Autopsy finds North Dakota State student Thomas G. Bearson's death is a homicide

The death of a North Dakota State University student who went missing last weekend has been ruled a homicide.

Thomas G. Bearson, an 18-year-old freshman from Sartell, Minn., was last seen at a party in Fargo early Saturday morning. A three-day search ended when his body was found at a Moorhead RV dealership. A Fargo police officer found the body on the ground while searching at an RV sales center, about five miles from where Bearson was last seen.

The Moorhead Police Department said Thursday evening that Bearson's left tennis shoe, a white Nike Air Jordan size 9½, and his silver-colored iPhone 5 have not been found. Anyone with information should call the Red River Regional Dispatch Center at 701-451-7660.

Police said Thursday that they are not releasing additional details about Bearson's death, saying they don't want to jeopardize the investigation. Police, however, said they don't believe there is any reason for people in the area to fear for their safety.

The family is trying their best to deal with this, said Deb Rudolph, pastoral associate at the family's church. "They're waiting for the release of the body so they can plan a funeral. … It's hard for them. The waiting is the most difficult now and not having answers. … They're just hanging on, just waiting to hear until they can have Tom back."

Sartell, six miles north of St. Cloud, is small enough (about 16,000) that most people know one another, Rudolph said. It's a community that is coming together over this tragedy, she said.

Police do not yet know how Bearson got from the party to the location where he was found, or why he crossed the river into Minnesota.

A joint investigation is ongoing by Moorhead, Fargo and the North Dakota State University police departments as well as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which brought in a mobile crime-scene processing unit.

The search for Bearson began Saturday evening when his family contacted the university after he missed a family gathering.

Friends reported to police that he was last seen leaving a party at 3:40 a.m. Saturday, about six blocks south of his dormitory in Fargo.

More than 1,000 people gathered Tuesday night for a candlelight service at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sartell, where Bearson and his family are members, Rudolph said. "Words cannot express our pain for the loss of our son, Tom, and our gratitude for your outpouring of prayers, love and support for our family," Bearson's family said in a statement that was read during the vigil. "Please continue caring for us and all those who have lost a loved one. If possible, please reach over and hug your children for us."

Friends along with strangers consoled one another and grieved during the standing-room-only vigil, Rudolph said. Many of his friends came home from college to be there, while others, including family members who were in Fargo, watched a live stream of the service, she said.

Friends remembered Bearson, who ran track, played football and was a standout basketball player, as open and friendly. "He was one of the kids who everybody could talk to," Rudolph said. "He made things light and fun."

The service had been planned as a chance to pray for Bearson's safe return, before news broke that a body had been found.

A vigil also was held on the Fargo campus Tuesday night.

The Associated Press and staff writer Matt McKinney contributed to this report.