Yale continues search for missing Branford senior

COURTESY OLD CAMPUS 2000 Police are still searching for Greg Norris, BR '00.

After nearly two weeks, Yale students are still wondering about the whereabouts of Gregory Norris, BR '00, who has been missing since Sun., Oct. 31. Early that morning, he made a collect call to his parents in Lincoln, Neb. According to the New Haven Register, New Haven police found Norris wandering near Union Station, at 5:10 a.m. that morning and took him to Yale-New Haven Hospital. The continuing search has not produced any more clues as to Norris' whereabouts. The Yale Police Department (YPD) has not released any new information since the search began on Sun., Oct. 31. The department has referred all questions to Thomas Conroy, University deputy director of public affairs. On Fri., Nov. 5, Conroy confirmed that the YPD is "handling Norris' disappearance as a missing person's case."

According to Lieutenant Mahoney, commanding officer of the New York Police Department's (NYPD) Missing Person's Squad, there are certain first steps that a University should take in handling a missing person case. "[Yale] should be putting up posters around campus—publicity is your best friend in a missing person's case," he said. Mahoney also suggested that Yale put out a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) broadcast—a nationwide alarm broadcast that is accessible to all police departments.

According to Conroy, the YPD has been following some of these standard procedures. "The Yale police have sent out an NCIC broadcast as one of the steps they have taken in this investigation. I don't think there's been any talk of putting up missing person posters on campus," Conroy said. Conroy also confirmed that the YPD has not contacted the NYPD for any assistance. He added, however, "There have been a number of agencies contacted to help out in the investigation," though he declined from further specifying these agencies.

Seargent Aflalo of the Public Information Headquarters for the Connecticut State Police said that it is not uncommon for private agencies and local police to ask the state for help in a missing persons case. However, local police "have primary jurisdiction for investigations occurring on Yale property so [the state police] wouldn't get involved unless [YPD] requested our assistance," Aflalo said. He added that if the state police were to be brought in, uniformed state troopers might then distribute flyers, institute actual physical searching, supply search equipment, or post missing person information on various websites. If the patrol divisions were unable to obtain any leads after 30 days, the case would be given to the Major Crime Squad, which specializes in serious crimes. According to Aflalo, the YPD has not contacted the Connecticut State Police.

Meanwhile, the YPD continues to search for Norris using its own methods. "The YPD has spoken to a number of students as part of the investigation," Conroy said. "We're trying to pinpoint the possible places [Norris] might have gone." Conroy was reluctant to put a time frame on the investigation, however. "I can't believe there's any set time that we would stop looking for him. This is an active investigation by the YPD and that won't change anytime soon," he said.

Andrew Heller and Julie O'Connor contributed to this article.

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