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2007 O'Connor, Michael 2-12-2007
Topic Started: Feb 14 2008, 02:03 PM (112 Views)
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Published Thursday | February 14, 2008
Wife has doubts husband is alive
BY JOHN FERAK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER



A tall, stocky 40-year-old man in glasses dropped off his wife at work. He refueled his car. An hour later, he left the car inside a downtown Omaha parking garage.

Then, Michael O'Connor vanished.

That morning, O'Connor failed to arrive at the Nebraska Department of Education office where he worked in vocational rehabilitation services.

Now, a year later, his wife and police don't know whether O'Connor is dead or if he's living somewhere under an assumed identity.

"I don't think he's alive," said his wife, Connie. "If he's gone, he obviously wanted to be gone."

Omaha police say they have no indication that someone killed Michael O'Connor.

"There is no reason to believe he's dead," Officer Bill Dropinski, an Omaha police spokesman, said Wednesday. "We have exhausted every lead we have. There is no new information on this case, and he has not been located.

"Right now, he is just a missing adult. It appears he may have walked away from his life."

On Feb. 12, 2007, after O'Connor dropped off his wife at her job at 7:30 a.m., a video surveillance camera captured O'Connor parking his car about 9 a.m. across the street from his office near 13th and Harney Streets.

He normally started work at 8 a.m. About 9:30 a.m., his wife received a call from his employer that he had failed to show up for work. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound O'Connor was officially reported missing the next day.

Since then, there has been no activity on the missing man's credit cards, bank accounts or his Social Security number, Omaha police said.

"If he was still around Omaha, someone would have seen him by now," Dropinski said. "You would have to assume that he is in another location. It's an unusual case. You don't have 40-year-old men walk away from life everyday."

Gary Plank, a recently retired investigator for the Nebraska State Patrol in Lincoln, said he had worked about a half-dozen missing-person cases involving adults who have vanished without a trace.

A couple of those people may have been homicide victims, he said. The rest, he said, may have assumed a new identity and moved far away from Nebraska.

Generally speaking, Plank said, some people have taken on a new identity to escape family troubles or debt, or to avoid prosecution for crimes, including embezzlement from their employer.

Omaha police, however, have no evidence to suggest that O'Connor encountered any of those troubles, Dropinski said.

More than a decade ago, though, O'Connor battled depression. In January 1996, a Colorado ranch where O'Connor worked reported him missing to police. The next day a search party found him in a field west of Boulder. O'Connor had tried to overdose on pills, Boulder County Sheriff's Commander Phil West said Wednesday.

"These kinds of cases are not very frequent, which is a good thing," Plank said, "but unfortunately, they do occur throughout our country in many places. People who do this have a lot of preplanning. They take great measures to cover their tracks and make sure there is little evidence of what they did and where they went."

Dropinski acknowledged that there is no reason for optimism that O'Connor will be located soon.

"I'm sure his wife would like to get closure on this," Dropinski said. "It's an open and active investigation, just like a homicide, but this is not a crime per se. Since he's been gone this long, the evidence trail is pretty cold at this point."

After the disappearance, O'Connor's wife enlisted about 15 friends and volunteers to spend several days distributing fliers with his photo on them to several downtown businesses.

O'Connor's wife said Wednesday that she no longer is organizing efforts to find her missing husband.

"I have to live my life," she said. "I am trying to move on."


http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10258187

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http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/5841591.html

Missing Adult Sought Save Email Print

Police asking for help
Posted: 8:13 AM Feb 15, 2007
Last Updated: 8:13 AM Feb 15, 2007



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A | A | A Authorities are looking for help in locating a missing adult. Forty-year-old Michael O'Connor left for work on Monday and never arrived.

O'Connor was reportedly headed for 13th and Farnam and was last seen near 13th and Howard.

He was reported missing when he didn't arrive at work.

Police are looking for assistance in locating him. He was last seen wearing khaki pants, a tan polo-style shirt and a blue Columbia jacket. He stands approximately 6'2" tall, weighs approximately 250 pounds, has a mustache and chin beard and wears glasses. O'Connor suffers from migraine headaches.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Omaha Police at 444-5818


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Published Wednesday | February 14, 2007

Police ask for help finding missing Omaha man

Omaha police are asking for the public's help finding a 40-year-old Omaha man last seen Monday morning.

Michael O'Connor left for his job, near 13th and Farnam Streets, but never arrived, and no one has been able to locate him.

He was reported missing to police Tuesday morning.

He was last seen near 13th and Howard Streets wearing khaki pants, a tan polo shirt and a blue Columbia jacket.

He is about 6-foot-2, weighs about 250 pounds, has a mustache and chin beard, and wears glasses. O'Connor suffers from migraine headaches.

Anyone who believes that they have seen him or knows where O'Connor may be should call police at 444-5818.
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=2331575
- Jason Kuiper


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http://www.crimeandjustice.us/forums/index...t=&#entry229175

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/5935686.html

Missing Man Sought
Last seen a week ago
Co-workers Search for Missing Man

Volunteers blanketed the city Monday asking businesses, hospitals and hotels to post flyers about 40-year-old Michael O'Connor who has been missing since last week.

The group met outside the downtown library. Pairs of volunteers went out together carrying packets including pictures of Michael.

His disappearance was noted when he didn't arrive for work last Monday. O'Connor worked at the State Office Building and would typically arrive at the office by 8 a.m.

O'Connor is 6' 2" tall and weighs approximately 250 pounds. He has a mustache, a chin beard and wears glasses.

He was last seen in the area of 13th and Howard.

Anyone who knows his whereabouts is asked to call Omaha police at 444-5818.



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February 19, 2007

Police Looking for Missing Man with Ties to Siouxland

Police are still looking for a man with ties to Siouxland who has been missing since last week. Michael O'Conner, 40, was last seen last Monday morning heading to work after dropping off his wife, who's originally from South Sioux City.

O'Conner is described as approximately 6’2” and weighs close to 250 pounds.

He was last seen wearing khakis, a tan polo and a blue, Columbia brand jacket.

Anyone with information about O'Conners’ whereabouts should contact Omaha police at 402-444-5818.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sioux City FOX KPTH 44 News-Entertainment - KPTH News - Police Looking for Missing Man with Ties to Siouxland
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http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/o/oconnor_michael.html

Vital Statistics at Time of Disappearance

Missing Since: February 12, 2007 from Omaha, Nebraska
Classification: Endangered Missing
Age: 41 years old
Height and Weight: 6'2, 250 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics: Caucasian male. Black hair, hazel eyes. O'Connor wore a moustache and goatee at the time of his disappearance. He also wears eyeglasses.
Clothing/Jewelry Description: A tan polo shirt, a gray hooded shirt, khaki pants and a bright blue Columbia jacket.
Medical Conditions: O'Connor suffers from migraine headaches.

Details of Disappearance

O'Connor was last seen on his way to work in Omaha, Nebraska on February 12, 2007. His workplace was at 13th and Farnam Streets; he was last seen at 13th and Howard. He never arrived at work and has never been heard from again. Few details are available in his case.

Investigating Agency
If you have any information concerning this case, please contact:
Omaha Police Department
402-444-5839

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http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798...;u_sid=10258187

Published Thursday | February 14, 2008

Wife has doubts husband is alive

BY JOHN FERAK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

A tall, stocky 40-year-old man in glasses dropped off his wife at work. He refueled his car. An hour later, he left the car inside a downtown Omaha parking garage.

Then, Michael O'Connor vanished.

That morning, O'Connor failed to arrive at the Nebraska Department of Education office where he worked in vocational rehabilitation services.

Now, a year later, his wife and police don't know whether O'Connor is dead or if he's living somewhere under an assumed identity.

"I don't think he's alive," said his wife, Connie. "If he's gone, he obviously wanted to be gone."

Omaha police say they have no indication that someone killed Michael O'Connor.

"There is no reason to believe he's dead," Officer Bill Dropinski, an Omaha police spokesman, said Wednesday. "We have exhausted every lead we have. There is no new information on this case, and he has not been located.

"Right now, he is just a missing adult. It appears he may have walked away from his life."

On Feb. 12, 2007, after O'Connor dropped off his wife at her job at 7:30 a.m., a video surveillance camera captured O'Connor parking his car about 9 a.m. across the street from his office near 13th and Harney Streets.

He normally started work at 8 a.m. About 9:30 a.m., his wife received a call from his employer that he had failed to show up for work. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound O'Connor was officially reported missing the next day.

Since then, there has been no activity on the missing man's credit cards, bank accounts or his Social Security number, Omaha police said.

"If he was still around Omaha, someone would have seen him by now," Dropinski said. "You would have to assume that he is in another location. It's an unusual case. You don't have 40-year-old men walk away from life everyday."

Gary Plank, a recently retired investigator for the Nebraska State Patrol in Lincoln, said he had worked about a half-dozen missing-person cases involving adults who have vanished without a trace.

A couple of those people may have been homicide victims, he said. The rest, he said, may have assumed a new identity and moved far away from Nebraska.

Generally speaking, Plank said, some people have taken on a new identity to escape family troubles or debt, or to avoid prosecution for crimes, including embezzlement from their employer.

Omaha police, however, have no evidence to suggest that O'Connor encountered any of those troubles, Dropinski said.

More than a decade ago, though, O'Connor battled depression. In January 1996, a Colorado ranch where O'Connor worked reported him missing to police. The next day a search party found him in a field west of Boulder. O'Connor had tried to overdose on pills, Boulder County Sheriff's Commander Phil West said Wednesday.

"These kinds of cases are not very frequent, which is a good thing," Plank said, "but unfortunately, they do occur throughout our country in many places. People who do this have a lot of preplanning. They take great measures to cover their tracks and make sure there is little evidence of what they did and where they went."

Dropinski acknowledged that there is no reason for optimism that O'Connor will be located soon.

"I'm sure his wife would like to get closure on this," Dropinski said. "It's an open and active investigation, just like a homicide, but this is not a crime per se. Since he's been gone this long, the evidence trail is pretty cold at this point."

After the disappearance, O'Connor's wife enlisted about 15 friends and volunteers to spend several days distributing fliers with his photo on them to several downtown businesses.

O'Connor's wife said Wednesday that she no longer is organizing efforts to find her missing husband.

"I have to live my life," she said. "I am trying to move on."
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http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/15652172.html

Where's Michael?
Mystery surrounds disappearance

Last Updated: 11:07 AM Feb 15, 2008

A mystery that began a year ago remains shrouded in questions. What happened to Michael O'Connor?

Michael dropped his wife off at work and then headed off to his own job. He arrived, parked his car and then he vanished.

It's been a year of anguish for O'Connor's family since then.

Former co-worker Laurie Venditte says, "He was also just laid back, very easy going, joked around with everybody and everybody liked him."

Surveillance video taken outside O'Connor's office revealed the last glimpse that friends and family had of the 41-year-old Michael. Wherever he went, he went there with just the clothes on his back.

Omaha Police Officer Bill Dropinski says, "There's nothing suspicious about it except that he is missing. So that's were we stand at this point."

Pictures of Michael were posted all over the metro and searches were organized. Those efforts came up empty and police had no leads so Michael's family hired a private investigator.

That investigator tells Channel 6 that O'Connor left his parents in Louisiana years ago. He bounced around the country landing in Colorado where he had a girlfriend, a baby and steady job. But he didn't stay and he ended up in Omaha.

Michael wasn't listed as a missing person in those earlier cases.

Dr. Kay Shilling is a psychiatrist who says, "If it's happened two other times, then this is something this individual sees as a means of coping."

Dr. Shilling says it can be worse for a family to deal with than death.

"You have more questions. You have a lot more issues with anger. There's all the different stages of grief that are involved and I think they can be more intense."

In Omaha, O'Connor was employed by Vocational Rehabilitation for three years and married for seven.

His wife tells Channel 6, "I'm just trying to do the best I can to move on. In my heart I don't believe Michael is still alive."

Laurie Venditte says, "It's still very raw to her. She doesn't really think about it. She tries to keep herself busy."

Venditte says this was out of character for Michael.

"It still just flabbergasts us to think he just walked away," she said.

If that is what Michael O'Connor did, it's not illegal. Nor is it uncommon.

Dr. Shilling says, "We do see it in certain psychiatric conditions. We see it sometimes just as an option that people feel they have in life to start a fresh new life."

Officer Dropinski says, "You can walk away from your life. I mean there's nothing, you may have other obligations to your family or financial obligations, but as far as criminally speaking, there's nothing criminal about just walking away. And at this point that looks like what occurred."

We spoke with Michael O'Connor's family in Louisiana but they did not want to comment, explaining that it is still to painful to talk about.

While it's no longer a criminal investigation, police, family and friends would still like closure. If you know anything about this case, call 444-5657.

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Remains Identified As Missing Omaha Man Save Email Print

Michael O'Connor disappeared last February
Posted: 5:56 PM Feb 25, 2008
Last Updated: 12:05 AM Feb 26, 2008
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com

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Remains Identified
Mystery Shrouds Man's Disappearance



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A | A | A Omaha Police disclosed Monday the human remains found near the Veterans Memorial Bridge February 17th have been identified as an Omaha man missing for a year.

Michael O’Connor was 40 years old when last seen on video surveillance walking from a garage at 13th and Farnam on February 12, 2007.

He had dropped his wife off at work and then headed to his own job at Vocational Rehabilitation where he'd been employed for three years. He routinely parked at that garage at 13th and Farnam.

O'Connor never showed up to work that day, but several hours later he bought a sandwich at an Old Market restaurant, something else he routinely did.

An autopsy done last week by the Douglas County Coroner’s Office was inconclusive. After further forensic examination, the remains were identified as those of O’Connor.

A human skull was discovered under the bridge near Gibson Road and Missouri Avenue. Detectives responding to the scene located additional skeletal remains.

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Homicide Unit at 444-5656.

What happened to Michael O'Connor? It's a question that has haunted many close to him for a year.

"He was also just laid back, very easy going, joked around with everybody and everybody liked him," former co-worker Laurie Venditti told Channel 6 News two weeks ago for a story about O'Connor.

Venditti said it was out of character for him. "It still just flabbergasts us to think he just walked away."

"I know there's a couple of us if we're walking down the street or we're in a crowd we tend to look to see if we can see him, to see if he's around,” said Venditti.

Pictures were posted all over the metro and searches were organized. Those efforts came up empty and police had no leads so O'Connor's family hired a private investigator.

That investigator told Channel 6 that O'Connor left his parents in Louisiana years ago. He bounced around the country landing in Colorado where he had a girlfriend, a baby and steady job. But he didn't stay and ended up in Omaha.

His wife, Connie Moore, gave a statement to Channel 6 News earlier this month that said, "I'm just trying to do the best I can to move on. In my heart I don't believe Michael is still alive."

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/15955062.html
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