Body found in Otter Creek believed to be Nicholas Garza '11

Author: Jack Lysohir, Managing Editor

The 16-week search for Middlebury College first-year student Nicholas Garza is over.

On Tuesday, May 27, Middlebury Police discovered a body in Otter Creek, which they have tentatively identified as Nicholas Garza.

At approximately 4:00 p.m., while checking water temperature in Middlebury's Otter Creek, Chief of Police Tom Hanley spotted a body stuck under debris in shallow water. State and local rescue teams dug through sunken timbers at the waterfall just off Main Street and were able to pull out the body.

The badly decomposed body had pants and a wallet; both were identified as Garza's.

Another thorough search of Otter Creek was scheduled for Friday, May 30, prompted by a lead discovered in April when a rescue group from Maine had taken high-quality aerial pictures of the Creek. On April 17, an "object of interest" was spotted in the pictures. The object was thought to be Garza's body, marked by the conspicuous blue color of his jeans. The object was spotted in the Creek behind Middlebury High School, near a small footbridge used by joggers. When the Middlebury Police Department got word of the lead that evening they searched until 2:40 a.m. but yielded no results, due to the object's movement in the current.

Although difficult to identify physically, Nicholas's mother Natalie Garza who was on-site told an AP reporter, "It was Nick." The body was taken by hearse to the Chief Medical Examiner's office in Burlington. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Nicholas Garza was last seen at 11 p.m. on the snowy night of Feb. 5. The Albuquerque, N.M. native lived in Allen Hall, a large first-year residence. Garza and his friends were socializing that evening in Stewart Hall over February Break - a one week break from classes in which there is little activity on campus - and when Nick was not found in his room the following day his friends contacted their Residential Advisor. After a thorough search, fears were mitigated as they learned Nick had been planning to visit a remote cabin with friends for a few days. Having received no word from Nick by Sunday, his mother contacted the Middlebury Public Safety Department. In addition, she filed a missing persons report with the Middlebury Police Department. The exhaustive search effort began the next day.

Over 50 different organizations have contributed to the search that lasted nearly four months. Tom Scanlon, spokesman for the Middlebury Police Department said of the discovery, "It's not good news, but it's closure for the family."

Friends and family wait with interest for the autopsy results. Speculation on the cause of death has run a wide gamut and for a case that has been devoid of many answers, more closure and more information will likely help the healing process.

Natalie Garza, in a statement issued late Tuesday night wrote, "Nothing in life has prepared us for such a loss…He [Nicholas] was adored, deeply loved, and those who knew him were blessed with an extraordinary man …Thank you to the thousands of letters, emails, and prayers."

At about 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Middlebury College President Ronald D. Liebowitz issued a statement informing the College community and others of the discovery of the body believed to be Nicholas Garza. Liebowitz asked, "May the unity that comes from the terrible sadness we all feel at this time be a source of comfort and strength for the Garza family."

Natalie Garza will be in Burlington this morning for the autopsy. Arrangements for a funeral in Albuquerque are currently being prepared. A gathering in remembrance of Nicholas will also take place at Middlebury College at a future date.

- additional reporting by James Kerrigan, Editor-in-Chief