http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2010/02/thomas-joel-zinza.html
Have You Seen Thomas Joel Zinza?By David Lohr
February 17, 2010
Thomas Joel Zinza Exactly two years ago today, 43-year-old Thomas Joel Zinza, a U.S. Marine and disabled vet from Alaska, disappeared from a motel in Emlenton, PA. Since that time, Tom's older brother, John Zinza, has been on a desperate search for answers in the case.
According to John, his brother suffered from mental health issues and there were signs that something terrible was going on in his brother's life in the days leading up to his disappearance.
"On February 14, 2008, I got a stressful call from my father, who said that Tom believed someone was trying to kill him and Tom was concerned about his safety," John told Investigation Discovery. "My father filled me in on what was going on and intended to update me as soon as he knew more."
Later that same day, Tom placed a similar call to his brother.
"I asked Tom if he was having problems with his medication and he expressed frustration at me for asking," John said. "He expressed thoughts about leaving Alaska as soon as possible to see some former Marines and his ex-wife. I requested that he see his mental health care providers. Tom ended the conversation, saying that he would do so. This is the last I heard from Tom."
On Feb. 16, Tom purchased a plane ticket and flew from Fairbanks to Seattle, WA. While in Seattle, he purchased additional plane tickets from Seattle to Cleveland, OH, and from Cleveland to Boston, MA. The flight to Boston was not scheduled to depart until Feb. 19, so Tom checked into a hotel room near the Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport for several hours, before driving away in a rental car. The rental car agreement Tom signed indicated that he would return the car in two days.
"On February 17, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office recovered Tom's luggage along a highway, east of Wooster, Ohio," John said. "The luggage was described as not typical. One contained his laptop computer and another bag contained his writing journals and his Palm Pilot."
Later that day, credit card statements show that Tom made purchases at a gas station in East Liverpool, OH and at a market in New Galilee, PA. He then drove to Emlenton, PA, where he checked into the Emlenton Motor Inn. The hotel owner later told police he remembered checking Tom in at about 11:00 pm.
"The next morning the cleaning lady discovered the room was unused," John said. "The day after that she notified the Pennsylvania State Police that he had still not used his room and the rental car was still in the parking lot."
Pennsylvania State Police notified authorities throughout the state about Tom's disappearance. Searches of the Alleghany River and an island on the river were later conducted, but nothing was found. The following month, an aerial search was conducted in the area around the motel, but again nothing was found.
"In the spring of 2009, a search and recovery group conducted another search at my request," John said. "A pair of boots was found in a wooded area near the motel, but it is inconclusive if they were Tom's."
Since that time, the search for Tom has gone cold. It remains unclear if Tom went missing of his own accord or if he met with foul play. Regardless of the circumstances, John and his family would like to know what happened to their missing loved one.
"Not knowing is utterly tortuous," John said. "If he is alive, I want to help him. If he is deceased, I would like to see my parents get closure. Tom would give his shirt off his back to help someone. People loved him and still do."
Thomas Joel Zinza is described as a white male. When he was last seen, he was 5' 10" tall, 200 pounds, with balding brownish-gray hair and hazel eyes. He had a small trout tattoo on his upper torso.
Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police at 814-676-6596 or the Wayne County Sheriff's Office at 330-287-5758
