The New York Police Department is investigating the discovery of a body that may be identified as recent Dartmouth graduate Leo Park '97, who disappeared from his New York City apartment in mid-March.
The body was found late last week in New York's First Precinct, according to Officer Valerie St. Rose of the NYPD. St. Rose confirmed there is a possibility the person found may be Park, but said the investigation results will not be available until later this week.
"There is a possibility it might be him, but that's still under investigation," she said, "The case is still open."
Twenty-four-year-old Leo Park had been reported missing in the vicinity of East 10th Street in the confines of the Ninth Precinct in Manhattan, by his family.
Park, who worked for Salomon Smith Barney in New York, was allegedly last seen in his Manhattan apartment, wearing a white t-shirt, on the morning of March 19. His family reported his disappearance after he did not arrive at work.
Teoby Gomez, assistant dean of the College and dean of the Class of 2000 said he had also called the NYPD after hearing rumors that Park had been found dead circulating among students.
Sylvia Langford, assistant dean of the College and 1999 class dean said she heard a similar rumor in a staff meeting, which she said she thought "sounded like convincing information."
At this point, she said she contacted Mark Shuster '99, captain of the volleyball team, who played volleyball with Park. Langford said she later called the NYPD, who did not confirm what she had heard, and then contacted Shuster again to tell him nothing had been confirmed.
After Park was reported missing, the police department immediately conducted a 24-hour intensive search, and his disappearance was reported on Channel 4 news, according to Precinct Sergeant Steven Hoffman in the Missing Persons division of the New York Police Department.
The investigation was turned over from the Ninth Precinct, where Park was reported missing, to the Missing Persons department, Hoffman told The Dartmouth earlier this month.
Hoffman said the New York Police Department had searched hospitals looking for Park, and put up pictures and signs at numerous locations in New York.
At the College, Park was a Psychology major. He played on the volleyball team and was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity.