Our View: Somebody knows what happened to Bradley Olsen
Someone knows.
Someone knows what happened to Bradley Olsen, the 26-year-old who vanished on a cold winter night in 2007 after a night at a local bar.
Someone holds the key to a semblance of closure for Olsen's parents and his child.
But that person isn't talking, and police are still looking. It has been nearly three years since Olsen was last seen; his parents recently petitioned a DeKalb County judge to declare their son dead so his daughter can collect Social Security benefits. No parent should ever have to make such a request.
The Olsens have our deepest sympathies; we cannot imagine their grief. We cannot imagine the not knowing.
Olsen's mother, Sue, is a familiar face and voice in this newspaper and in many media outlets. She's the one who sends alerts about searches for evidence about her son's disappearance. She's become accustomed to seizing even the smallest development to get the case back in the news.
She was there again last week, talking to a reporter after the emotional hearing:
"We aren’t giving up," she said.
We see Olsen's face all over town: On posters in grocery stores, in the front windows of businesses, on community bulletin boards. It's on a sign at the intersection of Route 38 and County Line Road. There are constant reminders that he still hasn't been found. Maybe someone out there can help bring some resolution to Olsen's family and friends.
Olsen was last seen leaving what was Bar One, at West Lincoln Highway near Annie Glidden Road. He is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs about 175 pounds and has blue eyes and brown hair. He has tattoos of a palm tree on his left ankle and a sun on his back. He was wearing a brown leather jacket, a black shirt, jeans and boots. Call the DeKalb Police Department at 815-748-8400 or the No Cops Tip Line at 866-479-5284 with information.
