By Lesley Larson
After nearly five days, the search for BYU student Jonathan Berry, from Grand Junction, Colo., was officially closed Monday (June 5, 2006), said captain Rick Healey of the Provo Police Department.
The case has been turned over to a missing person”s detective within the Provo Police Department, Healey said.
The decision to conclude official search efforts, which were focused on the Rock Canyon area, was reached after members of official search and rescue teams found nothing after combing the area with four-wheelers, cadaver dogs and a helicopter.
Healey said the decision was also based in part on a note Berry left prior to his disappearance indicating he did not want to live and did not want to be found, Healey said. A roommate discovered the note Thursday morning.
Despite the implications of Berry”s note, Healey said it is possible 21-year-old Berry is alive and simply does not want to be found. Although his bike was found close to the Rock Canyon area, there is a chance Berry did not even go to that area since he was last seen June 1, 2006, Healey said.
Berry”s parents came to Provo and were quite involved, Healey said. However, they were not able to assist in the official search, as the terrain was too dangerous for citizen search teams, he said.
Berry”s roommate, Richard Rose, was the last to see Berry on Wednesday night and said Berry gave no indication he was struggling or depressed. Rose said he grew up with Berry in Grand Junction, Colo., and has lived with him since January of this year.
He described Berry as a talented musician and a good student with a scholarship. He said Berry also expressed plans to use his biology degree to make the world a better place.
“He has a great mind for science,” Rose said. “He always talked about wanting to make a big difference in the world. He was still trying to figure out what that difference would be.”
Rose said he doesn”t think Berry”s disappearance is tied to any recent occurrence.
“From everything I understand it didn”t have anything to do with anything that happened in the last little while,” he said. “The day before he left, we had some people over here, and were playing games and having fun. I know that he was laughing and happy that day.”
Rose said Berry”s parents are dealing with this as well as can be expected, and he has tried to be supportive of them.
We are praying for the best, Rose said.
Berry is a white male, at 6-feet-4-inches and 160-170 pounds. He has dark blonde to medium brown hair, in a short and neatly trimmed cut. He is believed to be wearing a blue T-shirt, tan shorts and hiking boots.
Any information about Berry”s location should be directed to the Provo Department Dispatch center at 801-852-6210.
