Former SJU Student Still Missing Almost 19 Years Later
We're just a few weeks away from the fall college semester and even though there will be new faces, there's still an old mystery that remains unsolved. It'll be 19 years this November since anyone has seen or heard from former Saint John's University student Josh Guimond. He went missing from the university campus the same year some current CSB/SJU students were born.
Guimond was last seen leaving a party on the north end of St. John's University in Collegeville on Nov. 9, 2002. He decided to walk home to his campus housing in St. Maur House. The party was in the Metten Court Student Apartments, only a three minute walk from his residence hall.
According to his friends, he wasn't intoxicated at all, despite speculations by authorities. The strange thing is, Guimond didn't bring a jacket, credit cards or even his glasses with him. That was the last time anyone ever heard from him. What's more troubling is, authorities found his car on campus. Where ever Guimond went, he wasn't packed for a long trip and he didn't take his car.
According to the Charley Project, sometime after Guimond's disappearance, someone allegedly erased files from his computer. Some of the files were able to be recovered and allegedly contained information about making fake ID cards.
The campus, woods and nearby buildings including the monastery were searched by authorities and a police dog. Authorities were unable to find any new clues.
Several rumors were sparked surrounding Guimond's disappearance. The Record, a student run newspaper at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University quoted the CSB/SJU executive director of public relations in an email statement from 2017. Michael Hemmesch wrote, "We have urged the news media to abide by journalistic standards; to base their reports on facts, not gossip; and, to heed the lessons of how reckless reporting and rumor-mongering undermined progress in other cases of missing young people."
The Hunt For Josh: The Joshua Guimond Story is documentary project that takes a closer look into the investigation hoping to uncover new details that'll hopefully lead to more answers. Josh's father Brian Guimond started a Go Fund Me page in 2017 to help provide him with the resources to be able to do more research. To date, the fundraiser has raised just over $6,000.
Josh Guimond is described as a blonde, white male with blue eyes, weighing 160 pounds. He was 20 years old when he went missing and would be 39 years old today. He was last seen wearing blue jeans with a gray Saint John's sweatshirt. He also has a four-inch vertical scar on his shoulder.
If you know any information about this disappearance you're asked to contact the Stearns County Sheriff, Steve Soyka. You can call him at 320-259-3702 or email him at Steve.Soyka@co.stearns.mn.us.
Someone knows something.
These Companies Are Now Hiring In St. Cloud
Autocross Returns to St. Cloud, Circuit Coming in 2022
10th Annual Butterfly Release Honors Lost Loved Ones in St. Cloud