It was a frigid November night when he vanished from SJU without leaving his glasses, his coat or any solid clues to his whereabouts behind.<\/p>\n
Three years and a day later, Joshua Guimond is still missing.
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\nA lack of information surrounding his disappearance has left Guimond’s family members and friends bewildered at what appears to be a stall in the case.<\/p>\n
“It’s important for people to realize that SJU is not leading this investigation,” said Michael Hemmesch, director of media relations.<\/p>\n
That’s causing some to fear Guimond’s impact is fading from the CSB\/SJU community. The senior class of 2006 is the last to witness the investigation.<\/p>\n
“He certainly won’t be forgotten,” said senior Anthony Mayerhofer, Guimond’s friend and Mock Trial teammate.<\/p>\n
Guimond disappeared shortly past midnight Saturday, Nov. 9, 2002 after leaving alone from a gathering in Metten Court.<\/p>\n
Foul play?<\/p>\n
Stearns County Detective Steve Soyka said nothing in Guimond’s case points to foul play.<\/p>\n
But that theory, Soyka said, is as strong \u2014 or weak \u2014 as any other.<\/p>\n
“There isn’t any physical evidence or eyewitness testimony that would lead us to believe it’s a crime of any kind,” Soyka said. “It’s still a missing persons case.”<\/p>\n
Aubrey Immelman, a psychology professor who specializes in crimes research at CSB\/SJU said he believes otherwise.<\/p>\n
He said circumstantial evidence indicates Guimond may have been abducted and that foul play should not be ruled out.<\/p>\n
“After reading books, it seems to me this is foul play and the motive was sexual,” Immelman said.<\/p>\n
In fact, Immelman said his research suggests Guimond’s disappearance could be linked to the 1989 Jacob Wetterling abduction by someone he believes is a sexual sadist in the Stearns County area.<\/p>\n
But Soyka said this isn’t true.<\/p>\n
“There is definitely no correlation between Jacob Wetterling and Josh Guimond,” Soyka said.<\/p>\n
A common thread<\/p>\n
Based on his research, Immelman said Guimond had worked at SJU’s former video store. He also said that before his abduction, Wetterling had biked to a video store to rent “Naked Gun” with a friend.<\/p>\n
Immelman said a common thread such as this is attractive to sexual sadists.<\/p>\n
“Serial killers operate in their comfort zone, within 10 miles of where they live,” Immelman said. “They’re highly territorial.”<\/p>\n
Sexual sadists are also more likely than other sex offenders to hide their victims’ bodies and target young males like Guimond, Immelman said.<\/p>\n
He said his research maintains that if Guimond was abducted, the suspect would’ve been older, in a position of authority and familiar with the St. John’s campus.<\/p>\n
Immelman said the abductor wouldn’t have been aware of the bus schedule and of surveillance “blind spots.”<\/p>\n
Remembering Josh<\/p>\n
Mayerhofer remembers the Monday after the disappearance. It was an odd cycle day. The Link exited through St. John’s rear entrance on Stearns County Road 51.<\/p>\n
“Tragedies always happen on beautiful days,” Mayerhofer said. “Next thing you knew, helicopters were everywhere.”<\/p>\n
Later that month, dogs traced Guimond’s scent to Stumpf Lake. No additional information has reinforced this finding.<\/p>\n
Other fruitless investigations have cast serious doubts on the idea that Guimond fell into the lake and drowned.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, posters of Guimond sprawled every bulletin board and painted concrete walls across campus. Few remain today.<\/p>\n
The “Find Joshua” sign at the entrance to St. John’s is gone.<\/p>\n
Jason Laker, SJU dean of students, said this doesn’t mean Guimond has been forgotten.<\/p>\n
“[The sign] became worn and tattered by the weather,” Laker said.<\/p>\n
New posters will be issued and hung, and a memorial plaque will now commemorate Guimond.<\/p>\n
The plaque will hang permanently inside Sexton and contain vital information to help others identify him.<\/p>\n
Laker also plans to introduce a “memory box” where family, friends and supporters can drop notes.<\/p>\n
But Mayerhofer said these efforts aren’t enough.<\/p>\n
“I think [the sign] should still be there. That’s not too large a price to pay to keep the hope alive,” he said.<\/p>\n
Keeping hope alive<\/p>\n
Guimond, a political science major, would likely be in law school today.<\/p>\n
He co-founded the CSB\/SJU Mock Trial team with Nick Hydukovich in 2000.<\/p>\n
“The thing that made him good was [his ability] to wear you out, the way he structured his arguments and details,” said senior David Schonhardt, also a Mock Trial teammate. “He could beat you if he wanted to.”<\/p>\n
“But on top of that, he would always encourage you to excel toward his abilities rather than make you feel inferior,” Mayerhofer said.<\/p>\n
Guimond’s legacy<\/p>\n
Hemmesch said SJU’s main concern is to do “anything and everything possible” to find Guimond.<\/p>\n
“We certainly offer our prayers to the Guimond family and Josh’s friends as they continue to wait, search and hope for his safe return,” Hemmesch said.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Mayerhofer and Schonhardt hope Mock Trial can eventually host its own tournament in Guimond’s name.<\/p>\n
“After Nick [Hydukovich], Josh was definitely the best mind in the legal program here thus far,” Mayerhofer said. “His depth of knowledge we have to pass on.”<\/p>\n
They keep reviving old stories about cases he helped them win.<\/p>\n
It keeps the memories alive. <\/p>\n