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John Hollenhorst ReportingA new clue is giving hope to the family of a young man who disappeared mysteriously from Cedar City on Labor Day. Friends and relatives gathered for a candle light vigil tonight.
For two and a half weeks, those close to 18-year-old Chris Coan have wondered why he never came home from work and evidently went somewhere without his wallet. The clues point toward Northern Utah, but the agony and uncertainty for his loved ones is not letting up.
A few candles in the wind and a prayer from Chris Coan's favorite teacher, Mary Christensen. "We pray Heavenly Father that thou will bless this community to be strong, to continue the effort to find him."
Chris Coan was last seen Labor Day evening. He finished his shift at a Subway shop in Cedar City, drove away and vanished.
His father, Dave Coan, said, "Kidnapping? Maybe. We thought about suicide but a lot of people don't think he fits the profile. So that abduction thing just sits heavy in my heart."
Chris' father and stepmother have been trying to spread the word and Chris's picture far and wide. They've used everything from flyers and posters to rambunctious canines wearing T-shirts.
Shannon, his stepmother, says, "There are moments where we are hopeful and we're excited and we keep going forward; and then there's those moments that is despair. The lowest of the low is to not have any clue where he is."
Officer Dan Raddatz, with the Enoch Police Dept., said, "There's hope. There's plenty of sightings, people are out there, the community's helping. We appreciate that."
A new sighting was reported just hours before the vigil. It wasn't a sighting of Chris but rather of his red Blazer. So far, the sightings point to Northern Utah. There's no explanation why Chris would have disappeared without taking his clothes or even his wallet. That makes police wonder , did he leave on purpose, or against his will? Every sighting raises hopes, and questions.
Dave said, "You're on an emotional roller coaster, and most of the time it's on the low end, and every few times it is high."
If you have any information about Chris Coan or his red Blazer, you should contact Enoch police or any law enforcement agency.
