Missing University of Rhode Island Student Matthew Royer Found Safe in North Carolina … Missing on His Own Accord?

Missing 21 year old University of Rhode Island student Matthew Royer has been found unharmed in North Carolina. Matthew Royer had been missing since May 16, 2013 when he was traveling home for the summer to Collegeville, PA from his apartment at the University of Rhode Island. Surveillance video had Royer within 30 minutes from his home,but he never showed. Royer was located on Thursday but details about what took him to North Carolina have not been released. The family is asking for their privacy. According to a police statement, “The family requests that the media not contact them nor reveal his location as they wish to consider this a private and closed matter.”

Missing University of Rhode Island student Matthew Royer has been located unharmed in North Carolina, according to authorities and his family, but how he got there remains a mystery.

Royer, 21, had been last seen on May 16 on the University of Rhode Island campus. The college junior had moved out of his apartment and returned the keys, according to ABC News’ Philadelphia station WPVI.

Royer was on his way home to Skippack Township, Pa., for the summer where his family was waiting for him. He was supposed to report for work at a golf course the day after he returned home, but when he did not show up, his family reported him missing.

Royer was located on Thursday but details about what took him to North Carolina have not been released.

Make no mistake about it, I am glad that Matthew Royer has been found safe. But I have my reservations on how this might affect searches for other individuals in his age group. When some one goes “purposely” missing and the family calls for resources to help find their loved one, the question arises, “Who should be Responsible for the costs of the searches”? That is a valid question. Obviously authorities cannot and better not just say like Denis Jacobs, lead investigator in the Natalee Holloway case in Aruba, “No, this happens all the time. Just go on down to Carlos N‘ Charlie’s and have a beer. She’ll show up sometime. She probably got drunk or fell in love and ran off with someone for a few days.” But, what happens when some one does go missing on their own accord?  One thing is for certain, I hope this family gets some help for Matthew as these were not the actions of a right thinking person. Hopefully they will so that we are not later reporting further of Matthew Royer again.