Search Called off for Missing Marine

This sounds like a plot for a novel. I guess he will eventually turn up somewhere.

Friend arrested, says marine staged disappearance


Jeff Thomas / YourHub.com

A missing marine's friend has been arrested for false reporting as Boulder County Sheriff's deputies now believe that Lance Hering staged his disappearance rather than returning to active duty, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.

Sheriff's detectives arrested 20-year-old Steve Powers, of Boulder, late on the night of Sept. 6 for his role in falsely reporting the disappearance Hering, 21, also of Boulder. That led to a massive search effort following Power's report that he had inexplicably disappeared after being injured in a hiking accident on the night of Aug. 29.

Powers was arrested the misdemeanor count and held at the Boulder County Jail, said Cmdr. Phil West in the release.

" The Sheriff plans to seek restitution for the thousands of dollars expended in the search effort," West said.

" Investigators brought Mr. Powers in for an interview Wednesday (Sept. 6) when further investigation began to highlight discrepancies and inconsistencies in his story. For example, Mr. Powers' narrative regarding the time line of events was improbable and left many questions unanswered.

" Additionally, the repeated searches of the area where Hering was supposedly last seen, including several searches by canines, without any evidence turning up was deemed suspicious. The discovery that Hering had access to $2,000 cash (rather than being broke) and had discussed "disappearing" in the past, fueled detectives' concerns. Confronted by detectives with the inconsistencies in his story, Powers ultimately admitted that he had assisted Lance Hering with staging his disappearance. The motive for Hering's disappearance appears to be his reluctance to return to duty as a Marine."

Powers provided a number of clues that investigators and military official are following up on regarding Hering's current location, the release states. "According to Marine Corps officials, Hering is currently classified as 'unauthorized absent' because he left prior to the official approval of his leave request. If he fails to return by Sept. 11, he faces potentially much more serious federal charges. He faces local charges as well."

West said that Sheriff Joe Pelle and Division Chief Dennis Hopper met with Hering's parents on the evening of Sept. 6 to inform them of the developments in the case.

" The Herings remain very concerned for their son's welfare," West said. "They do not wish to speak to the media at this time."

Anyone with information about Lance Hering's whereabouts is asked to contact the Boulder County Sheriff's Office immediately at 303-441-4444.

October 5th, 2006 7:07 pm
Powers opens up


Hering desperate to avoid return

By Christine Reid / Daily Camera

Boulder Marine Lance Hering went missing because he feared for his life ?- not at the hands of the enemy in Iraq but from men in his own unit who committed an unspeakable atrocity there, says the friend who helped him disappear.

Steve Powers, who helped Hering stage a climbing accident Aug. 29 that sparked a massive five-day manhunt, spoke publicly about the hoax Wednesday for the first time, telling the Daily Camera why his best friend thought it was his only way out.

"He thought if he would have gone back to Camp Pendleton they would have killed him," said Powers, 20. "He was terrified."

Hering, 21, is a lance corporal in the Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment based in California ?- the same unit that currently has eight soldiers charged with conspiracy, kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi civilian April 26 in Hamdania, Iraq.

The seven Marines and one Navy corpsman are currently jailed on charges of taking Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52, from his home, binding his hands and feet, placing him into a hole, shooting him repeatedly and then staging the scene to make it appear he was an insurgent planting a roadside bomb.

Another soldier from Hering's unit is accused of assaulting three Iraqis and then lying about it.

Hering has not told a soul what he saw, Powers said, not even him, because Hering feared that then Powers' life, too, would be in danger.

But the reason didn't really matter, Powers said. He believed the friend he met at Fairview High School ?- the guy he spent countless hours with playing chess and climbing mountains and buildings ?- was in real danger, and he was determined to help.

Even if it meant trashing his reputation and earning the dubious distinction of becoming a convicted felon.

"To me, I was saving his life," Powers said. "Absolutely, I'd do it again."

Inseparable friends

Hering and Powers were pretty much inseparable in high school. They loved to work on puzzles together ?- ones that exercised the brain via checkerboards and others that tested the body in the rocky canyons and valleys of Boulder County.

The two also liked to parkour ?- the sport of running, jumping, climbing and crawling through an obstacle course of urban surroundings ?- and climbing up buildings, called "buildering." During one escapade, the two were arrested on suspicion of trying to burglarize the Savers store a couple of blocks from their south Boulder homes.

Powers said they accidentally sat on a hatch on top of the building, triggering an alarm.

Both eventually pleaded guilty to felony attempted burglary in exchange for deferred sentences ?- meaning if they stayed out of trouble their records would be wiped clean.

Powers was a month away from that happening when the Boulder County Sheriff's Office ticketed him for false reporting in connection with Hering's disappearance.

Powers is unsure now what his future holds. After graduation, he worked and took classes at the University of Colorado with hopes of earning a business degree.

Hering, however, struggled with what to do next, Powers said. He opted to sign up with the military, following the footsteps of his father and brother.

Hering was excited during training, Powers said, and opted to join the infantry team.

And then he was deployed to Iraq.

Powers said he kept in close touch with his friend through phone calls, but then something changed during one of those calls.

"He told me he needed to talk to me when he got back," Powers said. "He sounded terrified."

A way to disappear

Hering was granted leave when his unit returned to Camp Pendleton after seven months, and he arrived in Boulder in mid-August. Over the next two weeks, he told Powers that he had to stage his disappearance and asked for help.

Powers said he tried to convince his friend there had to be another way.

Maybe the two could act like they were a couple and go to Massachusetts and get married, Powers suggested, since the military doesn't allow open homosexuality.

Or they could head off for a camping trip, and Powers would drop Hering off anywhere he wanted.

But Hering could not be swayed, Powers said.

"He was definitely, absolutely convinced this was the only way he was going to survive," Powers said.

Hering came up with the idea of staging a climbing accident in their old stomping grounds in Eldorado Canyon State Park on Aug. 29. The two went to the park that afternoon and bouldered up the canyon to scout out a spot where Powers would tell the world his friend fell and hit his head so severely that it left him unconscious for four hours.

Hering brought along an automotive grease needle to pull blood from a vein in his arm so that investigators would buy the story he suffered from a head wound. He also rolled around in several different areas near the fabricated fall spot to ensure his scent would be picked up by search dogs.

Then Powers drove Hering to the 16th Street Mall in Denver, and the two cried as they said their goodbyes.

The idea that Hering was doing this for insurance money or to fulfill some grand plan, as alluded to in sheriff's reports, is absurd, Powers said.

"I'm pretty sure he would have given anything to stay here in town," said a weeping Powers. "It was not a fun day."

Lying for a friend

For the next six days Powers lived the lie.

He showed up every morning in Eldorado Canyon to help with the search, which was conducted mostly by volunteers. He tried to comfort Hering's parents and brother, the latter who flew in from Louisiana.

Investigators began doubting the tale when the story surfaced about Hering telling his girlfriend he had planned to disappear.

Even Hering's parents went public with their concerns that their son may have been the victim of foul play and that the last person who saw him was Powers.

"That was hard. I think I saved their son's life," Powers said.

Powers said he has since made peace with the Herings, and hopes to do the same with all the searchers who scoured the rugged terrain looking for a man they didn't even know. He said he made it a point to learn all their names so that he could thank them during the search and apologize later.

"I violated everyone's trust," Powers said. "It's a choice I'll live with because compared to saying no and having Lance hurt or killed ?- I couldn't live with that."

According to the plan, Powers kept up the charade for six days until telling authorities the truth. The rouse sparked the largest search in Boulder County history, costing more than $10,000.

The Sheriff's Office immediately ticketed Powers and put out an arrest warrant for Hering for a similar misdemeanor charge.

Boulder County Sheriff Cmdr. Phil West said the office has vastly scaled down its investigation into Hering's whereabouts and that everything Powers has told detectives is suspect.

"He had a representation of what he claims Lance told him, but we have no way of verifying it as fact," West said.

Investigators in Boulder notified the California Marine base about Powers' claims, West said, but he did not know what the response was.

The Sheriff's Office seized Powers' computer ?- the one Powers had planned to use so that Hering could contact him through an online video game. Powers said he has offered to help deputies access the game using his passwords, but they haven't been interested.

"It's been very frustrating," Powers said.

Cmdr. West said Powers' attorney laid out too many conditions to "make it worth pursuing."

Waiting for word

The Marines have acknowledged that Hering was in the unit now under scrutiny for the homicide, but they defended their policies in protecting soldiers who may witness crimes committed by other soldiers.

"There are numerous avenues where a Marine can go for help," said 1st Lt. Esteban Vickers, Camp Pendleton spokesman.

He said the Marines have not heard from Hering, who was due back on base Sept. 18.

Vickers said he was unaware Hering felt threatened, and said if the Marine did see something that there was nothing to fear because all the suspects in the homicide case are in jail awaiting trial.

All Powers knows is that he is worried about his friend. He said he doesn't know where Hering is, and Hering hasn't contacted him ?- as he promised to do in the form of a blank e-mail 48 hours after he left.

Powers trusts Hering will do the right thing for himself.

But Powers said he did offer this advice to his friend: "Call your parents."

I've been following this story

Desperate measures indeed

Somehow it seems very symbolic - almost like a biblical tale
I'm sure there are already writers and film makers working on scripts.

The story reminds me of Gus Van Sant's low budget and experimental film "Gerry"
About two friends who go walking in the wilderness and get lost.

In this reality, I was suprised at how long it took people to figure the truth.
On the very first day of news about this, three of my mates said, "He's done a runner - no doubt about that." And I agreed with them.

We watched every man and his dog go after his bloke wondering why no one had considered his tours of duty in Iraq.

When, oh when are people going to wake up to how destructive war is to EVERONE involved.