2008 Woodie Awards
Police halt search after exhausting efforts
Megan Munroe
Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: News
Originally published: 2/14/08 at 4:35 PM EST
Last update: 2/14/08 at 6:14 PM EST
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Szostak was last seen around midnight leaving the Bayou Café on North Pearl Street in Albany.
Albany police initially suspected a connection between a stolen Department of Environmental Conservation vehicle and Szostak's disappearance. Though Szostak's cell phone was found near the stolen van, spokesman Detective James Miller said there is no further evidence to support a link between the two incidents.
Police, friends, family and supporters have launched massive search efforts, including a search of the Hudson River using sonar equipment, but have found few leads.
"The entire port of Albany was searched, a large portion of the Hudson River was searched, the downtown Albany area was searched - but it's difficult to pinpoint where he might have went and, if something happened to him, where that might have occurred," Miller said. "We've looked at all the video cameras in the city to see if there's a certain path where he might've walked, but we have really no information as to where he might have gone."
Miller said unless a promising lead that focuses on a specific location turns up, there will be no further searches.
Several benefits have been organized to raise money for the search effort. Friends and family have volunteered their time to aid in combing the area, putting up fliers in the Albany area and on the PSUC campus, planning benefit dinners, or just getting the word out. A Web site, www.joshuaszostak.com, was created to list details about Szostak's disappearance, including a description of his clothing and appearance, and to post information about upcoming benefits and other developments in the case. A YouTube video, containing photographs of Szostak, his friends and family, can also be viewed on the Web site.
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