I was able to get all my Charley updates for today done and ready to be posted before today even started. I did the last bit at 11:57 p.m., March 25. Woo.
This week’s spotlighted missing person is Ian Burnett, a curly-haired Virginia college student who disappeared during a vacation to New York City over the Christmas holidays in 2011.
Ian’s case kind of reminds me of the disappearance of Matthew Wilson, who vanished from Rice University in Texas in 2007. I think he also disappeared while his school was on Christmas break. Both Matthew and Ian are/were very intelligent, motivated young men attending college on scholarships.
Matthew turned up alive after eight months; it turned out he’d been very unhappy and decided to unplug and try a new life elsewhere. I hope Ian did the same thing. But he’s been gone a lot longer than Matthew ever was.
The Charley Project Blog 
I thought of of Jesse Warren Ross, when I read this… http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/ross_jesse.html
I have no idea why my post was messed up like that… Oh well.
It looks fine to me.
When I hear of a Valedictorian going missing, my knee-jerk reaction is that it’s probably a suicide.
Valevictorian+ history of suicide attemps=suicide
I view the “walked out of life without a word” disappearances like Matthew’s as being a symbolic form of suicide.
Meaghan, did you see where they id’d Heidi Balch’s body? They found herb head on a golf course in NJ in 1989 but only now were able to id her. She is on your site, but your write up says she disappeared in 1995 at 31. She was 25 in 1989 so now I wonder if maybe the 1995 date was when she was finally reported missing rather than the time she was last seen.
They think she is one of Joel Rifkin’s first.
Meghan: Just wanted to let you know that Heidi Balch(missing February 1995) or at least her remains have been discovered on a New Jersey golf course. She has been identified. In addition it has also been stated by LE that the last time she was seen was in 1989 not 1995,as originally told by her aunt. I just read this article on a missing person site on Facebook. My email capabilities are not working so this was the only way I could contact you. Thanks.
Correctionon your name: Meaghan** sorry 🙂
I know. She’s on the resolved page now. Has been for a few days.
Oh dear, was this the lady whose head they found in a paint can? I seem to remember they thought way back then that Rifkin was involved. Teeth removed, etc. If that was her, well, at least she’s been ided. I need to brush up on my case history.
From what I read,it was her head that was found by Hole 7 on a golf course. I’m not aware of a paint can. And I’m not certain if the rest of her body has been found. She has been deceased for quite sometime. Hopefully her family can find some closure and begin to heal.
What a mess. I am glad for her family though, I know there is no such thing as true closure, but if it is close enough than so be it. I think I may be confusing two cases, I remember the lady in the can, thought it was a golf course but I think they did find the rest of her (sorry, that’s gross) and I think she was HIV positive. It has been a while since I’ve brushed up on the UID’s so I think I’m muddled.
They found her legs. I don’t think any other parts turned up.
Its the same one, the newspaper story I saw mentioned the paint can and the AIDS.
Speaking of updates, the person Carlota Sanchez ran away with has a NamUS profile with an actual picture on it (!!)
https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/7002
I’m actually legitimately happy about this, since I always cringe at cases that have no picture (just a composite or AP) since it’s probably going to be harder to find those people. Also, 12 and 13 year old runaways? That’s really hard to think of back then.
There are still such people as twelve- and thirteen-year-old runaways, even now. Like Tiffany Oliver: http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/o/oliver_tiffany.html
Carlota Sanchez is on NCMEC and has been for awhile now. You meant to say Elsie Lucier.
When you get a chance, can you feature Kristie Moon as MP of the Week? Her case seems to be sitting in the shadows of Holly Bobo’s case (most articles that mention Kristie are articles primarily about Holly Bobo) and I’d like to see Kristie get the spotlight for a week. 🙂 No rush, but whenever you have an opening to fill. Thanks!