A young college student vanished during an academic conference in Chicago, slipping out of a late‑night emergency session and disappearing into the maze of hotel corridors and riverfront streets. In the hours before he went missing, he bounced between parties, appeared on security cameras with a drink in hand, and told classmates he just needed some fresh air. Then he walked away and was never seen again. Despite searches, interviews, and countless theories, no trace of him has surfaced.