Massachusetts

Police, Volunteers Continue Search for Missing Duke University Student

Police are continuing their search for a missing college student in a murky marsh this weekend in Franklin, Massachusetts, as well as nearby Bellingham.

Twenty-year-old Michael Doherty, a Duke University student, went missing last Sunday morning. Friends of the 2015 Xaverian Brothers High School graduate said they last saw him leaving a gathering at home on Phyllis Lane in Franklin at 1:30 a.m. He had just returned home from college for summer break.

Police have found some of Doherty's clothing but are starting to retrace their own steps hoping to see something they missed. The swampy terrain is not making the search easy.

"The conditions were horrendous, like I didn’t think they were that bad. Like the swamp’s so much bigger than I thought," said Molly Doherty.

Although they are not sanctioned by police, civilians have been helping in the search effort and have been welcomed by authorities.

Police said they tried to ping Doherty's cell phone during the week but the last ping was Sunday at 1:08 a.m.

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