Danny Newville – an update

Posted by joy.the.curious on Sep 27, 2017 in Danny Newville | 6 comments

New to this story? Start from the beginning:
Danny Newville – Missing since 2002

In my last post, I mentioned that the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office had received an anonymous letter and was hoping to reach out to the author so they could get a few more details. I’m happy to report that… thanks to your help in sharing that post… the author did indeed reach out to Detective Kent Bauman and he was able to gather additional information for Danny’s case. Great job, everyone!

I asked Detective Bauman if he could provide a brief update on the investigation. I was curious as to how many tips they’ve received and whether any of this extra attention was helping the case. Although he wasn’t able to share much, he did mention that they have received 10 additional leads since I started blogging about Danny’s story and his case remains an active investigation.

Wow! Ten leads may not sound like much, but those are ten leads they didn’t have two months ago. And, equally important, they were generated by everyday people like us who simply care about this 18 year old boy, took the time to learn about Danny’s case, and shared his story across the Internet.

That’s powerful.

There’s a word for this new phenomenon. It’s called “crowdsourcing,” and it can be an incredibly effective tool in this day and age. However, it can also be a slippery slope for investigators who are just now learning the power of this brave new medium.

This Sunday, October 1st, CBS is premiering a new TV show called Wisdom of the Crowd. Here’s a quick rundown from the CBS web site:

Wisdom of the Crowd is a drama about a visionary tech innovator who creates a cutting-edge crowdsourcing app to solve his daughter’s murder, and revolutionize crime solving in the process. Inspired by the notion that a million minds are better than one, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Jeffrey Tanner, develops “Sophe,” an online platform for publicly shared information he’s certain will find his daughter’s killer. To assist him, Tanner recruits Detective Tommy Cavanaugh, the original cop who investigated the murder but was unceremoniously forced off the case. Working with them is Sara Morton, a brilliant engineer whose relationship with Tanner goes beyond professional; Josh Novak, a talented, nerdy-cool head programmer; and Tariq Bakari, a tech genius and expert hacker with issues adhering to the rules. Concerned with Tanner’s obsession is his successful ex-wife, Congresswoman Alex Hale, with whom he shares an unbreakable bond over their shared grief. As Tanner taps into the “wisdom of the crowd,” his unexpected success fuels his determination to solve even more cases than just the one that’s personal to him.

“Wisdom of the Crowd” premieres October 1, 2017 on CBS

I’ll probably tune in to the show and check it out. I’m especially curious to see how they’ll present the pitfalls of crowdsourcing… of which there are many. Speaking from experience, I’ve learned that crowdsourcing can quickly lead to witch-hunting if speculation is allowed to prevail over simple common sense and decency. The public is a powerful force – especially when combined with social media – and the results can be devastating if mob mentality begins to take over.

I guess what I’m saying is… keep an open mind. More often than not, a simpler solution is better then a more complex one. Or, as any good detective will tell you, “When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.”

If you have a tip about Danny Newville’s disappearance, please contact:

Detective Robbie Braness
Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office
Phone: 320-214-6700, x3312
Email: Robbie.Braness@kcmn.us

You may also mail anonymous tips to:
Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office
2201 NE 23rd St, Suite 101
Willmar, MN 56201

Facebook Messenger:
https://www.facebook.com/Kandiyohi-County-Sheriffs-Office-471311649587923

Next time

Danny Newville – Radio interview

6 Comments

1. Amy | September 27, 2017 at 7:55 pm

   Joy, thank you so much for continuing to pursue the truth and helping to provide closure for another family. I can’t imagine how emotionally hard it is to investigate these cases and learn of horrible things happening to kids, but know that we, your readers, appreciate your work and try to help by sharing your posts.

2. joy.the.curious | September 27, 2017 at 8:47 pm

   Thanks Amy! I am so thankful to everyone who is following along and sharing these posts.

3. Lisa | September 27, 2017 at 9:14 pm

   Thank you Joy for all that you do and what you are doing. We need more people in the world like you. Please continue keeping this case something to talk about. Hopefully one day that dear family will have answers and closure.

4. Karen | September 27, 2017 at 10:39 pm

   I am thankful for you, Joy. I have always wondered what happened to Danny. Keep up the good work.

5. Susan Dressel | September 28, 2017 at 8:19 am

   Awesome information and direction Joy!

6. judy jenson | September 28, 2017 at 10:30 am

   Right here reading, Was so excited to hear about the tips. Good job.