Three-Day Search Planned for Le

A three-day search for missing nursing student Michelle Le, who was last seen at the Kaiser Permanente hospital in Hayward last month, will get under way Friday.

Volunteers are being sought for the search, which is being put together by Le's family and the Klaas Kids foundation, a Sausalito-based organization dedicated to stopping crimes against children. The search will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., organization founder Marc Klaas said.

Klaas said the goal is to find 26-year-old Le safe and sound, despite the Hayward Police Department's reclassification of Le's case as a homicide last week.

"(Hayward police) don't have a body or some compelling evidence. There's no way on Earth that family will give up on those circumstances," he said.

Le was last seen on May 27 at Kaiser Permanente Hayward Medical Center on Sleepy Hollow Avenue, where she told classmates she was planning to travel to Reno after her rotation at the hospital. Le left during a break and never returned.

Investigators have said they discovered compelling evidence that "points conclusively to homicide." Hayward police Sgt. Steve Brown said investigators wanted to remain hopeful that Le was alive, but "based on all the evidence, we have the grim possibility that Michelle is dead and we should prepare for the worst."

Although the Le family's relationship with police has been strained, Klaas said it has largely been repaired. Klaas and Brad Dennis, the KlaasKids Foundation's director of search operations, will be meeting with Hayward police detectives at 5 p.m. today to discuss possible areas to target in the search.

Klaas, who started KlaasKids Foundation in 1994 after his 12-year-old daughter Polly was kidnapped from her Petaluma home and murdered in 1993, said he empathizes with the Le family's distress as police now consider Le's disappearance a homicide.

"It was exactly the same, in my daughter's case - that created incredible tension. You show me her body and I'll buy into what you're saying, but until then..." Klaas said.

Those looking to volunteer in the search operation can meet at the command center at 25350 Cypress Ave. in Hayward at 8 a.m. on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and bring photo identification.

Individuals are advised to dress appropriately by wearing long pants and sturdy, closed-toe shoes. The search will require some volunteers to perform searches on foot and others to work in the command center. Donations of bottled water and office supplies are appreciated, he said.

For more information about the search or donating supplies, interested parties can call Tricia Griffith at (801) 560-1933.

--Bay City News