Police in St. Paul have identified a body pulled from the Mississippi River as that of missing University of St. Thomas student Dan Zamlen.
Police spokesman Peter Panos says the body was found Friday in the river near the Ford Motor Co. plant.
That's downriver from the area where Zamlen disappeared. The freshman was last seen leaving a party by himself in the early morning hours of April 5. His 19th birthday was on April 8.
Zamlen is from Eveleth. More than 1,200 volunteers from the Iron Range and the St. Thomas community assisted police in several searches for Zamlen.
Zamlen's parents, Sally and Dale, declined comment through a university spokesman.
"I ask the St. Thomas community to join me in keeping Dan and his family in our thoughts and prayers," St. Thomas President the Rev. Dennis Dease said in a statement issued by the school. "The love and courage shown by his family throughout this difficult month have been an inspiration to all of us."
The university held a prayer service at St. John Vianney Seminary on its St. Paul campus on Friday night.
"I join with Dan's parents, Sally and Dale Zamlen, in expressing our profound gratitude to the authorities and more than 1,200 volunteers from the Twin Cities and northern Minnesota who have given their time and energy to search," Dease said. "It has been a remarkable outpouring of campus and community support."
Students shared in an outpouring of sympathy and grief for Dan. "I saw him around campus. He was always surrounded and laughing. You can look at people and know they're good people," said Lilah Solo, a University of St. Thomas student, who added, "I'm keeping his family in my prayers." "My heart goes out to his family," said Michael Schreiner, also a student. But some students did find some "good" in Friday's development. "They have some closure now to know they finally found him," said Scott Fluhrer, also a UST student.
(Copyright 2009 by KARE and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
