The Springfield Police Department has been on the look-out since January 13, 2019 for Achim Bailey, a 23-year-old Springfield resident who was last seen leaving Samuel’s Tap and Table at around 1:30am. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Along with the Springfield Police and Fire Departments, the West Springfield and Longmeadow Police and Fire Departments as well as the Amtrak Police, Massachusetts State Police, K-9 and helicopter services, and even rescue boats have been working together to gather evidence and pursue potential leads regarding this ongoing missing persons case. There have also been several volunteer parties consisting of civilians from surrounding communities.
On January 25, during one of several volunteer search parties, a black iPhone was found on the railroad tracks under the South End Bridge— right around where it had last been tracked before it was seemed to be shut off around 3:00 a.m.
The cell phone was located by a Springfield Resident at about 5:00am. It was turned in to Springfield Police and was later determined to belong to Bailey.
It is unclear, however, how the phone withstood frigid temperatures, heavy rain and snowfall for around 12 days and still managed to turn on and work with seemingly full functionality.
Police are currently continuing this investigation.
In addition to the missing 23-year-old man, a 25-year-old father was last seen leaving his job at Panera Bread on January 28, 2019— just a few days after Bailey’s cell phone was found. Andrew Pearson II, a frequent walker and someone who neglected to carry a cell phone, has now been missing for a substantial amount of time. However, Springfield Police have stated that his disappearance is in no way thought to link to that of Achim Bailey.
These two Springfield natives that have been missing for several weeks both share a few common denominators that should be noted by students in order to ensure safety.
First, both of these men were alone when traveling. Whether it is daytime or nighttime, it is important to always travel in small groups, or at least in pairs, to ensure that you are getting to where you need to go safely. This should be done especially when leaving campus grounds.
If there is a case, however, when you are on campus walking alone and you may feel unsure about your surroundings, the Department of Public Safety has a solution. If you have not already, download the Rave Guardian App on your smartphone and connect it to Western New England University. It takes no more than a few minutes to set up an account, and this account may save you from potentially dangerous situations you may encounter in the future.
On the app, there is a feature called the safety timer. When you are leaving one place and traveling to another, you can set up a timer to ensure you get there safely. If the timer goes off and you neglect to stop it, Public Safety will be notified.
The app also has a one-click way to call Public Safety. It is convenient to have their phone number saved in your phone, but it is also just a few quick clicks away on the Rave Guardian App. These are just a few of the many features on the Rave Guardian App.
In addition, one of the men did not have a cell phone, and the other was thought to have turned it off had it lose power. When you are planning on traveling, whether alone or in a group, it is important to have a sufficient amount of battery on your phone or carry a phone charger with you. You never know when an emergency may strike and you need to act fast.
Please contact the Springfield Police Department at 413-787-6302 if you have any information about the two missing men, Achim Bailey and Andrew Pearson II.
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