EVANSTON, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) -
The investigation into the disappearance of an 18-year-old Northwestern University student missing since early Saturday continues, with search teams going out into the Evanston area Thursday.
An extensive search of Wilmette Harbor was conducted Wednesday after a cell phone tower in that area picked up a signal from his phone but after the searches there came up empty the harbor search was discontinued.
SEE: Family of missing Northwestern student offers $25K reward
Family members of Harsha Maddula are offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to his return. Maddula, a sophomore at Northwestern, was last seen about 12:30 a.m. Saturday after leaving an off-campus party.
His family made the reward announcement Wednesday at Wilmette Harbor, where divers spent the day searching for the Long Island, N.Y. native.
Northwestern police and community service officers, aided by personnel from more than 20 law enforcement agencies and fire departments, on Wednesday conducted a thorough search of the waters in the harbor and Lake Michigan near the harbor, a release Thursday morning from Northwestern University said. In addition, search teams combed the areas of land near the harbor. No sign of the missing student was found, either on land or in the water.
Police focused Wednesday's search on the Wilmette Harbor area because an examination of cell phone activity for Maddula's phone showed that the closest cell phone tower to the last signal received from his phone was in that area. Shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, Maddula's phone sent a signal that was picked up by the cell tower at the U.S. Coast Guard station at Wilmette Harbor, said NU spokesman Alan Cubbage. No physical evidence — clothing or cell phone — had been found at the scene, Cubbage said. The harbor is near Sheridan Road and Michigan Avenue in Wilmette — not far from NU's campus. Maddula's dorm — Public Affairs Residential College on Chicago Avenue — is about two miles south of the harbor.
"What we're trying to pin down was who was with him at the party, and who was with him when he left," Cubbage said, noting that students are cooperating with campus police.
He also explained a 50-hour gap between the initial call to police and a campus-wide alert as standard operating procedure, during which Northwestern Police worked to contact Maddula's family and determine if the missing person's call was bona fide.
SEE: Search for missing Northwestern student continues
Northwestern University Police and other agencies involved will continue the investigation today.
In addition, students and other members of the Northwestern community are expected to continue to assist in the search for Maddula today. Volunteers are being sought to help search areas in Evanston under the direction of University Police, with one group beginning a search at 9 a.m. and another group at 4 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the University building located at 600 Haven St. in Evanston.
Maddula is described as being of Indian descent, 5-foot-8 and 150 with black hair and dark brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black-frame glasses, a gray long-sleeve sweater with white-and -black stitching, dark gray pants and brown shoes.
