NE RYAN LARSEN: Missing from La Vista, NE - 17 May 2021 - Age 11

Endangered Missing Advisory issued for Omaha boy

Ryan Larsen, 11, was last seen Monday in La Vista, according to NSP.

www.1011now.com

Endangered Missing Advisory issued for Omaha boy​

The Nebraska State Patrol has issued an Endangered Missing Advisory for a boy with autism missing from La Vista, near Omaha.

According to a release, Ryan Larsen, 11, was last seen leaving school Monday at La West Elementary.

DAY 5: EMA expires but authorities still search for Ryan

The 11-year-old has been missing for three days. Local police are calling this search the 'ultimate game of hide-and-seek.'

www.klkntv.com

‘Ultimate game of hide-and-seek,’ search for missing La Vista child continues​

The Nebraska State Patrol issues an Endangered Missing Advisory for a La Vista boy.

Ryan Larsen was last known to be in the area of 78th Street and Terry Drive in La Vista around 12:00 pm on Monday.

Authorities say Ryan has autism, is an 11-year-old white male, 5′ 8″, about 125 lbs with brown hair and hazel eyes. Ryan was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, an Old Navy shirt, and had a polka-dotted umbrella.


“We have no reason to suspect anything other than he walked away,” commented a spokesperson for the La Vista Police Department. “Right now we are just looking for a little boy who is playing the ultimate game of hide-and-seek.”

The official explained that La Vista police has dealt with Larsen before.

“He does like to hide he does like to get away, he likes to hide in small places.”

Larsen is a high-functioning child on the autism spectrum, who police say is non-verbal with anyone he is uncomfortable around. They believe he was in between classes when he slipped away from the school.

RYAN LARSEN has been #missing from La Vista, #NEBRASKA since 17 May 2021 - Age 11

Ryan Larsen was last seen about noon Monday walking out of La Vista West Elementary School near 78th Street and Terry Drive. The autistic boy has a history of running away and may have been hiding from police.

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

La Vista Police: Umbrella reveals new DNA evidence in missing Ryan Larsen case

An umbrella with Larsen's DNA was discovered by a resident at the apartment complex where Larsen's family lives.

www.3newsnow.com

La Vista Police: Umbrella reveals new DNA evidence in missing Ryan Larsen case​

An umbrella with Larsen's DNA was discovered by a resident at the apartment complex where Larsen's family lives. The umbrella was turned into police within a few days of the boy disappearing, but law enforcement only recently received the DNA test results.

Chief Bob Lausten told 3 News Now that the umbrella was given to Larsen by his sister, who had just moved out of the family home, and had special meaning to him. It was found on the grounds of the apartment complex and the discovery confirms that Ryan Larsen — or at least the umbrella — made it back to the apartment complex on or near May 17.

Police also say that he didn't have a key to the apartment and no one was home at that time.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Not sure what to make of this clue to be honest. So he made it back to the area of his apartment. Didn't we already know that...wasn't he seen in the area on surveillance? I guess he couldn't be placed directly at the apartment complex.
Would he willingly leave the umbrella? Was he lured away by someone at the apartment complex?

 

[Kimster]

Not sure what to make of this clue to be honest. So he made it back to the area of his apartment. Didn't we already know that...wasn't he seen in the area on surveillance? I guess he couldn't be placed directly at the apartment complex.
Would he willingly leave the umbrella? Was he lured away by someone at the apartment complex?

I can't figure it out, either. They said the umbrella was found within a few days of Ryan going missing. How many days? Did anyone see it there earlier and just didn't pick it up?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Investigation continues into missing La Vista boy nearly 2 months later

It's been nearly two months since Ryan Larsen went missing.

www.klkntv.com

Investigation continues into missing La Vista boy nearly 2 months later​

Lead after lead has turned up empty in finding Ryan Larsen but the La Vista Police Department says even weeks later, it’s still their top priority to find the young autistic boy.

“We have examined just about every possibility we can to find out where he’s at,” Bob Lausten, the Chief of La Vista Police said. “At this point the best we have is a video image from La Vista Keno that doesn’t really prove whether it’s Ryan or not but the characteristics in the video show a figure that according to the mother and daughter and what we believe, is Ryan.”

From land and Ariel searches, dive teams, cadaver dogs and even the water level lowered at Walnut Creek, still no sign of Ryan. The 12-year-old autistic boy hasn’t been seen since he walked away from his school the morning of May 17th.

“We need a tip, we need something,” Lausten said. “Ryan didn’t have an electronic device on him, so we don’t know, you can’t trace where he’s at or where he’s been.”

For the last two months, all hands on deck and all boots on the ground, but even with the help of other jurisdictions and the FBI, La Vista Police say they’re still at square one.

“Somebody has to know something about this, somebody knows what happened to him and we need to find out who that somebody is and what they know because this just didn’t happen,” Lausten said. “I don’t believe he just walked away and went on a Tom Sawyer hunt. Something happened to him and we need to find out who and what.”

A team of six detectives from La Vista’s Police Department are still working to find Ryan. The investigation will continue until his is found dead or alive.

“You want to hope for the best, but you have to be prepared for the worst,” Lausten said. “And I think preparation is something everyone needs to have going.”

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ryan Larsen search: Two months in, La Vista investigators looking for leads

On the eve of the two-month anniversary of Ryan Larsen’s disappearance, La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten said Friday that investigators are still working to follow up on some initial information in the case.

www.wowt.com

Ryan Larsen search: Two months in, La Vista investigators looking for leads​

On the eve of the two-month anniversary of Ryan Larsen’s disappearance, La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten said Friday that investigators are still working to follow up on some initial information in the case.

Lausten told 6 News that investigators are continuing to work the case, but there’s not a lot of additional information coming about the 12-year-old reported missing May 17.

He said investigators believe someone knows something, and they need them to come forward.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ryan Larsen's sister provides an update for the public

On Tuesday, Taylor Larsen, the older sister of Ryan Larsen, provided an update on her family and the search for her missing 12-year-old brother. In a social media post, she said she wanted to "put something out for the public."

www.3newsnow.com

Ryan Larsen's sister provides an update for the public​

On Tuesday, Taylor Larsen, the older sister of Ryan Larsen, provided an update on her family and the search for her missing 12-year-old brother. In a social media post, she said she wanted to "put something out for the public."

Larsen expressed gratitude for the support shown to her family and reminded people that the police can't share every detail of the investigation.

She ended with a message of hope.



Hi everyone. I know a lot of people are searching for an update on Ryan so I just wanted to put something out for the public. Many of you have probably heard that Ryan’s umbrella was found. The police are not disclosing where it was found specifically in the apartment complex. There have also been many comments on a reward. I want you all to know that we are trying our best to get everything firgured out with that. It isn’t as simple as throwing a go fund me up and asking for money. A separate bank account must be set up, a phone line must be set up, there needs to me people on standby 24-7 to take calls, it must remain anonymous, we have to have contracts drawn up for when a reward is given, etc. There are so many things that have to be taken care of to do that and we are also trying to go through the right channels. The police still have leads that they are investigating but they also have no obligation to let the public know everything. We don’t even know everything because it is an investigation. We are trusting that the police will do their job and that God will protect Ryan. We appreciate everyone who has supported us and prayed for Ryan. The generous things that you do will never be forgotten. We don’t want anyone to forget Ryan so please keep spreading the word. If you have flyers, keep putting them out wherever you go. When that big storm came in recently, we noticed that it knocked down a ton of posters. Me and my mom ended up replacing and putting up about 50 flyers last week. There are still ways to help and get Ryan’s name out there so please don’t give up. Trust in God because he can move mountains and this job isn’t too small for him. We believe that Ryan is still out there and will come home. Be positive and be kind.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

RYAN LARSEN SEARCH: LaVista police brought in top US experts who do landfill searches

Lausten said landfill experts focused on trash dumped after an eyewitness last reported seeing Larsen in the apartment complex the afternoon of May 17.

www.ketv.com

RYAN LARSEN SEARCH: LaVista police brought in top US experts who do landfill searches​

It's been two months since a 12-year-old boy with autism was last seen. Now, we know LaVista police called in the top landfill experts in the country to conduct an assessment.

LaVista police Chief Bob Lausten said investigators quickly knew the dumpster in the apartment complex where Ryan Larsen was last seen could play a key role in ruling out certain theories in the boy's disappearance. Within the first week, they had GPS tracking on the trash that was in the apartment complex dumpster.

"We knew there was a dumpster in the complex... and you're looking at all different avenues because we really have no evidence whether he was abducted, whether he walked away, whether there was foul play involved here," Lausten said.

Lausten said they focused on the trash that was dumped after an eyewitness last reported seeing Ryan in the apartment complex the afternoon of May 17. The trash from Southfield Apartment Complex goes to a transfer station, which mixes the trash and then is taken separately to Mills County, Iowa and Douglas County's Pheasant Point landfill.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

New development in case of missing Nebraska child is brought with skepticism

Ryan Larsen was last seen in May. A new piece of evidence found at his apartment complex is raising questions by law enforcement.

www.kcci.com

New development in case of missing Nebraska child is brought with skepticism​

Ryan Larsen hasn't been seen since May 17. A resident of the Larsen's apartment complex found an umbrella that belonged to the boy near a dumpster.

This lead investigators to speculate that Larsen may have been hiding in the dumpster and then taken to a nearby landfill in Mills County, Iowa, by accident.

But the La Vista police chief doesn't think that's likely.

"We have video from truck with trash being dumped and no object or body-like thing coming out," said the police chief.

The La Vista police chief said searching the landfill without harder evidence would take at least 20 people and months to complete.

 

[FightingCrime247]

Here is a video that shows some more detail about the circumstances surrounding Ryan's disappearance and gives a little more insight to his frame of mind and thinking during this time. I was really hoping that he would have been found way before now this is so scary that so many kids are just vanishing lately.

 

[Kimster]

Here is a video that shows some more detail about the circumstances surrounding Ryan's disappearance and gives a little more insight to his frame of mind and thinking during this time. I was really hoping that he would have been found way before now this is so scary that so many kids are just vanishing lately.

I agree! We need to keep a close eye on our kids.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

100 days later, Ryan Larsen case still active but slowing down, chief says

100 days after a 12-year-old child with Autism vanished, the department says they're still hoping for someone to come forward with information on his whereabouts.

www.1011now.com

100 days later, Ryan Larsen case still active but slowing down, chief says​

A hundred days ago, Ryan Larsen, now 12, vanished after walking away from La Vista West Elementary School.

“After the initial period of searching by land, by air, and the water, things went a little bit stagnant,” La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten said in an interview Wednesday afternoon.

Lausten said that in recent weeks, tips from the public have stopped coming in, minus a few bizarre “readings” from those who claim to be psychics knowing the real reason for Ryan’s disappearance.

In late July, the department welcomed top landfill assessment experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

It came weeks after Ryan’s umbrella was found near the dumpster behind the complex where he and his family live, Lausten said. They wanted to know if Ryan had somehow accidentally gotten into a dumpster, or if he was perhaps placed in one, and ended up in a local landfill.

“They did an analysis and the possibility of that would be very minute, the lowest probability on the scale of that happening,” he said. “So, there’s no evidence we had that [it] actually happened, but we wanted to rule out even those remote possibilities.”

Lausten also tells 6 News the department issued warrants to Google, hoping it will provide more electronic information from devices used around the time Ryan vanished.

“It could give us information on cell data or numbers that may have been in use that we could relate to any numbers we had suspicions on. It’s kinda like a fingerprint, you don’t know whose fingerprint this is unless you have a database where you can compare a fingerprint to, so we’re really trying to find info where we can compare numbers to.”

The department issued those warrants shortly after the search began; and if Google complies, it should take around 90 days for the information to end up in the department’s hands, Lausten said.



“Somebody knows something about what happened to Ryan. We want them to come forward and tell us. We have no evidence that he was abducted. We have no evidence that he may have run off, we have no evidence that harm may have come to him,” he said.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

La Vista police create 'Take Me Home' project in response to Ryan Larsen disappearance

The La Vista Police Department has created a program aimed at spreading information quickly in missing-persons cases in response to the disappearance of a La Vista boy.

norfolkdailynews.com

La Vista police create 'Take Me Home' project in response to Ryan Larsen disappearance​

The La Vista Police Department has created a program aimed at spreading information quickly in missing-persons cases in response to the May disappearance of a La Vista boy.

The “Take Me Home” program is a preventive, opt-in registry to provide La Vista police with information about a child or an adult should they go missing.

The database is meant for vulnerable children or adults who may have autism, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Down syndrome or other medical diagnoses and are at risk of leaving school or getting lost.

Family members can register a loved one and answer various questions about the person, including physical details, whether he or she is nonverbal, how law enforcement can safely approach the person, what may scare the person and other helpful information.

La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten said the responses will be available to all of his officers in a database so that if they respond to a missing-persons call, everyone can have immediate access and start looking.

“The first hour that somebody is missing is really critical,” Lausten said. “The more information we have right off the bat, it’s a lot easier to get this stuff figured out.”

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

La Vista PD Wants Phone Info From Google in Case of Missing Boy

Investigators hope the information on phones that were used in the area where 12-year-old Ryan Larsen was last seen could help determine what happened to him.

nebraskapublicmedia.org

La Vista PD Wants Phone Info From Google in Case of Missing Boy​

Investigators in La Vista are trying to get information on phone usage from Google for the area where a 12-year-old boy went missing in May. Ryan Larsen still hasn’t been found despite multiple searches over the past three months. Police Chief Bob Lausten said they’ve submitted search warrants to Google for data that could be helpful.

“We’re trying to determine what phone numbers were operating in a specific area, if we can actually determine that from what Google can provide,” Lausten said. “That could give us an idea of phones and we could trace those phones back and see who the subscribers are and eliminate them or investigate further into what those numbers are and who they belong to.”

 

[Kimster]

La Vista PD Wants Phone Info From Google in Case of Missing Boy

Investigators hope the information on phones that were used in the area where 12-year-old Ryan Larsen was last seen could help determine what happened to him.

nebraskapublicmedia.org

La Vista PD Wants Phone Info From Google in Case of Missing Boy​

Investigators in La Vista are trying to get information on phone usage from Google for the area where a 12-year-old boy went missing in May. Ryan Larsen still hasn’t been found despite multiple searches over the past three months. Police Chief Bob Lausten said they’ve submitted search warrants to Google for data that could be helpful.

“We’re trying to determine what phone numbers were operating in a specific area, if we can actually determine that from what Google can provide,” Lausten said. “That could give us an idea of phones and we could trace those phones back and see who the subscribers are and eliminate them or investigate further into what those numbers are and who they belong to.”

I've never heard of this approach before!

 

[kdg411]

I've never heard of this approach before!

geofencing is commonly used in law enforcement however the warrant process for tower dumps can be quite time (paper) consuming

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Ryan Larsen disappearance to be examined in national spotlight - Omaha, Nebraska - Eminetra

Omaha, Nebraska 2021-09-24 16:29:32 – La Vista, Nevada (KMTV) —The disappearance of Ryan Larsen will be featured in the “Pursuit with John Walsh” segment next week, according to the Discovery Channel. This episode will air on Wednesday at 9 pm on Investigation Discovery. Larsen was autistic at...

eminetra.com

Ryan Larsen disappearance to be examined in national spotlight – Omaha, Nebraska​

The disappearance of Ryan Larsen will be featured in the “Pursuit with John Walsh” segment next week, according to the Discovery Channel.

This episode will air on Wednesday at 9 pm on Investigation Discovery.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Mother, sisters of Ryan Larsen speak publicly for first time since boy’s disappearance

Four months after he vanished, Ryan Larsen's family spoke exclusively to 6 News in hopes of re-focusing the community on his case.

www.wowt.com

Mother, sisters of Ryan Larsen speak publicly for first time since boy’s disappearance​

For the first time since his disappearance, the family of 12-year-old Ryan Larsen are speaking with 6 News.

It has been just over four months since the boy vanished after walking out of La Vista West elementary school on May 17th.

Although the outside world has changed, Ryan’s room has remained the same - drawers with Legos and army men, shelves of books and action figures, and local police baseball cards hang on his walls.

“Sometimes I actually come in here and sit just because it still smells like him,” says Tammi Larsen, Ryan’s mother.

Tammi and Ryan’s sisters, Taylor and Kayla, say he’s one of a kind. Funny, goofy, and a little awkward, too.

“He’s kind of shy at first if he doesn’t know you and once he gets to know you he’ll talk your ear off,” Tammi says. “But just a very, very sweet boy.”

“He’s hilarious, like, he doesn’t ever try to be but he’s so funny,” says Taylor.

Because of Ryan’s autism, his family says it’s not uncommon for him to run away if he gets frustrated. Just weeks before he disappeared, he walked out of school and was found a few blocks away at his grandmother’s house.

In the past, Ryan has always come home after an hour or two of hiding. But on May 17th, something was off.

“I knew within three hours something was different. He always pops up, he’ll move places when he hides and something just told me this was different,” Tammi says as she recalls the day Ryan left.

“This isn’t like before, he either pops up or he’s found within an hour or two tops and it was like this is not the same. Something else happened besides him just taking off from school,” says Ryan’s oldest sister, Kayla.

Now, his family is left wondering what really happened to him.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

'We're not going to stop looking for you': Oldest sister of missing Ryan Larsen sends message

Police shift focus to the change of seasons, ask farmers and hunters to check fields.

www.ketv.com

'We're not going to stop looking for you': Oldest sister of missing Ryan Larsen sends message​

Christina Latham, 26, said she found out her baby brother disappeared through an Omaha Facebook group, then one of her sisters called shortly after with the unthinkable news.

She admits it's been awhile since she's seen Ryan Larsen, 12, in person. She said they would try to Facetime, but she said he was always doing his own thing and she works odd hours.

"I feel guilty I can't even come home to help find him," said Latham.

She's the oldest of the Larsen siblings and moved from Omaha four years ago to Colorado, where she works as a hospital security guard. She said she's an essential worker and couldn't help with the search due to the pandemic.

"He's just gone. How does that happen?" she asked.

Latham said Ryan loves being an uncle to her daughters and her third baby is waiting to meet him. But she's doubtful that will ever happen. She said he can't survive this long without his medication.

"I look at her and he's never going to get that chance hold her and be a loving uncle to her," she said.



La Vista Police haven't given up their search and said Thursday, the change of seasons could bring new clues.

"We need a break in this case," said Chief Bob Lausten.

Lausten said they're still combing through video from areas outside the original search zone. He also said with harvest season, he wants farmers and hunters to check fields.

"At first we focused on bodies of water, now we are moving into the fall with the crops and the hunters," Lausten said. "Worst case scenario, he may be found that way, we just don't know."

Latham believes someone hurt her brother.

"A little boy does not outsmart the FBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the local police, for well over three months," she said. "I pray to God that I'm wrong, I really do."

And if she is wrong and he's still out there, she sends this message of hope.

"Ryan, we love you very much and we're not going to stop looking for you. We won't. We love you," Latham said.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

From missing person case to foul play: Six months since Ryan Larsen disappeared

''What happened to him?' Police chief says looking at foul play in 12-year-old autistic boy's disappearance on May 17

www.ketv.com

From missing person case to foul play: Six months since Ryan Larsen disappeared​

The poster outside Ryan Larsen's La Vista apartment complex may be tattered and torn, but six months later the message is still true today. It says, "We love you Ryan."

"It's still on people's minds, which is good because we need to find him," La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten said.

Family and police hope another half a year doesn't go by without any clues, but Lausten said now the focus has changed.

"We were working this case in the beginning as a missing person's case but now that we're six months into this, the chances for foul play really start to go up," he said.


Lausten is calling on hunters to be on the lookout in the fields.

"Keep an eye out. You may come across clothing or bones anything like that," he said.

But with no evidence and zero sightings, Lausten goes back to foul play.

"The longer things go without finding somebody, I think you have to look at something nefarious involved with the disappearance," Lausten said. "So what happened to him?"

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

‘We’re not giving up’: La Vista police still stumped by Ryan Larsen disappearance

New year, same question: What happened to Ryan Larsen?

www.wowt.com

‘We’re not giving up’: La Vista police still stumped by Ryan Larsen disappearance​

It’s been just over seven months since now 12-year-old Ryan Larsen walked out of La Vista West Elementary School and was reportedly never seen or spoken to again.

La Vista police tell 6 News the investigation has slowed significantly, but it hasn’t completely stopped yet.

“It’s still an active investigation, and it’s been a long investigation, it’s taken us into 2022 obviously,” says La Vista Police Chief Bob Lausten. “We don’t know where he’s at.”


“We’ve looked at all angles from day one and we haven’t ruled anything out. We don’t know if it was a walk away, if he was abducted, or if harm came to him intentionally,” he adds.

Lausten says his department is doing its best to avoid the case going cold, but there have been some roadblocks.

“From day one we’ve had challenges with this case, whether it be locating people, getting video in a proper amount of time, people not being forthcoming in their comments with us, so, it’s been frustrating, challenging but we’re not giving up in an effort to find him.”


When asked if he believes Ryan could still be alive, he says it’s a difficult question to answer.

“You know I don’t know, hope would say that’s what our finality should be, we should be able to find him alive, but without a sign, without anything as it goes, there’s a reality that may come into play,” he says. “We hope for the best, the worst could possibly happen but our intent is to find him and find where he’s at, [find] what happened to him and if somebody did something to him, [find] who did it.”

Ryan’s family tells 6 News reporter Marlo Lundak that the holiday season without him has been hard, and they hope the community will continue to keep him in their minds while out and about.

“We’re hoping that Ryan is somewhere, he’s still out there and we’re going to try to bring him home,” Lausten says.