|
|
« Update: Warm reception for Buckner at Fenway / Photo | Today | Governor, Martinez meet in wake of immigration remarks » April 8, 2008Update: Missing man found alive in SmithfieldA 50-year-old man with Down syndrome who has been missing for almost 24 hours has been found alive, according to the police. Joseph Bardsley, who had missing since about 2:30 p.m. yesterday, was found around 1:25 p.m. today behind a church near the group home in Smithfield where he lives, according to the police. At about 2 p.m., Providence Police Maj. Paul Fitzgerald passed the information to a group of about 50 people who'd been searching for him near Branch Avenue in Providence, where he was last seen leaving a store. Fitzgerald said, "Joey looks a little dehydrated, a little scratched up, but he's fine." The group responded to Fitzgerald's announcement with a cheer. Before he was found today, Bardsley had been last seen when security cameras show him leaving a store on Branch Avenue with his group home supervisor. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Gregory Smith Bardsley lives in a group home operated by Gateways to Change, at 259 Stillwater Road in Smithfield. Yesterday, Providence Police Chief Dean Esserman said, Bardsley and a supervisor from the home took a minivan to the Family Dollar store in a shopping center at 700 Branch Ave. Bardsley and the supervisor –– who police will only identify as a man in his late 40s –– went into the store and, just after 2:30 p.m., the stores camera shows the two leaving the store. When questioned by the police, the supervisor said he was not sure if Bardsley got back into the van. Police were not notified that Bardsley was missing until about 6:30 p.m. “The story is a hard and confusing one to understand,” Esserman said earlier today, before Bardsley was found. But right now the emphasis is on finding Bardsley, he added, rather than finding fault. The police enlisted the public's help with the search, using an automated system to contact people and recruiting volunteers via e-mail. Posted by Jack Perry Commentslydia | April 8, 2008 2:52 PM link " the supervisor said he was not sure if Bardsley got back into the van" Group homes are supposed to provide 24/7 supervision...What was the supervisor really doing that he didn't "know" if Mr. Bardsley was in the van to return home. I home that thesupervisor is fired for this, he left a vulnerable person in a very dangerous position in addition to the costs of having police searching. I hope that Mr. Bardsley has a family and a good advocate to stand up for him in this incident. j | April 8, 2008 3:19 PM link I agree with you lydia. This story has a happy ending for Mr. Bardsley. Unfortunately, whoever was supervising him did a very poor job and needs to be relieved of their duties. Especially since this particular person did not report him missing for several hours later. This shows a tremendous lack of responsibility. dee | April 8, 2008 3:46 PM link Post a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
|
ADVERTISING |
|
|
|
|
| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
ProJo 9 to 5 News Blog
Oct 2005 - March 2006
So happy Mr. Bardsley was found. Now it has to be established how he came to be missing and steps taken to assure that this never happens again. Apparantly he was not being properly supervised.