After what marked a week of searching for Cole Burbank, a 16-year-old who went missing early April 13, efforts ended in a parking lot in Chehalis, Washington around 5 p.m. yesterday when his car was located with a body inside, according to a press release from the Camas Police Department.
Although the body, which has been released to the Lewis County coroner, has not been positively identified as Burbank, the body was described in a press release from the Camas Police Department as belonging to a young adult male.
The Camas Police Department has called off the search for Cole, who had been reported by several news agencies to have gone missing en route to Clark College from Camas High School to attend Running Start classes.
Although there is no definitive legal conclusion to the identity of the body, Scarlett Kendrick posted as an administrator late Friday night on the Facebook page Cole Burbank Search Party- Volunteers Needed on behalf of the Burbanks:
“Friends,
On behalf of the family:
Cole has been found and God has a new angel in his choir. We are incredibly thankful for the overwhelming support and prayers that all of the individuals in this community have shown during this difficult time. We are blessed by your prayers and find comfort in knowing so many of you cared for Cole.”
The Facebook page has been a tremendous source of support for the Burbank family, garnering 4,872 members to help in the search efforts for Cole. The Columbian reported that it was a volunteer member of that group who located the 2010 black Honda Accord in the Chehalis shopping center parking lot.
The press release from the Camas Police Department thanked the public for their efforts: “the Camas Police would like to express their gratitude to the public for their concerns, volunteer search efforts and tips and also to the assisting agencies involved in this investigation; Chehalis Police Department, Vancouver Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.”
Clark College has been keeping students updated about Cole on its Facebook page and news site. Clark has also lifted its policy on missing persons flyers in Cole’s case, allowing several posters concerning Cole to be put up across campus.
