No sign of autistic Shoreview man who wandered off

Keith Kennedy, 25, went missing from Trade Lake Camp in Wisconsin on Sunday.

Last update: June 18, 2008 - 11:41 PM

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More than 300 volunteers joined in an unsuccessful search Wednesday for a 25-year-old Shoreview man missing since Sunday night.

Keith Kennedy, who is autistic and urgently needs medication, wandered off from Trade Lake Camp after being escorted to his bunkhouse, said Cindi Throngard, acting spokeswoman for the camp.

"We think he may have snuck out [to the cafeteria] for more popcorn and may have gotten scared that he might be in trouble, so he took off," Throngard said.

Trade Lake Camp, located 7 miles south of Grantsburg, Wis., and 80 miles northeast of the Twin Cities, offers activities for developmentally disabled adults. According to Throngard, this is the first disappearance from the camp.

Keith's mother, Linda Kennedy, said her son has been a wanderer since he was very young. She said that some camp officials didn't know he required constant vigilance.

The Burnett County sheriff's office said more than 12 square miles surrounding the camp had been covered by Wednesday evening. Authorities and camp officials said Keith was wearing an orange shirt and blue jeans before he wandered off. Kennedy, who had a kidney transplant in 1995, takes anti-rejection drugs and has missed several doses.

Anyone interested in joining the search should first call the camp at 1-715-488-2690.

RODRIGO ZAMITH