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Crime & Safety

Polly Klaas's Father Helping Search for Missing Hayward Teen

Detectives say evidence points to homicide

Marc Klaas, whose daughter Polly's 1993 kidnapping and murder sparked a national movement against sexual predators, has joined the search for missing Hayward teen Michelle Le.

Le, a 26-year old nursing student, disappeared on May 27 at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward. She reportedly told classmates she was planning to travel to Reno after her rotation at the hospital. Le left during a break and never returned.

"We will conduct a volunteer search this weekend, beginning tomorrow (Friday)," said Klaas, who runs the KlaasKids Foundation in Sausalito. "We have brought in Brad Dennis, a missing-person's expert from Pensacola, Florida and we will coordinate our search with law enforcement to help find this woman."

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Klaas said he hopes the family's commitment to finding Le will bring out hundreds of volunteers this weekend. Klaas, who started his foundation in 1994 after his 12-year-old daughter Polly was kidnapped from her Petaluma home and murdered, said he empathizes with the family's distress, especially since police have classified the disappearance a homicide.

"It was exactly the same in my daughter's case," said Klaas. "That created incredible tension."

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During an interview with Petaluma Patch, Klaas said the statistics on missing persons were daunting, but he still believed the effort to search was needed.

"If a missing person is not recovered within the first few hours of a disappearance, the odds are not good that person will be found alive. I won't pretend otherwise," he said.

Klaas, who still lives in Petaluma, noted the Hayward police had not to date produced Le's body or any evidence that she was murdered, even as they have been treating Le's disappearance as a homicide.

Hayward police Sgt. Steve Brown said investigators wanted to remain hopeful that Le was alive, but "based on all the evidence, we have the grim possibility that Michelle is dead and we should prepare for the worst."

They will now search Niles Canyon, which borders Hayward and Union City.

"The biggest thing that we're trying to accomplish is to eliminate areas where she is not," said Dennis.

Klaas said Le's family approached him for advice after Le's case was reclassified a homicide.

"They were in shock. They didn't know what to do, where to go, or how to react to that piece of information," said Klaas. "I kind of worked with them to come up with things, like a prayer vigil for Michelle and flier distribution - all to show that they have not given up on Michelle and that they were going to be proactive in her recovery."

"At this point, it is easy to grow disheartened," continued Klaas. "It is important for the Le family to get up every morning and tell themselves they have to do something to recover Michelle - not to give up hope."

Klaas added that the family's dedication to finding Le has been "remarkable."

"They have absolutely no idea where she is. They are being very proactive. We're here to help," said Klaas.

The search will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8a.m. to 5 p.m. Volunteers can meet at the command center at 25350 Cypress Ave. in Hayward at 8 a.m. on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and bring photo identification. Individuals are advised to dress appropriately by wearing long pants and sturdy, closed-toe shoes.

The search will require some volunteers to perform searches on foot and others to work in the command center. Donations of bottled water and office supplies will be accepted. For more information about the search or donating supplies, interested parties can call Tricia Griffith at (801) 560-1933.

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