Missing Son, Prayers Please**-- BODY FOUND--**

EDIT: Chirs' body was found 19 months after he went missing. It is evident that he had gone for a drive that night and went off the road in the canyon.

A virtual-memorial page was set up for Chris http://christopher-coan.virtual-memorials.com /

EDIT: Chris went missing September 3rd 2007, here is a link to his web site, please let everyone you know know about this. Thank you.

www.FindChris.org

I'm crying as I'm typing, so please overlook all typos...I'm really not all here.

Our son, who turned 18 last month, has been missing now for 76 hours. He went to work Monday, left work and no one has heard from him nor seen him since. He wasn't having any problems with us, Sunday we all were together and had a great time. He wasn't having any problems with his girlfriend. He did have a bad day at work and we are guessing he went off on a drive to cool down, but we really don't know. He didn't say anything to anybody about where he was going. He was in a hurry to get to work that day and left his wallet home. So he has no money on him nor any access to money. We were able to get into his bank account today and there hasn't been any unusual activity in the last month. We have called everyone he knows and no one knows anything. His girlfriend has called everyone she can think of too.

This is so out of character for him. He has never done anything like this before.

The police are involved and doing all they can. Two different aerial searches were done today and tomorrow there is a ground search going on with volunteers and the police department. He has been listed as a missing person in all 50 states along with a description of his blazer. The police department made up fliers for us to put around town. The top of it says "Missing Person, Suspicious Circumstances".

This is so unreal. This is something that happens on TV, not in real life. The roller coaster of emotions is beyond imagination. The possibilities of what has happened to him and where he might be are endless. To the East of us is a canyon, to the West is desert hills. He could be anywhere. Not knowing anything is the worst.

My husband and our other children are hitting their limits too. Our home is crazy is an understatement. We have had lots of friends and family offer love and support. Meals have been brought in for three days. Our phones are ringing off the hook with well wishers and everyone wondering what they can do.

I'm sorry for going on and on, I just want to cover all the bases, but I'm sure I've missed some things.

Prayers are definitely welcome.

Mostly I'm still in shock. I'm not sure I'll be back on the site for a while. I will post as soon as we know anything.

Please everyone take care, and go hug your kids...

EDIT: Here is a link to the news paper artical.

http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti cle?AID=/20070907/NEWS01/709070304

I tried uploading the flier but it didn't happen, I'm not sure why.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It does help to know that people care.

EDIT: I took a picture of the flier and added it to my pictures

EDIT: Here is a link to the web site  http://www.findchris.org/

I know today is Monday so that means that it has been X amount of weeks since Chris went missing. I don't know that number anymore, I don't know how many weeks it's been. I guess I have moved on to months. It's been just over three months since Chris went missing.

Today I was thinking about all that we have learned from this experience. We have grown so much in so many ways. We have had some amazing experiences of love and faith. We have had miracles happen all around us. We have felt love and comfort from close friends and family and from people who were strangers before this started. We have been lifted up and shown what goodness is really in the hearts of many. We have been blessed to have hope and peace come from so many people; people we know, people we have never met, people who are similar to us and people who are very different from us. It is wonderful to know that there are so many good people in the world - from many walks of life - and I'm sure I have only had the opportunity to meet a small fraction of these great people. We really have been blessed. There is a comfort, a peace, that surrounds us. Today I was thinking that when we find Chris that gift will probably leave us. We wont need it so much anymore so it will go on. I am going to miss that feeling. I know I can still feel peace and love from others, it will just be different. I of course will willingly give it up to have Chris home with us. I was just thinking today how great it is that we can have this extra boost when we need it. I am glad that I have the heart to feel it for what it is.

I also know that we are not the only family suffering at this time. I would bet that if we were to take a poll of what everyone's life is like today that at least half would have reason to morn or are going through some kind of trial of their own right now. I sincerely pray that others, including those of you, that are going through your own personal struggles are blessed with the peace and comfort we have been given.

Dave and I can't talk much about Christmas. It's too weird to think we could be having it without Chris. We are thinking of taking a small vacation, just so we don't have to be in our home with an empty chair... I told Dave that Santa can come to a motel room as easily as he can come to our home.

Thank you again for feeding my spirit with your comfort and peace. It's amazing how much I really can feel it! Thank you!

~Shannon

Praying still.

Geez, it must be really difficult during the holidays. For you and also for Chris. Thinking positive thoughts for you all.

Shannon .... Christopher, you and your family are still in my thoughts every day. Please stay strong, maybe we can all pray really hard for him to come home for Christmas.

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.c fm?l=eng&gi=cc ;

Those leads you spoke about seemed promising, I hope you try to keep them active and open. Hopefully he will be sighted again soon. 

{{{{Shannon}}}} 

...still thinking of you and your family.

Keeping you all in my thoughts, Shannon.

http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.c fm?l=eng&gi=cc

I'm still thinking of you all Shannon.

*bump*

I lit a candle today.
There aren't many. Could those of you who are willing please light a few?

I know its been a while (too long!) and I know life moves on, but we can't forget the pain and anguish this family must be going through.
Light a candle and show them you are still wishing the best.
Please, and thank you :)

Yesterday was frustrating. We are trying to get some of the businesses in the area that Chris may be in to let us or their local law enforcement view their surveillance videos to see if Chris may be on them. Some are willing others are not as helpful. Wal-Mart is giving us stress. They wont even let the police there look at them. Because they reuse the tapes if we don't get to see them soon they will be gone. I don't understand why they wont help us. They did have one of their security guys look at part of a tape and he didn't see anything. We want to look at a few days worth of tapes, not just a few minutes worth.

The police there have been wonderful and they are trying to get the tapes. Hopefully soon something breaks.

Well it's another day...and we must carry on.

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. It is cold and snowy here. I really don't like the cold or the snow. I do not dream of white Christmases. I hope you are surviving the weather where ever you are!

Thanks for all of your encouragement and support. And thanks for letting me have my little corner to write. Someday I'm going to print all of these pages out and put them in a book!

~Shannon

I just can't believe that he isn't home yet. My heart goes out to you Shannon - don't let those Walmart bullies get you down. You can get through this and make those people see reason. This is your son for crying out loud, why can't they see that? It makes me want to smack some sense into them. 

Wishing you all the best, and hoping you get Chris for Christmas. 

Can you get a website for that store and we could flood them with emails or calls stressing how important it is for them to help you out.  That it would be the right thing to do??  It may not work but it m ay pressure them into helping. 

We are all still praying.  lhoch has a great idea.  We all will help you anyway that we can.   Just ask!

You might want to check other public places, like the library and the malls, even the airport and the free clinics too, (it is cold and flu season.)

We'll keep praying on this end. 

I am so floored at Wal-Mart's response. How hard would it be for them to begin using new tapes and retiring the ones that need to be viewed?

Shannon I read this every day praying for good news. I wish there was more I could do to help.

Shannon,

My prayers as always have been with you. I, deep in my heart, fell that this is coming to an end. God is willing to give those answers in His time. it will be soon.

Dear Lord, I come to you on bended knee with the matter of Chris and his family. I pray of yout o keep Chris safe in your arms untill he is to be reunited with his mother. Let hin know how loved and missed he truely is.

Continue to hold this amazing strong woman  up in your continually loving arms. You have trusted her with a great burden. I am blessed to have gotten to know such a trusted lady. Dear Lord please continue to help her cary her load. The burden is getting heavy as Christmas is coming near. Hold her family tight and bless them. In your most precious name, Amen

keep moving forward and know that HE is with you

Bug in AK

Maybe you should expose Wal-Mart to the media. Bad publicity might make them comply.

I think changeofheart is right. Our local news channels have "problem solvers". If people need help or can't get things done themselves, they air it on the news, and the news crew helps get results. This would be the PERFECT type of problem.

I also think it would be a good idea for others like us to email Walmart with our complaints of the situation. There's no point videotaping, if its not going to help.

If you want to email Wal Mart about this here is the link:

Let's give em hell!

Shannon, could you provide the locations of the Wal Marts that are giving you trouble? If you don't want to, I understand. I just want to help, we all do!

You should consider appealing to the news media with your walmart situation.  I had an issue with my 7yr old daughter being purposely left off a school bus at 6:30 (dark) and couldnt get a return phone call from the busing company regarding it so I hit the news channels untill one finally was interested (slow news day maybe) that got me coverage with the bus driver being removed from behind the wheel.  Youve such a compelling situation and the additional news coverage could help not only for this but for additional exposure of your entire situation.

I wonder sometimes if you can step away from yourself and see how amazing youve been through this.  I read your posts and have mutually such compassion and admiration for you.   And there you are reaching out to others whove their own burdens.  Youve such a story to tell and writing that book I think would be so personally rewarding.  Im hoping the holidays bring you some relief from your unimaginable situation and just think youre a wonder.  My thoughts always for the days to zoom by so that you can once again be reunited with Chris.  ((hugs)) ((hugs))

As time draws nearer to Christmas, may Chris get the feeling that he is missed and loved and does contact you.  Surely, you have gone through your share of agony.

Take care Shannon. And Hopefully you and your entire family will be reunited before the year comes to a close.

God Bless.