Charles Ramsey says no progress in finding missing West Chester student

In his first public comments since Shane Montgomery’s mysterious disappearance, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Tuesday he’s just as baffled as the rest of the city.

“It’s strange,” he said.

When asked if the case is suspicious, Ramsey said, “I don’t know.”

“It’s certainly suspicious that he’s gone this long,” Ramsey said, “but there’s no evidence to show that he met with foul play.”

Police and federal officials are investigating surveillance video and questioning employees of Kildare’s Irish Pub as a community searches for it’s missing son.

Shane Montgomery, 21, a senior at West Chester University, has been missing since Thanksgiving when he left the Manayunk Main Street bar around 2 a.m. and disappeared.

While foul play doesn’t seem to be a possibility, Ramsey said investigators never want to make too many assumptions.

“You want to just go over the facts and the evidence leads you,” he said, “because right now it’s not leading us too far.”

Ramsey said detectives have exhausted many of the usual outlets.

“We’ve gone through video, scoured surrounding areas,” he said. “We’re doing all we can.

“We’ve had our marine unit out, our helicopters up, we’ve gone through the canal, we’ve done everything I can think of to do,” Ramsey added. “We just need more information.”

The reward for information about Montgomery’s disappearance has increased to $25,000.

Timeline

Nov. 26

9 p.m. Montgomery left a cousin’s house near Main Street in Manayunk to meet friends for drinks the night before Thanksgiving.

Later that evening. Montgomery and friends visited several bars, stopping at Kildare’s.

Thanksgiving morning

1:45 p.m. After bumping into a DJ table, Montgomery left the bar without incident.

Nov. 28

Family reports Montgomery missing, after he doesn’t return to his mother’s Roxborough home.

Dec. 2.

Police continue their search, turn up no leads.