dive campaign.

http://www.sj-r.com/news/x401624134/Body-found-in-creek-near-Lincoln

desmom

05-27-2008, 10:11 AM

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/27/news/doc483c0294bcf38401730152.txt

Authorities find body near where Lincoln teenager went missing
Sheriff can't say whether body is that of Billy Ray Eskew

UPDATED 8:20 a.m. LINCOLN -- An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday on the body of a white male pulled from Salt Creek west of Lincoln on Monday afternoon.

Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols confirmed it is the body of a white male but declined comment on whether it’s that of Billy Ray Eskew, the missing 18-year-old crews have been searching for since May 13.

Nichols, who helped lead a large search effort near the area where the body was found, said he’s withholding comment until more tests are complete and the autopsy has been completed.

Nichols said the Logan County Sheriff’s Department was notified at 3 p.m. Monday from a person in a boat on Salt Creek indicating they may have seen a body in the water near the intersection of 1400th Street and 700th Avenue.

That area is near where Salt Creek meets Kickapoo Creek, a waterway searched May 21 after Nichols asked crews to extend the search as far north as Kickapoo Creek Park.

Crews began an extensive search of the area after the tip was called in and recovered the body about two miles upstream, he said.

More information is expected to be released later Tuesday, authorities said.

Eskew camped overnight May 12 with three friends near Sportsmen’s Park, one mile south of Lincoln. He was seen at the campsite about 7 a.m. May 13, but he disappeared sometime during the subsequent three hours.

This story will be updated.

desmom

05-27-2008, 12:12 PM

Authorities await body’s ID

http://www.lincolncourier.com/news/x118639922/Authorities-await-body-s-ID

Lincoln, Ill. -
Authorities may have recovered the body of a missing Lincoln teen.

Billy Ray Eskew, 18, went missing the morning of May 13 during a camping trip with friends on the banks of Salt Creek just south of Lincoln.

Around 3 p.m. Monday, a boater spotted a body in Salt Creek about two miles downstream from the campsite where Eskew was last seen. The boater called authorities, who began their search near the intersection of 1400th Street and 700th Avenue west of Lincoln.

After searching upstream for two miles, they recovered the body.

Authorities have said the deceased has been tentatively identified, but so far they can only release that he was a white male.

“The body has been taken to Memorial Medical Center and Dr. (Jessica) Bowman is doing an autopsy,” said Logan County Coroner Robert Thomas.

The autopsy was scheduled for this morning.

“The State Police also will be there at the autopsy to take DNA to positively identify this person,” Thomas said.

The Lincoln City and Rural fire departments, Logan County Sheriff’s Department, Illinois State Police, Logan County Coroner’s Office and the Logan County Dive Team all were on scene when the body was recovered.

Eskew disappeared May 13 during a camping trip with three friends. The friends, whose identities have not been released, told authorities that Eskew was still at the campsite at 7 a.m. but was gone when they awoke at 10 a.m. He left behind his cell phone and fishing gear.

Those close to him said Eskew was familiar with the area.

A massive ground search turned up no traces, and officials have spent the last week and a half combing Salt Creek.

Searchers also mysteriously spent time at Kickapoo Creek Park north of Lincoln at the end of last week.

Kickapoo Creek flows southwest into Salt Creek. Thomas said the body was found just west of where Interstate 55 crosses Salt Creek, or more than a mile upstream from where Kickapoo Creek runs into Salt Creek.

The search effort for Eskew has included hundreds of people and several area agencies. The Logan County Sheriff’s Department headed up the missing persons case while the Logan County Emergency Management Agency carried out searches at the sheriff’s direction.

Other involved agencies included the Logan County Horse Search and Rescue team, the McLean County Emergency Services and Disaster Agency and the Department of Natural Resources.

The effort included searching on foot, from boats, from horseback and from a helicopter.

Roamer

05-27-2008, 05:26 PM

http://www.sj-r.com/news/x401624134/Body-found-in-creek-near-Lincoln

STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted May 27, 2008 @ 02:45 PM
Last update May 27, 2008 @ 02:59 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authorities in Logan County suspect they’ve found the body of an 18-year-old camper who has been missing for two weeks.

Logan County Coroner Robert Thomas said today he believes a body found in Salt Creek Monday is Lincoln resident Billy Ray Eskew, who disappeared while camping with friends south of Lincoln.

DNA tests are pending to confirm the identity.

“We believe, we strongly believe, this to be Mr. Eskew,” Thomas said Tuesday afternoon. “We are doing DNA tests to eliminate any doubt.”

Monday’s discovery was made around 3:10 p.m. by a boater.

Eskew was reported missing May 13 Three friends told authorities Eskew disappeared from the campsite around 10 a.m., leaving behind his cell phone and fishing gear.

More than 100 people joined in the search for the missing teen, who had recently graduated from Lincoln Community High School.

Thomas said a cause of death has not been determined on the body that was found Monday. An autopsy is scheduled for later today.

The coroner added he hopes to get DNA information back within one or two days.

Faith

05-27-2008, 09:07 PM

The coroner added he hopes to get DNA information back within one or two days.

The waiting will be hell on the family. God Bless Them

Faith

05-28-2008, 12:05 AM

Logan County Body

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 @09:27pm CST

LINCOLN - Investigators in Logan County think a body found in salt creek is a missing teenager they've been looking for weeks.
It was found just west of Lincoln Monday afternoon about 2 miles downstream from where 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew was last seen camping with friends.
Friends say they have no doubt the body found is their friend Billy, but the coroner won't know for sure until D.N.A test results come back.
A fisherman found the body floating in the water around 3:00 p.m. Monday. He called police and they brought in the dive team for recovery. Investigators will only describe the body as a young white man.
For those who know Eskew they're already feeling the pain.
“Billy's going to be a hard person to forget about. I'm always going to miss him I'm always going to care about him,” said friend Heather Ramsey.
Ramsey says Billy Ray is like a second brother to her and is one of her best friends.
An autopsy conducted Tuesday came back “inconclusive”, but doctors found no signs of trauma. D.N.A. test results proving identification should be back in a few days.

http://illinoishomepage.net/images/videoicon.gif

http://illinoishomepage.net/content/fulltext/?cid=13628

Faith

05-28-2008, 10:08 AM

1-2 days for DNA tests to ID Salt Creek body

LINCOLN, Ill. (Map, News) - Authorities say DNA tests will determine if a body pulled from Salt Creek is an 18-year-old Lincoln man who went missing earlier this month.

Logan County Coroner Robert Thomas said Tuesday the DNA tests will eliminate any doubt whether the man's body is Billy Ray Eskew. He says he hopes to get DNA information back within one or two days.

Authorities say a boater spotted the body on Memorial Day.

Crews have been searching for Eskew by air, ground and water since May 13th. That's when he disappeared while camping with friends about a mile south of Lincoln.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1411442~Coroner__1_2_days_for_DNA_tests_to_ID_Salt _Creek_body.html

WHY 1-2 days?? This poor family :cray:

breezybidj

05-28-2008, 03:26 PM

it's only been 15 hours??? this is NUTS!!! i'm not even related and it's making me crazy!!! his poor family; i'm praying for them...

http://bp0.blogger.com/_WIJdR75WmGY/Ru9sT1CUrFI/AAAAAAAABCk/hVq5lQrrPJE/s400/baby+praying+hands.jpg

» 15 hrs ago: Coroner: 1-2 days for DNA tests to ID Salt Creek body «

http://www.examiner.com/a-1410246~Authorities_work_to_ID_body_pulled_from_Sa lt_Creek_near_Lincoln.html

desmom

05-28-2008, 06:52 PM

Faith

05-29-2008, 05:46 AM

Coroner Hopes To Have Body Identified Tomorrow

May 28, 2008

The Logan County Coroner's office says they hope to be able to identify the body found in Salt Creek by tomorrow.

The body is believed to be that of 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew, who disappeared while camping along the creek earlier this month.

The coroner is using DNA testing to positively identify the body.

The cause of death is unknown at this time.

Eskew was the subject of a massive search after friends reported him missing May 13.

http://www.week.com/news/local/19332434.html

Faith

05-29-2008, 02:48 PM

Coroner: It will take time to confirm whether body is missing teen
Body pulled from Salt Creek west of Lincoln on Monday

UPDATED 11:00 p.m. LINCOLN -- Logan County officials said Tuesday they have not confirmed the identity of a body pulled Monday afternoon from Salt Creek near the area where an 18-year-old Lincoln man was last seen two weeks ago.

Coroner Robert Thomas said it may take a day or two for DNA evidence to confirm if the body is that of Billy Ray Eskew.

An autopsy was conducted Tuesday afternoon, but results have not yet been made public.

“It may take several days or weeks to determine what happened,” he said.

Logan County Sheriff Steve Nichols confirmed a man’s body had been pulled from the river Monday, but said it was not immediately clear how he died.

“Our first priority is to officially identify the body and then we will go from there,” Nichols said.

Beyond saying the body had been tentatively identified, the sheriff’s office released no other information Tuesday.

The search for Eskew was suspended pending the identification of the body.

Two boaters called the Logan County Sheriff’s Department at 3:08 p.m. Monday saying they believed they had spotted a body in the creek in a rural area near the intersection of 1400 Street and 700 Avenue.

Search crews, which had been given the Memorial Day weekend off, were summoned to the area immediately. The body was pulled from the river about two miles upstream where Interstate 55 crosses Salt Creek.

Eskew was last seen May 13 at a campsite near the Sportsmen’s Park facility, one mile south of Lincoln.

He had been camping with friends and was last seen at the campsite at 7 a.m. When the other campers woke three hours later, Eskew had disappeared.

Authorities were called 12 hours later, and a massive search was initiated using ground, horse, boat and helicopter units. The search had continued daily until it the holiday weekend break.

The body was found about two miles upstream from the campsite.

Logan County Emergency Management Agency Director Dan Fulscher was not available Tuesday for comment.

Assisting in the recovery of the body where the Lincoln city and rural fire departments, sheriff’s police, Illinois State Police, the coroner’s office and the Logan County Dive Team.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/27/news/doc483c0294bcf38401730152.txt

Faith

05-29-2008, 02:55 PM

Coroner: No trauma to Logan Co. body, but no ID yet

LINCOLN -- Logan County Coroner Robert Thomas said there was no trauma to the body of a white male that was pulled from Salt Creek near Lincoln on Monday.

On Monday, crews recovered the body after it was spotted by a boater. Search teams had been looking for two weeks for 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew near the area where the body was found.

“We still haven’t positively identified the body yet,” Thomas said. “The DNA tests may take a couple of more days and so we are in the process of trying some other things to speed up that process.”

Thomas could not confirm the body was Eskew.

Finding the cause of death could take considerably longer, he said.

“We are in the process of awaiting toxicology reports and that may tell us more,” Thomas said. “But there was no trauma to the body so it is hard to point to a cause of death at this point.”

Eskew was last seen May 13 while camping with three friends near Sportsmen’s Park in Lincoln.

A massive search by foot, horseback, boat and helicopter yielded no clues. The search for Eskew has been suspended pending the outcome of the identification of the body.

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/29/news/doc483dcae602f89972235738.txt

Faith

05-30-2008, 11:31 PM

Body of man pulled from Salt Creek still not ID'd

Friday, May 30, 2008 9:39 PM CDT

LINCOLN -- The body of a man pulled on Monday from Salt Creek near Lincoln still has not been positively identified.

Logan County Coroner Robert Thomas said he does not know when to expect an announcement.

“After we recovered the body, we knew there was a likelihood it could take a few days,” Thomas said Friday. “Our initial hope was this week, but they also told us it could take a full week or more to positively identify the body.”

The body was recovered near the area where an 18-year-old Lincoln man disappeared two weeks earlier. The search for Billy Ray Eskew, who was last seen may 13 at a campsite south of Lincoln, was suspended after the body was found.

An autopsy performed Tuesday revealed few clues about how the death occurred, Thomas has said.

The autopsy revealed no trauma to the body. It will take a few weeks for toxicology reports to return, Thomas said.

Meanwhile, an account has been set up at The State Bank of Lincoln for anyone who wants to contribute in Eskew’s name.

“Anybody wishing to donate can stop by our main office at 508 Broadway or any of our branches and contribute,” said customer service representative Brittney Wilson. “If they would like, they can leave their name and address so the family can acknowledge the gift.”

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/05/30/news/doc4840ba4468326421425420.txt

helpusfindshannon

06-03-2008, 09:36 AM

any word if this is billy??? we are neighbors (our hometown is havana)

Roamer

06-03-2008, 10:10 AM

I can't find anything more recent on the site.

packy

06-03-2008, 10:35 AM

It would seem they should know by now.

desmom

06-03-2008, 10:34 PM

Eskew identified
http://www.lincolncourier.com/homepage/x61384554

LINCOLN -
The body found in Salt Creek last week has been positively identified as Billy Ray Eskew.

Eskew disappeared May 13 during a camping trip with friends along the banks of Salt Creek. A massive search turned up no trace until his body was recovered May 26 about two miles downstream from where he was last seen. A positive identification has been pending since then.

“I'm glad that we were finally able to put a name to the deceased,” said Logan County Coroner Robert Thomas.

Thomas said waiting so long for identification was difficult for the family. Although the outcome of the situation was tragic, the positive identification will finally allow them to grieve with some sense of closure.

Originally, it was expected that identification would be made through DNA analysis. However, Thomas said the Illinois State Police made the identification through fingerprinting.

Autopsy results showed no sign of trauma, but an official cause of death has yet to be determined. Detailed results including toxicology testing are expected to take several more weeks.

Peasley Funeral Home will be handling arrangements and more details will soon be available.

Body found in Salt Creek is that of missing 18-year-old

http://www.wandtv.com/global/story.asp?s=8420002

Logan County officials have confirmed a body pulled from Salt Creek is that of missing 18-year-old Billy Ray Eskew.

Tests by the Illinois State Police have confirmed the identification.

The family has been notified and funeral arrangements are being set at Peasley Funeral Home in Lincoln.

Eskew disappeared the night of May 13th while camping with friends near the Sportmen's Club near Lincoln.

These are just preliminary findings. A complete autopsy report won't be available for some time.

The coroner says everyone is just happy to finally know for sure it's him.

:1222423: