Teen Went for a Run in Colo. Mountains, Vanished

'It's just an awful situation,' says mom
By Brownie Marie,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 20, 2015 12:35 PM CDT
Teen Went for a Run in Colo. Mountains, Vanished
Photo collage of missing 19-year-old Joe Keller.   (Facebook/Find Joe Keller)

A teenager from Tennessee went missing while on a run with a childhood friend in rural Colorado last month, and there is still no trace of Joe Keller to be found. Keller and Collin Gwaltney went running in a mountainous area near Antonito on the afternoon of July 23, eventually taking different paths as they often did, Gwaltney tells Dateline NBC. "But after two hours passed and he didn't come home, we went out looking," he says, but to no avail. The Conejos County Sheriff's Office suspended its search earlier this month with no leads. Keller's mom, Zoe, says waiting for news about her 19-year-old son has been torturous. "It's just an awful situation not knowing if your loved one is in heaven or in a terrible situation on earth or out in the wilderness," she laments.

Officials say the FBI is investigating the disappearance, and have not ruled out foul play. Back in Tennessee, the community is hoping for a miracle. "There have been a lot prayer vigils and fundraisers," Gwaltney says. "Everyone wants him home." A GoFundMe account has been created for the Keller family to help offset the cost of their search, investigation, and $50,000 reward for information leading to Keller's safe return. The teen is 5-foot-7, 160 lbs., with blond hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing red running shorts with reflective strips on the sides and blue running shoes at the time of his disappearance. (More missing person stories.)

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