Wilson found in Berkeley, put on suicide watch
Sarah Rutledge
Issue date: 8/22/08 Section: News
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Wilson, then a Hanszen College junior, had been missing since December. Police found no clue of Wilson's whereabouts until June, when members of the Berkeley Police Department located his car in a Berkeley neighborhood after it was tagged as an abandoned vehicle. After finding Wilson in a UC-Berkeley classroom Aug. 13, BPD took him into custody. Currently, Wilson is being held in a San Francisco mental hospital on suicide watch, the Houston Chronicle reported Wed.
"[Wilson] 'lived in his car off and on until it was towed' by BPD on June 10, 2008," BPD sergeant Mary Kusmiss said in an e-mail. "He spent much of his time on the UC-Berkeley campus and began sleeping near some of the buildings in recent months. The UC student community is a good source of food according to Wilson. He did not make any social connections or friends while in Berkeley. As a result of talking with Wilson, BPD would characterize him as having faced - and continues to face - personal challenges. Matthew Wilson can best speak to what those are."
Wilson's former roommate, Hanszen College senior Elliott Harwell, said he was elated to hear Wilson had been found.
"It happened during Orientation-week training," Harwell said. "I was here on campus and [the Hanszen masters] called me and said [Rice University Police Department] had contacted them and said, 'Matthew Wilson's been found.' We talked, and they told me everything they knew and I ran screaming back into the commons where O-Week advisors were working, screaming that Matt had been found."
Harwell, who had signed a lease with Wilson last year for a nearby apartment, said Wilson's disappearance around finals had worried him since it was out of character for him to leave.
"Honestly, what I had truly hoped had happened was Matt was in Mudd Lab, had hunkered down to work on finals and would show up unaware that a police search was happening, we'd have a laugh and go on," Harwell said. "When that didn't happen, I was worried he'd committed suicide."
Harwell described Wilson as a quiet, easy-going friend who often kept to himself. The two had roomed together the year before on campus.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Franz Kafka
posted 8/22/08 @ 12:47 PM CST
You seem to have things mixed up. According to the Berkeley and other papers, Matthew went home with his mother and sisters after being released by the District Attorney. (Continued…)
Franz Kafka
posted 8/22/08 @ 12:49 PM CST
Here is a link to a good article you might want to read. It seems to get the facts right:
http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-08-21/article/30874?headline=Missing-Student-Returns-Home-After-DA-Drops-Theft-Charges
Researcher
LK Tucker
posted 8/23/08 @ 11:08 AM CST
Wilson was the latest in a long line of students to go missing under similar circumstances. Brian Shaffer, Maura Murray, Michael Negrete, Ahmad Arain, and fifty years ago Ron Tammen, all disappeared. (Continued…)
weird
posted 8/23/08 @ 5:58 PM CST
Are you selling cubicles or what? Based on six college students in 50 years "disappearing"? Hhhhm, now that makes a lot of sense ....
hellokitty
Cathy Wilson
posted 11/09/08 @ 8:14 AM CST
Matthew is home and continuing to receive medical help to confront his problems. If you truly care about Matthew, then you would be understanding and continue to be his friend and offer the support of friendship that he so needs. (Continued…)
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