EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(CCNMatthews - Aug. 18, 2006) - On Sunday August
13th, Robert Barrington Leigh left home for a brief bike ride down to
the Edmonton Folk Festival. He never came home. Five days later Robert
is still missing, and his family and friends fear foul play.
Hundreds of volunteers are helping police comb the city in search
of any clue as to the whereabouts of the young man. The family has no
reason to suspect he disappeared of his own accord, but hopes that he
will be found safe are fading.
The Edmonton Police Service has been performing helicopter and dog
searches along the North Saskatchewan River and Mill Creek Ravine
throughout the week. Ground searchers are looking for anything that
Robert had with him - a bike, a helmet, a blue Mountain Equipment Co-op
bookbag - but so far no evidence has been found.
Robert's girlfriend flew in last night from Italy to assist police
with the search. Robert's parents, whom he was visiting in Edmonton for
the two weeks prior to his going missing, are mystified.
"We asked his friends and teachers about everything. It all checks
out. He was fine. It's just too out of character for him to disappear,"
said his mother, Iris Barrington Leigh.
Robert, age 20, is known to be an exceptional student in the
Mathematics Department at the University of Toronto. He has won top
awards at the University and in several international mathematics
competitions.
"We expect him to go on to graduate studies at one of the world's
top universities, and to have a brilliant career", says one of Robert's
math professors, Dr. Edward Bierstone.
"His disappearance is highly uncharacteristic of Robert", says Dr. Bierstone.
Robert's siblings Christopher and Rosalind arrived from Vancouver earlier in the week and have been maintaining a website (www.findrobert.ca), designing posters and coordinating volunteer efforts.
The Barrington Leigh family would like to thank CCNMatthews, News
Distribution Experts, for distributing this press release to the
national media and for donating their time and resources to our cause.
A photo of Rober Barrington Leigh is available at: http://www.ccnmatthews.com/docs/RobertBarringtonLeighphoto.jpg
For more information, see www.findrobert.ca
- Description of Robert Barrington Leigh:
ROBERT:
20 yrs old
height: 6'1"
weight: slim (approx. 150 lbs)
short brown hair
hazel eyes
faint British accent
CLOTHING:
short-sleeved button-down shirt
brown leather shoes
blue MEC fleece jacket
blue MEC backpack with purple trim
blue helmet
BICYCLE:
blue Raleigh "Cliffhanger" with road tires
plastic fenders
oval headlight
short frame
tall seat
LAST SEEN: Sunday 13 Aug at 10:30 p.m. heading to the Edmonton Folk
Festival on bike from Old Strathcona, probably through the Mill Creek
Ravine and Cloverdale
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