Matthew J. Wilson, Rice University Student, Missing Since December 15, 2007 in Houston, TX
Matthew Wilson, a 20 year old computer science major and straight-A student at Rice University has been missing since December 15, 2007. According to reports, Matthew Wilson made a $400 cash withdrawal from his bank account on Dec. 14, the day he was last seen. We hope that the bank machine that the transaction was done at has a camera.
“He’s a very serious student. He doesn’t participate in high-risk behaviors. It was really out of place. This is a gentleman who takes his school work very, very serious.”
Wilson was not known to drink or party. (Houston Chronicle)
Matthew Wilson Description:
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a 20 year old Caucasian male
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5 feet, 7 inches tall
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weighs 135 pounds
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red hair
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green eyes
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wears glasses
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He had a full beard when his roommate last saw him.
If anyone has any information about Matthew Wilson’s whereabouts please call the Rice University Police Department at 713-348-6000. To respond to the Crime Stoppers offer, call 713-222-TIPS (8477).
“I saw him … he was in his room, working,” said Elliott Harwell, Wilson’s roommate, of that last Dec. 14 sighting.
Harwell, a history major, left their apartment Friday night to work on a paper.
When he came back Saturday and saw Wilson’s silver 2004 Dodge Neon was gone, he assumed his roommate was in a computer lab or library.
“He’s a very diligent student,” Harwell said.
So diligent in fact, that Wilson eschewed e-mail because he found it a distraction. Unlike many students, Wilson didn’t devote much online energy to anything other than work. No page on Facebook or MySpace.
Rice police are searching for missing student
Rice University police are looking for leads in the disappearance of 20-year-old student Matthew J. Wilson, who was last seen by his roommate the evening of Dec. 14 at their off-campus apartment.
Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a $5,000 cash reward for information leading to felony charges in the case.
UPDATE I: Also Missing is Matthew’s car and backpack
(This is not the exact car, but the type of car missing)
Also missing is Wilson’s car, a silver 2004 four-door Dodge Neon with Oklahoma license plate 863 MCZ, and his backpack.
UPDATE II: Rice University Student Reported Missing
University police said junior Matthew J. Wilson, 20, was last seen at his off-campus apartment at about noon Saturday.
“We found out from a student who Matthew was supposed to have picked up on Saturday evening and take to the airport that he never showed up” police Chief Bill Taylor said. “So we now have information that he had some things planned later from what we originally knew.”
UPDATE III: Further Articles rgarding Missing Matthew Wislon:
UPDATE IV: Missing Student’s Family Pleads For Answers
He hasn’t been seen for nearly a week and the family of missing Rice University student Matthew Wilson is desperate for answers, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.
“This is on my mind. I’m thinking about it all the time,” said Wilson’s mother Cathy Wilson. “I’m trying to solve it in my head.”
To discuss the case of missing Matthew Wilson and to get further updates, please go to Scared Monkeys.net Missing: Matthew Wilson.
[...] For more information and updates on the case of missing Matthew Wilson, go to MissingExploited.com. [...]
Pingback by 20 Year Old Matthew Wilson, Rice University Student, Missing Since December 15, 2007 | Scared Monkeys | December 22, 2007
Wilson is not the only student to go missing under strange circumstances.
The first cases were reported as a serial disappearance at Miami of Ohio in 1953. Several students disappeared then returned with amnesia of the events during the disappearance. Ron Tammen the last to disappear is still missing.
Parents and friends are unaware there is such a problem until someone close to them disappears.
Brian Shaffer, Maura Murray, and Michael Negrete are all still missing. Ahmad Arain recovered enough to remember his email address. He was found wandering Mexico in an altered mental state. He had walked to Mexico from Watts, California while going to a meeting at UCLA.
VisionAndPsychosis.Net proposes that Subliminal Distraction, discovered when it caused mental breaks for office workers, is the source of these events.
Comment by L K Tucker | December 23, 2007
Please help me to find my Matthew, he is my only son and so dear to me. I would gladly give my life for my Matthew. He is so worthy, please, please, help me to find Matthew Wilson.
Comment by Cathy Wilson | December 30, 2007
To Cathy Wilson. I have been trying to reach you through Rice University police to offer our recovery aid assistance, that is what our company (CAC) does. Captain Marshall has all our contact information.
Comment by Mark | January 3, 2008
Dear Wilson,
Is there any news to tell in your case?
Good to see, u post here.
When here is anything where I can help u with, give your replys here. And maybe there is a why for helping.
Blonde
Comment by Blonde | January 3, 2008
Dear Cathy,
I keep reading about Matthew, and remain hopeful, he will return. I hope he was just tired and needed a break. That is possible. This is so hard for you and I wish, I could offer more. My prayers are for Matthew and you and family and friends. This is so sad. Remain hopeful.
Comment by Janeyre | January 5, 2008
[...] Cathy Wilson, mother of missing person Matthew Wilson [...]
Pingback by The Dana Pretzer Show - Listen LIVE TONIGHT at 9PM Eastern - Guests Include Dana Shafman, Cathy Wilson and Fred Rosen | Scared Monkeys Radio | January 11, 2008
[...] Cathy Wilson, mother of missing person Matthew Wilson [...]
Pingback by The Dana Pretzer Show - Listen LIVE TONIGHT at 9PM Eastern - Guests Include Dana Shafman, Cathy Wilson and Fred Rosen | Scared Monkeys | January 11, 2008
Mrs. Wilson,
I have been working for five years to get attention for missing children and adults as victims of Dissociative Fugue, caused by a simple problem of human physiology.
There are many sites about these missing persons, but no one is doing anything to streamline a search method based on the amnesia-fugue theory. (Set up a database of truck stops to phone and fax a poster. Hitch hiking because they have no money is the most probable method of travel. Truckers don’t watch TV news or search the Internet. )
Most families don’t want to hear that a mental break might be involved. They fear that police will stop looking if that is suspected.
Most of the missing students were high achievers, heavy computer users, some had large pets kept inside, and others lived in too-small single-room arrangements like dorm rooms with a roommate.
You might say that describes most college students but note that no low GPA students are ever mentioned among these long term missing.
Why?? The high achievers spend more time doing things that would allow Subliminal Distraction exposure.
No TV program has been willing to invest time doing a story about this forty year old discovery.
Although bizarre this is part of normal human physiology.
If you can get a phone campaign for programs such as 20/20 and Dateline to report on this problem with your son featured, that would capture attention that just another missing college student won’t.
There is a list of questions on the Missing Students page at VisionAndPsychosis.Net. How many of those did your son meet?
This spring and fall another group of them will go missing. Each time a new family begins to search alone.
Comment by L K Tucker | January 13, 2008
This may be trivial, but Matt does have a Facebook profile. Untrue facts like that should not find their way into articles like this.
Comment by Fellow collegemate | January 13, 2008
DEAR CATHY,
BOTH OF MY CHILDREN AND MY HUSBAND ATTEND CAMERON UNIVERSITY IN LAWTON OKLAHOMA. ABOUT 1 WEEK AGO WE HAD TO GET SOME PAPERWORK TURNED IN TO THE UNIVERSITY WHEN I STEPPED OUTSIDE TO WAIT ON MY HUSBAND. A GROUP OF 5 YOUNG PEOPLE PASSED BY ME AND SAT IN THE SMOKING AREA.THEY STARTED TO TALK TO ME AND DURING OUR CONVERSATION THEY TOLD ME THAT EACH CAME FROM DIFFERENT STATES, AND HOW MUCH THEY LOVED ATTENDING CAMERON AFTER TRYING SEVERAL OTHER COLLEGES PRIOR.AFTER ABOUT A 15 MINUTE CONVERSATION WITH THE STUDENTS, MY HUSBAND AND I LEFT.A FEW DAYS LATER I SAW YOUR SON’S PICTURE ON TV AND THAT HE WAS MISSING. I DO NOT WANT TO GET ANYONES HOPES UP, BUT YOUR SON LOOKED A LOT LIKE ONE OF THE STUDENTS THAT TALKED TO ME THAT DAY. IT MAY NOT BE ANYTHING AT ALL, BUT I STILL WANTED TO PASS THIS ON TO YOU. OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND I PRAY THAT MATTHEW RETURNS HOME SAFE. SINCERELY, RAMONA
Comment by RAMONA MARTIN | January 21, 2008
mark and Ramona, I’ll let Cathy know about your posts.
Thank you blonde for your assistance too and everyone your prayers for Cathy and Kelly and Matthew to be brought home safely are very appreciated.
Comment by kermit | January 24, 2008
Please tell me more about this Dissoactive Fugue…..
Comment by Cathy Wilson | February 9, 2008
One thing about Matthew’s case that I find that no one has
commented on (or if they did, I missed it), is that some of
the last known items that he purchased was a car cover and a
windshield shade. Maybe his car is hidden in plain sight
w/a car cover. I don’t know but there may be many parks,
hiking areas, etc. where a car could be parked (since he
purchased charcoal and matches also). And, it was also
stated that perhaps his roommate should be checked out. I
am Elliott’s grandmother and do not think that he is
involved with Matthew’s disappearance but I do understand
that everyone is suspect until Matthew is located. We all
pray that he will be found safe and sound very soon.
Comment by Joyce | February 17, 2008
Just saw the Movie “Into the Wild”..could HE have set out to “find” himself? While watching the movie so many thoughts of Matthew kept going in my mind. I do not know Matthew, nor the family. I will continue to pray for him and the family and keep you all in my prayers.
Comment by Rachel | March 6, 2008
I do not believe that Elliott had anything whatsoever to do with my Matthew Wilson missing. I trust Elliott; he and his mother have been a great help to our family.
I am so happy that Elliott has moved back on campus. As for Elliott’s grandmother, I only have the highest regard and respect for him. He is a comfort to me.
Comment by Cathy Wilson | March 23, 2008
those laws might have brought upon the people, would probably to the best accounts, does not commonly much exceed .6,000,000
Comment by Linda | March 27, 2008
Charcoal, matches, and a car cover suggest to me suicide by Carbon Monoxide through the burning of charcoal in a confined space.
Brad Delp, the lead singer of Boston took his own life in this manner last year.
One reason I can envision this scenario that may be hard to accept by others is that I lost my 16-year old son to suicide in 2006.
As far as I could tell, there were no warning signs.
Comment by richard | April 17, 2008
I’m a Rice grad (Jones ’92) and former employee. Has there been any news on this case? It dropped out of the news in only a few weeks, and still no resolution.
Comment by RickRussellTX | May 24, 2008
I saw a young man that looked a lot like the photos of him about a month ago in Hollywood, CA, with another young man. The one that looked like him was wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt and carrying a backpack and then other one was wearing a Pink Floyd shirt.
When I saw them, I had to sift through my mind where it was that I recognized the redhead from– and remembered it was the websites about the missing student in Texas.
I then saw the same young man about one week ago. I am pretty darn sure it is him. It looks a lot like the photos.
My thought is that he came of his own free will in order to start a new life.
If that was him that I saw, I SURE DO wish he would contact his family so that they can stop worrying about him. It is unfair if he is alive and well and safe to cause his family such worry.
+++
Comment by Sue | June 7, 2008
The Houston Chronicle is reporting that his car was found in Berkeley, CA earlier this week. His car was found in the 1200 block of Allston Way in West Berkeley. It was found on Tuesday – June 10th.
here is my reference:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5837807.html
Comment by no name | June 14, 2008
[...] Wilson, a 20 year old computer science major at Rice University has been missing since December 15, 2007. Wilson’s vehicle, a silver 2004 four-door Dodge Neon with Oklahoma license plate 863 MCZ, [...]
Pingback by Missing Matthew Wilson’s Car Found Abandoned in Berkeley, CA | Scared Monkeys Missing Persons Site | June 15, 2008
Mrs. Wilson, I work in the President’s Office here at Rice and we here at the university have been keeping constant tabs on any possible leads.
My thoughts on Matthew’s situation are related to Rachel’s comment on March 6, 2008 (#15). In the spirit of Krakauer’s “Into the Wild”, Matthew may have pulled an “Alexander Supertramp”.
One thought that might have already been exhausted….you may want to see what the last book he checked out of Fondren Library was.
As an alumna and former student-athlete, Lovett ’04, I fully understand the range of stress we are exposed to here at this institute. I hope that Matthew only wished to escape for a short time.
I will continue to keep Matthew, you, and your entire family in my prayers.
Comment by rmg | June 16, 2008
Matt,
Your mom and sisters have a message board where they are leaving you messages:
http://findmatthewwilson.proboards83.com/index.cgi
Comment by lola | June 27, 2008
[...] J. Wilson, a junior at Rice University in Houston has been missing since December 15, 2007. Wilson’s car was recently found on June 10, 2008 in the 1200 block of Allston Way in [...]
Pingback by Mother of Missing Rice University Junior Matthew Wilson Comes to Bay Area to Search for Son | Scared Monkeys Missing Persons Site | July 13, 2008
dear cathy i just want to say how happy i am that you son was found i saw in the paper just now i prayed for you and your family and i followed your story god heard your prayers and you know now taht your son is alive and well i just had to come and say something to you i continue to pray that my children come home to me although my story is a very diffrent i know what its like to want your children to be safe at home. i wish your family all the best from one mother to another.
Comment by motherof5kids26@live.com | August 14, 2008
He was just taken into custody by police, after being found inside a classroom at UC Berkeley with a stolen laptop. So, he’s not missing anymore.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5942772.html#
Comment by Katprint | August 14, 2008
For those of you still following this case, here’s what came into my in box today. At least he’s alive.
Missing Rice student arrested on Berkeley campus
Oakland Tribune
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_10202953
Associated Press
August 14, 2008
Berkeley, CA (AP) — A Rice University student reported missing in Houston in December is under arrest after police found him in a UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY CLASSROOM.
Campus police spotted Matthew J. Wilson Wednesday night sitting in a classroom using a laptop computer hooked up to a video utility box.
Wilson at first gave police a false name. Police are questioning him about possession of stolen property.
Wilson, a 21-year-old computer science major from Haworth, Okla., disappeared from his off-campus apartment near Rice University in December.
In June, police found Wilson’s car in Berkeley. Inside was a book about assuming a new identity and another on low-cost living in San Francisco.
Comment by Anne | August 14, 2008
Looks like they found him.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10203342?source=most_viewed
Comment by Paula | August 15, 2008
Hey- Its ok!!! he was just hanging out at berkeley!
seems like those prayers really helped!!!!!
Comment by david | August 15, 2008
BERKELEY — Matthew J. Wilson, the missing Rice University student who was thought to be in Berkeley, has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital for an evaluation after campus police found him Wednesday night in a UC Berkeley classroom, authorities said.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_10208355?source=rss
Comment by Pamela | August 15, 2008
What ever happened to Matt Wilson? I’m just wondering if he’s okay now, did anyone ever find out why he decided to disappear? Did he go back to Rice?
If anyone has an update on him after his finding…let us know! Thanks!
Comment by I followed this case.. | March 12, 2009