Memorial Walk for Danny Newville

Posted by joy.the.curious on Jul 30, 2014 in Danny Newville | 2 comments

A co-worker of mine asked if I would share the following information about an upcoming Memorial Walk for Danny Newville on Saturday, August 2. Danny was 18 years old when he went missing from New London, Minnesota on August 1, 2002.

Eighteen year old Danny Newville went missing from my small town of New London, Minnesota on August 1, 2002

The Lakes Area Review published an article in this week’s paper about the Memorial Walk, as well as details about Danny’s disappearance. I am reprinting the article with their permission.

Aug. 2 walk in Danny Newville’s memory

Young man went missing in New London 12 years ago

By Dori Moudry, Editor, Lakes Area Review, New London, Minnesota

The family of Daniel “Danny” Newville is having a walk in his memory at 11am Saturday, Aug. 2 in New London. The public is welcome to join in the walk.

Danny was last seen in the early morning hours of Aug. 1, 2002 in the New London area. He has been missing for 12 years.

Next Saturday’s walk in Danny’s memory will start at the New London-Spicer High School parking lot with a prayer by the Rev. Paul McCullough of the Willmar Assemblies of God Church. The walk will proceed to Old Grey Park before returning to the school. A tree will be planted in Danny’s memory at the park.

“We just want to get some awareness out there,” Danny’s father, Russ Newville, said. “There’s a lot of people that miss Danny.”

Eighteen at the time of his disappearance, Danny would have turned 30 on May 7. He was last seen at a party in New London, and witnesses say he left the party on foot. He has not been seen or heard from since.

According to a Jan. 6, 2003 story in the Kandiyohi County Times, in mid-August, 2002, it was discovered Danny had been missing for two weeks.

Having just turned 18 in May of the year he disappeared, Danny’s hours were unpredictable, and he would sometimes stay with friends or relatives for long periods of time.

In mid-August, an attempt to locate bulletin was issued. In September, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Department initiated a missing person search for Danny.

Ground searches by law enforcement have been conducted, as well as air searches with a State Patrol helicopter and scent dog searches also have taken place. Det. Kent Baumann with the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said.

The Sheriff’s Office has done a number of interviews, including polygraph tests, of people who were at the same party as Danny the night he disappeared, he said.

“We’re still trying to piece together where he is and what happened to him,” Baumann said.

The Sheriff’s Office continues to actively take leads in Danny’s case, and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension also is involved in the investigation. Danny has been listed on several national missing persons web sites.

Russ Newville believes his son is deceased. He believes Danny was the victim of foul play, and the people who know what happened to him are too afraid to come forward.

“There are people who know what happened to Danny,” he said.

Russ Newville expressed frustration with law enforcement’s handling of Danny’s case. He said he informed police Danny was missing within 10 days of his disappearance, but a missing person search was not conducted until September.

“Twelve years is way too long,” he said. “If this was a sheriff’s kid, a pastor’s kid, they would have this solved by now. I want him found and I want to have a proper burial for him.”

He hopes the walk in Danny’s memory “will bring a big awareness” to Danny’s disappearance.

In 2011, the Minnesota Missing Persons Act became law, making it easier to prompt a search for a missing adult. The act requires law enforcement agencies to accept without delay any report of a missing person, including people 18 or older.

For more information, see Statutes Chapter 299C.51-299C.5655 at www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us.

Anyone with information related to Danny Newville’s disappearance is asked to call the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 214-6700, ext. 3366.

Read the next story in this series: Danny Newville – Missing since 2002

Next time

Eleven cases and counting: An update on the Paynesville incidents

Story update

Here’s a link to a video that was produced after this year’s walk. Credit: Fry Pan Productions

2 Comments

1. meredithmclovin | August 1, 2014 at 8:49 am

   I really hope Mr. Newville finds closure and the answers he is seeking. These families so deserve to know what happened to their children. I would like Russ to know there’s people out there who care about their situation. It may not come close to the pain he is experiencing, but it’s frustrating and heart breaking for us too there is no resolution. Anyone with empathy can imagine the crushing, paralyzing pain of being a parent of missing child, though it’s hard to fully know until we have been there of course. I pray that someone comes forward for Danny. We should not wait until we are parents of missing children ourselves, to help, to care and to come forward.

2. russell l newville | September 12, 2014 at 3:33 am

   Thank you Meredith. I am going to have a benefit dance for Danny. It will be open to the public and we’re hoping alot of caring people will turn out to show how much we need to solve this case, find Danny and give him a proper place to rest! It will be a donation dance with all proceeds going for a reward to find Danny! The dance will be at the American Legion in Spicer, Minnesota on October 17th from 6pm til 12. Hoping to play Danny’s video, celebrate his life. and hopefully bring this long overdue tragedy to an end!

   For all who can not make it to the dance but would like to help, you can send a donation to:

   Daniel L Newville Benefit Trust
   Home State Bank
   1610 E Highway 12
   Willmar MN 56201

   Thank you all for your support, and God bless!!!