Girl from DS's dorm missing

[erincon23]

I think it's going to be very difficult in the dorm tonight (this is basically a suitcase school -- the campus empties out on the weekends) and tomorrow. It's a very small dorm, with maybe 400 kids at the most, and they're all in fine arts programs, so they all attend classes together, jam together, do all kinds of special programs together. The student body all got emails today talking about stricter and increased security, including 24-hour lockdown in the dorm. And apparently this isn't the first incident in this woods -- there have been three or four people gone missing in the last few years. DS says there are quite a few girls wondering if they feel safe enough to return. He says he doesn't know if the former boyfriend (a friend of DS) will be back tomorrow or not. It's all very sad.

 

[DawnCt1]

I think it's going to be very difficult in the dorm tonight (this is basically a suitcase school -- the campus empties out on the weekends) and tomorrow. It's a very small dorm, with maybe 400 kids at the most, and they're all in fine arts programs, so they all attend classes together, jam together, do all kinds of special programs together. The student body all got emails today talking about stricter and increased security, including 24-hour lockdown in the dorm. And apparently this isn't the first incident in this woods -- there have been three or four people gone missing in the last few years. DS says there are quite a few girls wondering if they feel safe enough to return. He says he doesn't know if the former boyfriend (a friend of DS) will be back tomorrow or not. It's all very sad.

It is just awful. I believe I hear that she went to that area for inspiration for an art project.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I just stumbled on articles about it on the front page of Google news, so it's gone national now. So heartbreaking. Prayers for her family.

http://couriernews.suntimes.com/2099951-418/park-keller-students-campus-freshman.html

 

[FINFAN]

I think it's going to be very difficult in the dorm tonight (this is basically a suitcase school -- the campus empties out on the weekends) and tomorrow. It's a very small dorm, with maybe 400 kids at the most, and they're all in fine arts programs, so they all attend classes together, jam together, do all kinds of special programs together. The student body all got emails today talking about stricter and increased security, including 24-hour lockdown in the dorm. And apparently this isn't the first incident in this woods -- there have been three or four people gone missing in the last few years. DS says there are quite a few girls wondering if they feel safe enough to return. He says he doesn't know if the former boyfriend (a friend of DS) will be back tomorrow or not. It's all very sad.

I agree, I attended NIU years ago, majored in Illustration and taking night studio classes was challenging at times as the location of those buildings was somewhat removed from the main campus. That was in the early 80's tho, so I am sure things are different now.We used to ice skate on the pond in the woods, there was even a small warming shelter there then, so it was a popular spot to hang at. for your son and his friend, prayers for Toni's family, For those who have not heard it on the news ( and almost 3 days went by before it was put on the televised news )she is from Plainfield, IL., a town about an hour southeast from DeKalb where the school is. The local tv stations starting reporting more on the case AFTER it was decided the search was gonig to focus on the surrounding areas of DeKalb, not just school property and immediate adjascent areas. How ridiculous is that? Getting the word out immediately could have made a difference in this. The media coverage has been minimum...if they were going for "downplaying" it for some sort of startegic means, I hope it worked and they have a lead. As with every school/situation, please travel with a friend. I get she was perhaps heading to obtain images for reference, if an art student uses any images off the internet etc., their project is an automatic F and illegal, so art students have to get their own all the time...so I hope it is not being held as she was careless...odds are she was simply trying to do right by an art assignment. Sigh....this is tough to hear about, hoping good news occurs.

 

[MELSMICE]

So sad.

 

[dis-happy]

Horrible. A parent's worst nightmare. My thoughts are for her family and school community.

 

[angie@dvcstore]

So sad.

 

[Jeafl]

My son ran in the regional cross country meet at Kishwaukee college right down the road from there and everyone was talking about it at the meet. How incredibly sad. My daughter goes to college in a very wooded area and walks home from her job all the time. It really makes me nervous and I wish she would find someone to walk with her.

 

[cm8]

wow, that is so sad. I hope that it is not her, but I pray that her family are able to get justice for her.

 

[daughtersrus]

The update that I heard today is that the bones were found Saturday but they were so badly burned that they didn't even know if they were human or not. An autopsy is not possible because of the condition and for right now, they haven't even confirmed that they belong to Toni (but I don't believe that anyone else has been reported missing).

DD works at a middle school not far from the park. Most of the students there walk to school so they are stressing that they should be walking at least in pairs.

It really is sad.