9.26.2012

missing: harsha maddula, last seen september 22



In Chicago, authorities are searching for a Northwestern University student who has been missing since Saturday morning: Search for missing Northwestern student now at Wilmette Harbor.

18-year-old pre-med sophomore Harsha Maddula was last seen just past midnight Saturday leaving a party near Northwestern's Evanston campus. He was with up to four people and didn't appear to be intoxicated.

The search has been widened to Wilmette Harbor and nearby areas, where Maddula's cell phone last sent out a signal. However, the investigation thus far doesn't show any sign of foul play:

Evanston Police are now involved and the university's police met with the FBI Tuesday, according to Northwestern spokesman Alan Cubbage. Information has also been provided to the Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center and the Cook County Department of Emergency Management, he said.

"We've got a missing student we want to bring as many resources to bear as we can," Cubbage said.

However, the investigation thus far shows no sign of foul play or that Maddula was a danger to himself, Cubbage said. Both closed-circuit television video and records of Maddula’s key fob use showed he hadn’t returned to his residence hall since before he was last seen, he added.

Maddula's disappearance is classified as "missing/endangered," and notes that the 18-year-old is a diabetic who may have stopped taking his medication, said Evanston Police Cmdr. Jay Parrott.
Harsha Maddula is described as a man of Indian descent, about 5-foot-8-inches tall and weighing 149 pounds, with black hair and wearing black-framed glasses. He was wearing a grey long-sleeve sweater, dark grey pants and brown shoes at the time of his disappearance.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the University Police Department at 847-491-3456. More here: Search for missing Northwestern student Harsha Maddula intensifies as new details emerge.

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