Boston

Questions Remain After Marine Last Seen With Missing Recruit Taken Into Custody on Unrelated Charges

A Marine recruiter who was last seen with a recruit who went missing in Boston last November was taken into custody on unrelated charges Thursday, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service confirmed.

NCIS says Gunnery Sergeant Frank Lipka is in military custody in Charleston, South Carolina. 

"We are happy that they picked up Frank Lipka, but still, it did not find Joey," Andrea Brancato-Walke, Joseph Brancato's aunt, said. "That's basically what it boils down to."

Lipka was the only recruiter operating out of the office in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood, where 21-year-old Brancato was being processed, according to NCIS.

Lipka was the last person seen with Brancato in Roslindale on Nov. 18, 2017. Authorities asked the public for help looking for Brancato in early December.

The charges against Lipka were not revealed, but NCIS says they are unrelated to the missing person case.

Brancato's family is left with many questions as the search for him continues.

Brancato is described as 5'8 and about 200 pounds. 

"I know in my heart that we are going to find him, I know we are going to find him," Brancato-Walke said. "I just feel it."

With temperatures expected to warm up on Saturday, Brancato's family says they will be back out in the neighborhood hoping to finally find him.

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