Microsoft program manager missing since mid-October Krishna Venkatesh, a program manager at Microsoft Corp. in Redmond, has been missing since the evening of Oct. 15. Worried family and friends reported him missing late that night, said detective Patrick Michaud of the Seattle Police Department (SPD), the agency in charge of the investigation. Michaud said the first thing they did was verify that not only was Venkatesh not answering his phone, but that he also had not returned home. Once this was established, police collected information about Venkatesh, who lives on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Michaud said they entered this information into a national database. He said that way, if any law enforcement in the country enters Venkatesh’s name into their system for any reason — such as being pulled over during a traffic stop — he will come up flagged as a missing person. Michaud said nothing has resulted from this yet and SPD is still actively investigating Venkatesh’s disappearance. He added that the department is also working with other local agencies such as the King County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Patrol. Redmond police are not involved in the case. NO REAL CLUES Michaud said SPD had a lead that suggested Venkatesh had driven to Deception Pass as they found a car that matched Venkatesh’s. So far Michaud said nothing has resulted from this lead. With the weather getting colder — especially in the area passes — Michaud also stressed the importance of finding Venkatesh quickly and “as soon as possible.” Venkatesh is 27 years old and Indian American. He is American born and does not speak with an accent. He is between 5 feet 8 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. Venkatesh has black hair and brown eyes. He drives a 2006 gray Toyota Corolla with the license plate number 759 ZDH. Michaud added that since it has been about two weeks since Venkatesh disappeared, any description of clothing at this point would be inaccurate. Michaud said if anyone has any information about Venkatesh’s whereabouts, they should call SPD at (206) 625-5011. Michaud said nothing they have come across in the investigation points to foul play or to Venkatesh having any sort of mental-health or chemical-dependency issues. Shimul Sachdeva, a friend of Venkatesh, said the most puzzling piece of his disappearance has been that there is no information about what could have happened. She said there are no signs of struggle or a note to explain where Venkatesh is. Sachdeva added that her friend is not the type of person to just disappear or go somewhere without letting others know. “We really don’t know what happened,” she said. A GREAT FRIEND Following his disappearance, Venkatesh’s friends have started a Facebook page called “Finding Krishna Venkatesh.” The page’s administrators post updates about the investigation into Venkatesh’s disappearance. In addition, people have posted on the page, offering their love, thoughts and prayers for both Venkatesh’s family and friends as well as his safe return. One person posted, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this most difficult time. We are praying for Krishna’s safe return.” Another individual said they are “sending love and prayers from Oregon.” Lindsey Perkins Wade, a close friend of Venkatesh also posted on her blog, sharing some experiences she has had with him. The two have known each other since middle school and have stayed in touch throughout the years. Wade said while they graduated from different high schools and colleges, the “fact that we’ve remained close is only one testament to (Venkatesh’s) character as a friend and person.” She also shares how Venkatesh sent her a handwritten postcard to “change things up” and because he knew she would appreciate the gesture. Wade added that he also never failed to call her on or around her birthday. “But he doesn’t just do it for me; he tries to reach out to many friends on their birthdays, even if he hasn’t seen them in a while,” Wade writes. “Many times, he uses birthdays as a reason to catch up with friends he hasn’t talked to in a while.” She also shares Venkatesh’s devotion to his family, how his level-headedness made him a good sounding board. Sachdeva added that he is the friend in their group that takes care of everyone else, whether that means planning a trip, figuring out where to take out-of-town guests or helping financially. She shared an example of this when she and her roommate mentioned how it can be scary walking around Seattle by themselves. Sachdeva, who has known Venkatesh for four years, said after hearing this, he logged onto Ama zon and purchased pepper spray for her and her roommate. “He’s an amazing, amazing guy,” she said. redmond-reporter/news/281082112.html
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:26:55 +0000
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