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Probe Yields No New Information on Missing China Lake Snowmobiler

February 09, 2010 - CHINA -- It has been a month since the Maine Warden Service suspended its search for Richard "Shaw" Jackson, an 18-year-old snowmobiler who went missing the night of Jan. 1.

During the last month, warden officials said they have flown an airplane over China Lake several times and investigated at least three new leads.

But none of those efforts has offered any insight into the key mystery: Where is Jackson?

"It is still a 'missing persons' case and is being worked on by the Maine Warden Service," said Deborah Turcotte, spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

"We have no information whether he's alive or deceased. After the case was suspended after six days of searching, we still had a lot of unanswered questions. The first, of course, is where could he have gone? But the wardens haven't learned anything since then," she said.

Jackson, a junior at Erskine Academy in South China, was last seen leaving Pinkham's Corner Fuel off Route 32, where he worked as part of a co-op program through Augusta's Capital Area Technical Center. He was believed to be heading home on his black Yamaha snowmobile, which had just been serviced, according to the warden service.

Dave Pinkham, owner of Pinkham's Corner Fuel, said he was Jackson's boss and got to know the teenager well enough that "he was like my own kid."

Pinkham said Jackson continues to be talked about each day since the search ended.

"Three, four times a day, I meet somebody who will ask me about it. There's a lot of heartfelt sorrow," Pinkham said. "I try to correct some rumors I hear, but for the most part, pretty much everyone knows he's gone."

Wardens, police and volunteers spent the first four days of the search combing snowmobile trails throughout China, Vassalboro and Winslow, but they found no signs of Jackson.

The last two days of the search focused on Bradley Island, in China Lake, where tracks were found leading to open water.

Wardens suspended the search for Jackson the night of Jan. 7 after consulting with his family.

Since then, the warden service's chief pilot, Charlie Later, has flown over China Lake at least nine times, said Turcotte.

Meanwhile, members of the public have called in with new leads. Two such reports have involved Webber Pond, about 3 miles east of China Lake.

A third involved a stream that flows from China Lake, but like the other two, that report led nowhere, Turcotte said.

"There is some other information we are following that we cannot discuss at this time," she said. "Warden service staff have been in contact with the family, keeping them apprised."

If there are still no signs of Jackson's whereabouts by springtime, the warden service will deploy a dive team to China Lake to search underwater near Bradley Island, Turcotte said.

Col. Joel Wilkinson, chief game warden, continues to oversee the investigation, Turcotte said.

By SCOTT MONROE, Morning Sentinel February 8, 2010


Lakes: China Lake, Webber Pond
Regions: Belgrade


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