Search for missing St. Thomas student expands

Last update: April 17, 2009 - 8:08 PM

Volunteers have knocked on more than 7,000 doors in the search for missing St. Paul college student Dan Zamlen, and as his disappearance nears the two-week mark, searchers plan to hit 3,000 more, a search organizer said Friday.

Chris Ismil, director of Iron Range Youth in Action, said the door-knocking effort would expand the search area to about a 3-mile radius from where Zamlen was last believed to have been.

Zamlen, 19, a University of St. Thomas freshman and Eveleth, Minn., native, disappeared early on April 5 after his cell phone cut out and after he had told a friend that he was walking on St. Clair Avenue near Mississippi River Boulevard S.

Ismil, who has been leading the local volunteer search effort, said teams with metal detectors also searched Thursday and Friday for Zamlen's iPhone.

"Not only are we not slowing down, but we're expanding our efforts," he said.

Ismil said volunteers plan this weekend to notify area businesses about the $10,000 reward for information that could lead to finding Zamlen.

Organizers also will map out next week's search strategies, he said.

ANTHONY LONETREE

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