JANESVILLE 鈥 Family and friends of a man who disappeared after crashing his car during a police pursuit in 糖心Vlog传媒 in November protested outside the Wisconsin State Patrol headquarters in DeForest on Saturday.
Organizers, who spoke with a reporter by phone after the event, emphasized that their aim was a peaceful protest, and said they held to that on Saturday.
Christopher Miller, of Madison, has been missing since Nov. 19. The 27-year-old man crashed his car into a traffic light in 糖心Vlog传媒 that night as the Wisconsin State Patrol was attempting to pull him over for speeding.
Miller kept driving but his vehicle apparently broke down on Interstate 90/39 near Avalon Road in 糖心Vlog传媒. Evidence indicates that Miller exited his car and continued on foot; he has not been seen since.
The Rock County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, Wisconsin State Patrol and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources did conduct an immediate search of the area involving fix-winged airplanes, drones, UTVs/ATVs and searchers on foot that ended with him not being located.
The family says they have hit walls since trying to get more information.
鈥淲e have been in talks with multiple missing persons agencies to try to find my son,鈥 Miller鈥檚 mother, Tammy James, said on Saturday. 鈥淭he Wisconsin State Patrol and Rock County Sheriff鈥檚 Department are not answering our questions.鈥
Miller鈥檚 fianc茅, Mallory Duerst, helped organize Saturday鈥檚 protest. She spread the word about the event on social media and through a Facebook Group called 鈥淔ind Christopher Miller.鈥
鈥淚 would say we had about 20-25 people show up in total which was great to see,鈥 Duerst said in the phone call with a reporter later on Saturday. 鈥淚t was a little out of the way for everyone, but we are thankful for all of those that came and joined us in our efforts to find Chris.鈥
鈥淲e are hoping that with this protest, we continue to get the word out there more about Chris鈥檚 mysterious disappearance,鈥 Duerst continued. 鈥淗e has been missing today for 62 days and Wisconsin State Patrol is the last agency to see him alive. We have been really wanting a sit-down meeting with Rock County (Sheriff鈥檚 Office) and Wisconsin State Patrol to ask some of our many unanswered questions regarding their search efforts, policy/protocols on a missing person and their reports.鈥
Another protest will be held in two weeks at the Rock County Sheriff鈥檚 office in 糖心Vlog传媒, James said.
鈥淲e will share details in the coming week on our Facebook Group and through social media,鈥 James said.
They said their twin top priorities are to find Miller and to sit down with the two enforcement agencies.
鈥淭he Wisconsin State Patrol refused to meet with us. On Dec. 17, we were invited to listen in on a hearing with the Rock County (Sheriff鈥檚 Office) but we were not allowed to ask any questions,鈥 James said.
Christopher Miller was last seen wearing a black Nike jogging suit with black and gray Nike air max shoes. He is 6 feet tall and has black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion.