Search for missing Portland man expands nationwide
PORTLAND, Ore. – The search for a North Portland man who disappeared three days before Christmas has gone nationwide.
Matthew McConnell-Heglund, 29, was last seen sleeping on his friend’s living room couch at the Pier Park Apartments in the St. Johns area after a night out with friends at the Twilight Room in North Portland, police said.
Police said all points bulletins have been distributed to law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
His sister-in-law, Amy Gilkey, said it’s just not like McConnell-Heglund to miss his son’s birthday.
“We had a family birthday party this afternoon,” Gilkey said Saturday. “For him not to be there is heartbreaking.”
McConnell-Heglund is described as a white man who is 6 feet tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has receding brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a tattoo of a black, filled-in, 5-point star on his right arm.
He was last seen wearing a black jacket over a green polo shirt, khaki pants and black shoes.
Anyone with information about McConnell-Heglund or his whereabouts is asked to call Detective Mike Weinstein at 503-823-0446.
If he ran away from his family, shame on him for not having the guts to face his family.
The body in Johnson Creek is that of a 30 year old man. Gosh, I hope it's not him....
 @Debbie457 It is not him. Keep searching .
This has got to be the worst situation, when somebody just vanishes seemingly into thin air... Â I feel so bad for his family... and I hope they get some answers very soon... Â even more, I hope he can come home again..!
Seems to me the nationwide search and APBs are a clue that they think he is no longer in the area? How awful it is for his family to not know what happened.
I hate to say this, because someone is dead, but I was hoping that the body found yesterday in Johnson Creek might have been this young man. A tragic end...but it would have at least brought closure to his young family.
 @fracas That's the harsh reality of searching for missing persons. Especially when they have been missing for several years. The families, investigators and searchers find themselves in a situation where they almost hope it is the person they have been searching for but really they hope it isn't. Then when identification is delayed it makes it into even more of a nightmare. It's not sick but I can understand why someone who has not been in that situation would think so. You get torn in two different directions. There are support groups for families/friends of missing persons and this is an issue they must deal with. This discussion comes up all the time. It's a harsh reality.
 @fracas You are sick.Â
 @KKStJohn  @fracas You are mistaken.
Schnitzer Steel, Union Pacific, BPA, IRC Aluminum, Pick and Pull, A1 Truck parts, Napa Auto Parts, Georgia Pacific, JR Simplot, Northwest Container Services and everyone in the area of St Johns Pier Park --------Please check/search your private property------------------
Friends and family searchers are not able to search in these areas and there are too many places to cover.
 @special effects They've been looking.  My husband works in the area.  If it s a place they frequent, they are certainly keeping their eyes open (in other words there are several of these places that are no longer actively in use but they almost all have security that still patrol those portions of the property so, if someone has entered an area they shouldn't, it would certainly be dealt with).  There are also several vacant areas that, like you said, can't be searched but people who regularly drive through this area are aware and, I'm sure, if they noticed something out of sorts they'd either investigate or contact the police.