# Berkely Rider Missing



## heythorp (Feb 17, 2005)

*Berkeley Rider Missing*

Very strange. here is some info.

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/07...ng-since-saturday-help-sought-from-community/

Berkeley resident Anthony Michael Martin has been reported missing after going on a bike ride on Saturday which took in Tunnel Road in Berkeley. His friends and family are asking the community for help in finding him.

The 29-year-old Martin, who is known as Mike as well as Michael and was formerly a professional cyclist, was reported as missing to the Berkeley Police Department at 10:45 pm on Saturday by his girlfriend, Ashley James, 29, of Berkeley, after he failed to return home, according to Sgt Mary Kusmiss of the Berkeley Police Department.

James spoke to him on the phone earlier that day, and they were meant to meet for dinner at 8:00 pm on Saturday.

A cyclist found Martin’s cellphone on Tunnel Road, close to the Oakland Fire Memorial on Saturday afternoon and returned it to James.

Sgt Kusmiss said the challenge for the police is how to conduct a search in such a potentially large geographic area. “Martin could have taken any number of directions from Tunnel Road,” she said. In order to use assets such as search and rescue resources or dogs, the police would need at least a starting point, she said.

The BPD has taken the standard steps of checking with hospitals and coroner’s offices and sending out a state-wide missing person e-flyer. The potential area where Martin may be found covers five police jurisdictions – Berkeley, East Bay Regional Parks, UC Police, Oakland and Contra Costa — although Kusmiss said this is not an issue.

Kusmiss said the actions already taken by Martin’s friends to alert the media are very helpful. Equally useful are reports from community members who are perhaps driving the cycling routes such as Grizzly Peak and Skyline and see somthing out of the ordinary, she said.

“We have no clues or leads. Anything that someone sees, however insignificant – it could be a skid mark, broken brush or a key in the road — could be very helpful information,” she said.

James also reported that Martin had been on a diet which involved some fasting so there is a possibility that he may have been physically weaker than usual.

Martin is described as 29 years old, six feet tall, slender, with brown hair and brown eyes, according to Oakland North which published an alert early this morning. The article goes on: “If he went missing while cycling, his friends believe he would be riding a fluorescent green and white road bike and be wearing street clothes, a grey and blue helmet, white cycling shoes, and possibly be wearing a blue Mountain Hardware backpack.”

Anyone with information which could be useful on the case is asked to call the Berkeley Police Department at (510) 981-5900. (Reporters wishing to get more information on Mike can contact friends who are searching for him at 916-910-5588.)

Another link
http://berkeley.patch.com/articles/search-for-missing-cyclist-continues


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

One of the comments on the first link put an update:


> This from the BPD:
> 
> City of Berkeley Public Information Officer (PIO) EMAIL UPDATE Missing Cyclist – Anthony Michael Martin of Berkeley July 6, 2011The City of Berkeley Police Department (BPD) detectives have confirmed a sighting of Anthony Michael Martin with his bicycle in the City of Roseville, CA. from a credible source as recently as yesterday. (July 5, 2011) Mr. Martin did not appear to be in distress and as a adult, he is legally allowed to make the choices he has made. Some of the details of this confirmation and methods of locating him are ones that we would prefer not to share as they may compromise efforts in other/future investigations. In addition, since this is no longer a primary police matter, but a private matter, we feel that it is not appropriate to expose to the public.BPD investigators have advised Mr. Martin’s girlfriend and family of the developments. Although BPD is no longer considering Martin to be a “Missing Person” and that he has voluntarily left the Berkeley area, we will continue to work with other Law Enforcement agencies in an effort to speak to him directly.Thank you for your interest in this story and your support in getting the word out.


If this is true, I'm not sure what to think. It's really his decision to just up-and-leave given his age, but it's also bit low to have people worry and take the BPD's attention.


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## heythorp (Feb 17, 2005)

Yeah, everyone is free to do as he pleases. Hoping the police at least made sure he was where he was on his own free will. Its definitely strange at the least. 

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/07/...-in-roseville/

Missing Berkeley cyclist seen in Roseville
July 6, 2011 11:33 am by Tracey Taylor

Mike Martin of Berkeley, whose disappearance on Saturday provoked concern in the community

Anthony Michael Martin, the Berkeley cyclist who was reported missing on Saturday, has been seen in Roseville, as recently as yesterday.

The Berkeley Police Department confirmed that there was a sighting of Martin with his bicycle in Roseville from a credible source on July 5. A hotel clerk in Roseville was sent a photo which he identified was Martin. He confirmed Martin was staying in the area.

A BPD press release states: “Mr. Martin did not appear to be in distress and as a adult, he is legally allowed to make the choices he has made. Some of the details of this confirmation and methods of locating him are ones that we would prefer not to share as they may compromise efforts in other/future investigations. In addition, since this is no longer a primary police matter, but a private matter, we feel that it is not appropriate to expose to the public.”

Martin, 29, was reported missing after he said he was going on a bike ride on Saturday in the Berkeley-Oakland hills, which started on Tunnel Road. When he did not return home that evening — he had plans to have dinner with his girlfriend Amaya James at 8:00 pm — his friends and family reached out to the media for help in raising the alarm, as well as filing a missing person report with the police.

James, 29, also of Berkeley, appeared on television to talk about Martin and the search that was underway for him.

The case provoked much interest in the the community. A Berkeleyside reader, Local Cyclist, wrote in our Comments section about a search party he organized in the area around Tunnel Road on Tuesday, where Martin’s cellphone had been found by an unrelated cyclist on Saturday.

Concern centered on the fact that Martin had been on a diet which involved fasting. It was feared he might have become weak or been physically impaired.

Reports in the media also suggested that Martin, who had worked at the nanofabrication laboratory at UC Berkeley and was an active member of the University Lutheran Chapel, might have been unhappy. He was said to be thinking of leaving his job and leaving California.

The BPD said this is no longer a police or criminal matter. “Mr. Martin has voluntarily left for whatever private, personal reasons only he can speak to. This is a private, personal, family matter now.”


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## z3phrn (Mar 19, 2011)

Maybe he's biking to the death ride? 

http://community.active.com/thread/157760/im-riding-to-the-death-ride-from-san-jose/0/0


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## mangotreat0808 (Sep 4, 2006)

First off, glad to know he is OK (at least per update of his latest sighting). Having had to go through this myself a few years ago with a family member, this is very anxiety-ridden time for the those who are left behind to wonder and yes, worry their eyes out. I'm giving him the benefit of doubt that there may be other things going on, i.e., mental problem, fight, depression, etc. Since he seems to have been under no distress in his sighting per latest police report, he may be OK. As far as the references in the thread that anyone is *free to do as he or she please*, I really think this is a bunch of horse manure. No one in his right mind has the right to do as he please, if what he wants to do, or has done will have only caused unnecessary misery to those wondering where the heck he is. 

p.s. The family member, thank God, is fine after missing for about a week. In this case it wasn't his fault, he was assaulted and beaten unconscious. If not for the three Samaritans (I call them true angels), who called 911, this family member would not be with us today.


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## Andy69 (Jun 14, 2008)

seems premature to abandon a search based on one possible sighting


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