Joe KellerHelp find Joe Keller
* He is 5 feet 7 inches tall, blond, physically fit, a champion swimmer, and weighed about 150 pounds when last seen.* Last seen on July 23 about 25 miles southwest of Antonito, Colo., near the Colorado-New Mexico border.* Information or tips about Joe’s whereabouts can be reported to CrimeStoppers at 719-589-4111.
Joe Keller's parents in Bradley County are hoping the powerhouses of social media can help accomplish what police have been unable to do: spread the news nationwide that their son vanished on July 23 while visiting the Rainbow Trout Ranch on Colorado's Rio Grande National Forest. They believe that social media may yield clues and leads to where Joe, who vanished the day before his 19th birthday, is now.
They expressed gratitude for the support and aid Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson has given to the investigation - and frustration with Colorado officials.
"I would like the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to get involved and the FBI to be more involved," said Joe's father, Neal Keller, during an interview with local media in Watson's office. Keller told the Times Free Press he had not met any FBI agents on his visits to Colorado.
CBI spokesman Susan Medina told the Times Free Press that law only allows the agency to step in when requested by the sheriff or chief law enforcement officer in the Colorado jurisdiction where the incident happened.
"Sheriff (Howard) Galvez has not formally requested our assistance," Medina said.
The Cleveland teen vanished from Conejos County on the Colorado-New Mexico border. Dozens of Conejos volunteers searched for him on horseback and on foot and also offered their search dogs to comb the area.
But no list of tourists renting rooms at the Rainbow Trout Ranch (where Joe was visiting), fishing or hunting lodges in the area July 23 was ever compiled. This frustrates the Kellers because of one of those visitors may have a clue to Joe's whereabouts. Galvez suspended the search on Aug. 4. Both parents said they hoped the search would be resumed. Neal Keller said some of the more than $16,000 raised on a still-active GoFundMe page helped pay for a helicopter to fly over the terrain.
He said his son, who disappeared while on a run, was not a natural athlete but became a championship swimmer by determination and dedicated practice. Joe worked on his father's farm hauling hay and helping with horses.
His body was strong, but his heart was gentle, his father said. When Joe was a little boy he found a dog killed on a road and carried it to the farm to give it a proper burial.
Children Joe taught swimming at the YMCA adored him, and his mother said Joe was "the family peacemaker" who soothed hurt feelings and calmed frayed tempers.
If someone has kidnapped Joe and is holding him, she believes that those diplomatic instincts and good heart may be a key to his survival.
There is a $50,000 reward for information that leads to locating Joe Keller. To offer tips and leads, call this toll free number; 1-844-FindJoe.
Contact Lynda Edwards at 423-757-6391 or ledwards@timesfreepress.com.