WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Family Refuses to Give Up Hope as Search for Missing Man is Scaled Down (Hamden-WTNH) _ The search for a missing Hamden man is limited now, with only one Colorado detective working on the case. 44-year old Rick Wallace was last seen more than a week ago at a Colorado Springs hotel restaurant where he was eating dinner with his daughter. Wallace is the administrator of the Jewish Home for the aged in New Haven. His family is now back in Connecticut, not giving up hope. News Channel 8's Christina Hager reports. Everyone we've spoken with who knows Rick Wallace says it is not in his character to disappear willingly, and police say they've seen no activity in his credit card or bank accounts. That's why police say they're not giving up on the case and neither is Wallace's family. Linda Wallace, Wife: "When I wake up in the morning the first thing is, "It didn't happen," and then, "Oh no, it's another day of this, of waiting." Rick Wallace's family is back in their Connecticut home tonight, praying for an end to their nightmare. He was on a business trip in Colorado Springs where he was co-chairing a Jewish conference on aging when he disappeared. His 13-year-old daughter Jessica was the last one in the family to see him. Jessica Wallace, Daughter: "We were having dinner. Everything was normal." After dinner he said he was going to a reception in another building within the resort. It's across a lake. Linda: "The rocks around there are very loose. So if he was to step wrong, he would have fallen in." Police scoured that lake, finding nothing. They did an aerial search over the foothills of the rocky mountains surrounding the resort. Again nothing. Linda: "He either has amnesia, fell and hit his head and has amnesia and wandered off." Jessica "Had a nervous breakdown...." "Adam, Wallace, Son: "To the point where he doesn't know who we are. Because if he were in his right mind, my dad would not be out there knowing we were sitting here worrying." They are consumed with the possibilities. Did someone attack him? Did he get lost in this foreign terrain? Is he hurt? Was he somehow affected by the stress of negotiating with nursing home workers who'd recently threatened to strike? Linda: "I've already in my heart accepted the worst scenario, but I can't rest. I can't ever be normal again until I have a final answer." One message the Wallace's wanted to make sure we get out tonight: They are deeply thankful for the support they've gotten here in Connecticut from friends and officials like Senator Joseph Lieberman, and Dr. Henry Lee, who called Colorado police urging them to step up their search. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Family Refuses to Give Up Hope as Search for Missing Man is Scaled Down
Wallace (Hamden-WTNH) _ The search for a missing Hamden man is limited now, with only one Colorado detective working on the case. 44-year old Rick Wallace was last seen more than a week ago at a Colorado Springs hotel restaurant where he was eating dinner with his daughter. Wallace is the administrator of the Jewish Home for the aged in New Haven. His family is now back in Connecticut, not giving up hope.
News Channel 8's Christina Hager reports.

Everyone we've spoken with who knows Rick Wallace says it is not in his character to disappear willingly, and police say they've seen no activity in his credit card or bank accounts. That's why police say they're not giving up on the case and neither is Wallace's family.

Linda Wallace, Wife: "When I wake up in the morning the first thing is, "It didn't happen," and then, "Oh no, it's another day of this, of waiting."

Rick Wallace's family is back in their Connecticut home tonight, praying for an end to their nightmare. He was on a business trip in Colorado Springs where he was co-chairing a Jewish conference on aging when he disappeared. His 13-year-old daughter Jessica was the last one in the family to see him.

Wallace Family Jessica Wallace, Daughter: "We were having dinner. Everything was normal."

After dinner he said he was going to a reception in another building within the resort. It's across a lake.

Linda: "The rocks around there are very loose. So if he was to step wrong, he would have fallen in."

Police scoured that lake, finding nothing. They did an aerial search over the foothills of the rocky mountains surrounding the resort. Again nothing.

Linda: "He either has amnesia, fell and hit his head and has amnesia and wandered off."
Jessica "Had a nervous breakdown...."
"Adam, Wallace, Son: "To the point where he doesn't know who we are. Because if he were in his right mind, my dad would not be out there knowing we were sitting here worrying."

They are consumed with the possibilities. Did someone attack him? Did he get lost in this foreign terrain? Is he hurt? Was he somehow affected by the stress of negotiating with nursing home workers who'd recently threatened to strike?

Linda: "I've already in my heart accepted the worst scenario, but I can't rest. I can't ever be normal again until I have a final answer."

One message the Wallace's wanted to make sure we get out tonight: They are deeply thankful for the support they've gotten here in Connecticut from friends and officials like Senator Joseph Lieberman, and Dr. Henry Lee, who called Colorado police urging them to step up their search.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.