The Disappearance of Ryan Blagojevic (Maine)

Summary

Dark Downeast: The Disappearance of Ryan Blagojevich (Maine) – Detailed Summary

Introduction

Dark Downeast, hosted by investigative journalist Kylie Lowe, delves into the enigmatic disappearance of Ryan Blagojevich in Portland, Maine, in 2013. This episode meticulously explores Ryan's background, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, the subsequent investigation, and the broader systemic challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness, substance use disorders, and mental health issues.

Ryan's Background and Life

Ryan Blagojevich, aged 37, had a tumultuous life marked by early struggles with substance use and untreated mental health issues. Ryan’s sister, Eve Blagojevich, provides a heartfelt account of their family dynamics and Ryan's personal battles.

[05:06] Eve Blagojevich: "There was definitely always like a kind of darkness lingering over my family that like I couldn't understand as like a child I always knew like something wasn't right."

Ryan's challenges began in his early teenage years, with his first entry into rehab around the age of 13 or 14. Despite his family's support, including periods of sobriety and attempts to rebuild his life, Ryan's ongoing struggles with addiction persisted.

[06:37] Eve Blagojevich: "I have to be honest, like, I don't remember a time when Ryan wasn't drinking."

In the late 2000s, Ryan resided in northern and Down East Maine, where he began a relationship and discovered he was going to be a father in early 2010. Despite moments of pride, such as the photograph of him with his newborn daughter, Ryan's behavior continued to reflect his internal turmoil, leading to legal issues including violations of a protection order.

The Night of Disappearance

On the night of March 31, 2013, Ryan was living at Milestone Recovery, a wet shelter in Portland that accommodates individuals regardless of their substance use status. A staff member reported Ryan for being disruptive and refusing to leave the premises.

[06:37] Kylie Lowe: "It was just after 7:00 on Sunday night, March 31, 2013, when a call came in to Portland Maine Police dispatch."

Portland Police Officer Brent Abbott responded promptly, documenting that Ryan was removed from the shelter with instructions to return the following day. However, Ryan never returned, and no further records indicate his whereabouts post-removal.

Family's Search Efforts

Eve Blagojevich recounts the immediate aftermath of Ryan’s disappearance, highlighting the family's growing concern as weeks passed without any contact.

[11:28] Eve Blagojevich: "My parents talked to him the night that he went missing... And that was the last time anyone heard from him."

Despite initial attempts to locate Ryan through shelters, hospitals, and jails, the response was hindered by privacy laws and limited information from service providers. Milestone Recovery, like many shelters, adheres to strict confidentiality protocols, preventing them from disclosing Ryan’s status or last known location.

Police Investigation

The Portland Police Department's investigation commenced with limited leads. Detective Chris Giesica took over the case but encountered several dead ends, including an unverified lead involving Peaks Island and a non-existent warrant.

[15:30] Eve Blagojevich: "They were kind, but they said that there was basically nothing that they could do initially because he was an adult."

Despite entering Ryan’s information into national missing persons databases, progress was stymied by insufficient evidence and leads. An audit revealed erroneous contacts with other police agencies, further complicating the investigation.

Theories and Possibilities

Ryan’s disappearance remains shrouded in mystery, with multiple theories proposed:

1. Accidental Drowning: Given his proximity to Portland Harbor and the similar fates of other men like John Faunville and James Dyer, it's plausible Ryan could have accidentally fallen into the water, especially during a less crowded evening.

2. Homicide: The potential for foul play, possibly linked to an altercation at the shelter or other unknown factors, remains unresolved.

3. Voluntary Disappearance or Suicide: Ryan might have chosen to disappear or taken his own life, although Eve expresses uncertainty about this possibility.

[33:25] Eve Blagojevich: "I used to say no sometimes. Now I think there may have been a tiny chance just because of how low he was."

Systemic Challenges

The episode underscores significant barriers in addressing missing persons cases among the homeless population:

• Confidentiality Laws: While essential for protecting vulnerable individuals, these laws can impede families from obtaining timely information.

• Lack of Resources: Limited police resources and public awareness contribute to the fading trail in such cases.

• Stigmatization: Societal biases against homelessness and addiction can result in less media attention and investigative priority.

Joseph McNally, Director of Homeless Services at Milestone Recovery, highlights the compassionate yet constrained environment of shelters.

[36:22] Joseph McNally: "Our staff really do a good job reminding folks that there are people that still care about them and that want them to do well in life, whatever that looks like."

Conclusion

Ryan Blagojevich’s disappearance remains unresolved over a decade later, emblematic of the struggles faced by many in similar circumstances. Eve Blagojevich continues her relentless search for answers, advocating for the visibility and justice that Ryan and others deserve.

[43:12] Eve Blagojevich: "I believe that Ryan deserves a death date... he just does. I think of him being cold and being lonely and like he deserves to be back with us."

Kylie Lowe emphasizes the importance of shining a light on such cases to prevent them from being forgotten and to foster a collective effort toward finding closure for the families involved.

Call to Action

Listeners are encouraged to assist in locating Ryan by providing any relevant information to the Portland Police Department through established channels.

[49:59] Kylie Lowe: "If you have information about the disappearance of Rob Brian Blagojevich, please call the Portland, Maine Police Department at 207-874-8575."

Final Remarks

Dark Downeast serves as a poignant reminder of the human stories behind missing persons cases, urging empathy, awareness, and action to support those who remain lost and the families who tirelessly seek their loved ones.

Transcript

[Ashley Flowers]

There are some cases so infamous that we have all heard about them, but some of the coldest cases, the most mysterious, are the ones that you've never heard of before. I'm Ashley Flowers and every Wednesday on my show the Deck, I dive into the coldest of cold cases. Many of these victims didn't get the press coverage they deserved during the initial investigations, but I'm sharing what our reporting team has found on these stories in hopes that some someone listening may have the information needed to bring answers to light. And that listener could be you. Listen to the Deck now.

[Kylie Lowe]

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[Kylie Lowe]

Homelessness, substance use disorder and mental health challenges create significant barriers in missing persons cases, often causing individuals to fall through the cracks and their families fighting to get their names and stories heard. Ryan Blagojevich disappeared without a trace in 2013 and his sister Eve continues the search to find him. The circumstances of his life at the time he went missing has made it even more difficult to get answers, but Eve won't let her brother be forgotten. I'm Kylie Lowe and this is the case of Ryan Blagojevich on Dark Down East. It was just after 7:00 on Sunday night, March 31, 2013 when a call came in to Portland Maine Police dispatch. It was a staff member at Milestone Recovery and they were calling to report that a man was being rude to guests and staff and refusing to leave. Milestone Recovery provides care and services to individuals experiencing substance use disorders, mental illness and homelessness. The man reportedly refusing to leave and disturbing people on site was 37 year old Ryan Blagojevich, a guest at Milestone Recovery himself. Portland police officer Brent Abbott responded to 65 India street on the Portland Peninsula by 7:06pm the call detail report from that night is just a few lines. It states that the shelter staff wanted Ryan to leave for the night, but he could return the next day. So Ryan was removed from the shelter and asked to move along for the evening. Officer Abbott finished the call by 7:18pm where Ryan went next, who he saw or what he did, there's no record of it. He didn't return to the shelter the next day. And since that Sunday evening in 2013, no one has seen or heard from him. Ryan's sister, eve Blagojevich is 14 years younger than Ryan. They came from a family of five kids, all pretty far apart in age, but the whole family was and is still close knit.

[Eve Blagojevich]

My parents ran an upholstery business out of our family home, so they were like always there. So we were lucky in that sense. Like we didn't have dad working late or mom working overnights. We were very lucky in that sense. They were like there to see us off on the bus in the morning and when we got home from school.

[Kylie Lowe]

They lived on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, just a stone's throw away from beautiful beaches and quintessential New England destinations. It was idyllic fit for a postcard. But looking back on it now, Eve can see cracks in the perfect veneer.

[Eve Blagojevich]

There was definitely always like a kind of darkness lingering over my family that like I couldn't understand as like a child I always knew like something wasn't right. And today I sit here and I realize that my parents were human just like all of us. But they did suffer from mental health issues. And my father was also an alcoholic. I never saw him drink, but he did drink during some of the other kids childhoods and the issues were pretty severe. And I hate saying that because I want to honor them. You know, they were good parents, they loved us, we were always fed, we always had a roof over. I am sitting at the family house right now. You know, we, we were taken care of. But those mental health issues were untreated and were eventually passed down to us.

[Kylie Lowe]

Her mother and father have passed away now. But Eve said that their home on Cape Cod where she was sitting for the interview, the home that's been in the family since the 70s gets to stay in the family. Preserving the memories that the house holds is important to her. Their family home is a place that has always been a soft landing and safe space for all of the kids, no matter what they faced through their lives. The darkness lingering over her family, as Eve referred to it, impacted Ryan from a young age. His experience with substance use disorder started in his early teenage years.

[Eve Blagojevich]

I have to be honest, like, I don't remember a time when Ryan wasn't drinking. I think he first went into rehab when he was 13. Maybe it was 14. I remember maybe I was 4 years old and spending a birthday. We went to see him in the detox or rehab where he was. And I remember my mom being so upset because they wouldn't let her light the birthday candles on the cake that they let us bring. So he really started struggling young.

[Kylie Lowe]

Ryan had the support of his family as he worked through his recovery. But Eve believes there was always something more beneath the surface. She believes it's possible he may have experienced abuse or other trauma in his life that was never discussed or addressed.

[Eve Blagojevich]

He had a lot of help, a lot of help offered to him, but I don't think his trauma was ever dealt with. I think just the addiction side of.

[Kylie Lowe]

It was dealt with.

[Eve Blagojevich]

So he just kept relapsing.

[Kylie Lowe]

In the late 2000s, Ryan was living in northern and down east Maine, carving out a life in the small towns outside of Bangor. He started dating someone. And in early 2010, Ryan learned he was going to be a father. His daughter was born that summer. The profile photo on Ryan's Facebook page shows him smiling down at his newborn daughter, feeding her with a tiny bottle, so obviously proud of the life he held in his hands. Eve told me that Ryan loved his child. It was undeniable. And it was also undeniable that Ryan was sick. His behavior reflected that. The mother of his child was granted a protection order against him, and Ryan violated it more than once, which resulted in jail time. The following spring, Ryan nearly lost his life. According to reporting in the Bangor daily news, on May 15, 2011, the Hancock County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene of a car accident on Newberry Neck Road in Surrey. First responders found a driverless Jeep Grand Cherokee that had apparently gone off the road and hit a large rock and then a tree head on. After running the SUV's info, police realized that it had been reported stolen. Ryan was found a short time later lying unconscious in someone's backyard. He had injuries consistent with a car accident. Ryan was transported to the hospital with serious head injuries, and he was not expected to survive. Following the accident, Ryan moved back into the family home in Massachusetts, again to the safety and support of his family. However, in the fall of 2012, Ryan's drinking reached a level that his parents could no longer tolerate in their home. His parents asked him to leave that September, Ryan received a settlement payout from injuries he sustained while incarcerated in a Massachusetts jail. So with 6,000 or so dollars in his pocket, he moved back to Maine in October of 2012. Although a protection order remained in place, Eve believes Ryan chose Maine because he wanted to be close to his daughter and the mother of his child. In hopes of reconnecting and mending that relationship, Ryan first rented a room in Bangor, and then when he was asked to leave, he moved south to Portland and rented another room. Unfortunately, that arrangement didn't last either. His substance use got in the way of his ability to maintain stable housing. And having run out of money from his settlement check, Ryan became homeless. There are some shelters and services available to those experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders in the greater Portland area, including Milestone Recovery's shelter on India Street. It's a wet shelter, meaning people can stay there even if they're under the influence of alcohol or other substances. Although Ryan was mostly estranged from his family during this time, his parents routinely heard from him around the first of the month when his Social Security disability benefits arrived. His parents were his payees, and Ryan would call them at the beginning of the month, every month, and they would wire him the money or otherwise get him his fines. On March 31, 2013, as expected, Ryan called his parents to check in about his money. It was the very same night Portland PD responded to Milestone and removed Ryan from the premises. But his family wouldn't know anything about that incident for weeks.

[Eve Blagojevich]

My parents talked to him the night that he went missing. He had called them asking for an advance on his Social Security because it was the 31st of March and I believe he got his Social Security on the second. So he had called asking for an advance, but my parents told him no because he was drinking. And I believe they had not an argument, but they had a talk. My dad told him that he will always carry him in his heart, but but he could no longer carry him on his back. And that was the last time anyone heard from him.

[Kylie Lowe]

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[Eve Blagojevich]

Even.

[Kylie Lowe]

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[Eve Blagojevich]

They were kind, but they said that there was basically nothing that they could do initially because he was an adult. I tried to communicate to them that he had brain damage, he suffered from alcoholism, and he probably needed some help because he wasn't contacting us for his disability funds, and something had to have been wrong.

[Kylie Lowe]

The original incident report taken by Portland Police officer Joshua McDonald, lays out a summary of Eve's call that night. Eve told me that the summary contains some inaccuracies. For example, the report states that Ryan called Eve every day and that she was the payee for his Social Security, when in fact it was his parents who spoke to Ryan about his Social Security money. And she's not sure if the contact with her parents was daily. She hadn't personally heard from Ryan since he left for Maine about a year before. Anyway, it's only after reporting Ryan missing that even her parents learned about his interaction with police at the shelter on the night of March 31st. That interaction with police is where the investigation into Ryan's disappearance began. According to the incident report, Officer McDonald referred to Field interview notes from that call on the 31st and learned that Ryan gave his address as Peaks island, one of the many islands off Portland in Casco Bay that requires a ferry ride or another boat to access. The report states that there was someone on Peaks island who allowed people experiencing homelessness to stay at his house. After speaking with the patrol officer on Peaks island, though, it sounds like this lead quickly fizzled out. The man who was offering housing had since moved off the island, and the island patrol officer was aware of the house, but didn't recall anyone named Ryan staying there. Officer McDonald contacted another shelter in Portland and learned that Ryan was no longer allowed there. And a check at Cumberland County Jail confirmed what Eve had already learned in the weeks prior. Ryan wasn't in police custody, but he may have had a reason to make himself scarce at that point. There was a warrant out for his arrest for a probation revocation. The officer reported his findings to Eve and suggested that Ryan may be hiding out to avoid arrest. Eve was insistent, though. Even with the warrant, Ryan would have called to check in and let his family know where he was. Two days later, Detective Chris Giesica was assigned to Ryan's case. He too followed up with the Peaks island lead and came up empty. He sent Ryan's photo around via department email in case any other officers encountered him on patrol. And he spoke with the staff member who called police to have Ryan removed from Milestone on the last night he was seen. Detective Giesseka learned that Ryan was wearing a green shirt and black pants that night, but that was the extent of the new information uncovered about the last time Ryan was seen. Police weren't able to locate anyone who Ryan may have associated with or who reported seeing him after March 31. It had been more than a month and a half since anyone realized Ryan was missing. The trail was nearly cold from the start. Ryan's name and information was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Person System, and the state medical examiner's office was notified in the event any unidentified male remains were found. He was entered into NCIC as a missing person on July 3, 2013. But Eve doesn't recall any discussion by police about possible scenarios that could have caused her brother to go missing. Did he walk off and start a new life? Was there an accident? Did someone cause his death? Did he harm himself?

[Eve Blagojevich]

As time went on, you know, they. It's not like my brother's case was like this active case on everyone's death desk. You know, he was a missing homeless alcoholic that they thought just maybe had left the state, but really he went missing in a city like in downtown Portland. You know, you can't just go missing like that. Yeah, he had to be. He's got to be somewhere.

[Kylie Lowe]

There were no organized searches for him and little in the way of public alerts that he was missing. Eve checked in with Portland police regularly, but there was never anything new to report. And then the years just started to pass. But In March of 2016, around the three year anniversary of Ryan's disappearance, something strange happened. Eve hadn't spoken with the detective on Ryan's case for a while, so she contacted police to report the Facebook activity. An incident report from Portland PD shows that Detective Giesica issued a subpoena to Facebook for any activity on Ryan's account after January 2015. The incident report states that the resulting info from Facebook showed there was no record of Ryan's account being accessed after January 2015, but that the account was still active. The read messages were a glitch of some kind. Side note, I'm not clear on why the subpoena wasn't for any activity after January 2013, which would have encompassed the days and months immediately before and after he was last seen versus two years later. The date could be a typo in the report, though, because Eve told me as far as she knew, the last access to Ryan's Facebook account was in 2012, the year before he disappeared. In January of 2017. Determined to find her brother and get answers for their family, Eve started a Facebook page in memory of Ryan in hopes of keeping his face and name in the public eye. She posted photos and missing persons posters while dozens of comments of support and prayer poured in. But still, she waits for Ryan to come home. It's now been more than a decade since Eve and her family have heard from Ryan, but people don't just vanish into thin air. So what the heck happened to Ryan Blagojevich in a missing person's case, especially a case more than 10 years old, without any evidence one way or another to indicate what happened to the person, every scenario is on the table. Until something is conclusively ruled out, every theory has to be considered. Let's start where the police investigation began on Peaks Island. Ryan gave Peaks as his address on the night he was last seen. If he left Milestone that night after being asked to leave and decided to head to the island, maybe Ryan somehow ended up in the waters of Casco Bay. Milestone Recovery's wet shelter location is on India street in Portland, which leads straight to the harbor. And there's really not that much in the way of fencing or barricades that would keep someone from tumbling into the seawater if they were close to the edge and unsteady on their feet. Hypothetically. If Ryan didn't stop at the end of India street, though, and he instead walked in the direction of the Casco Bay Line's ferry terminal to catch the boat to Peaks, which was a 3/10 of a mile walk from the shelter. He also could have entered the water there near the dock or off the main state pier, or any number of the piers along the working waterfront. But if that's the case, would someone have seen or heard him go into the water? The areas of the waterfront between the ferry terminal and India street are fairly busy during tourist season, usually after Memorial Day and before Labor Day. But Ryan was last seen on the evening of March 31, which was Easter Sunday, by the way. It's reasonable to assume that the crowds were a little less dense, with fewer eyes to spot a man accidentally falling into the water and not enough ears to hear if he called out for help. But if Ryan did enter the water on the night he was last seen and nobody saw or heard it happen, why wasn't his body eventually found? If you remember the episodes of Dark down east from a few months ago covering the case of Crystal Lee Higgins, I talked to an aquatic death expert, Andrea Zaferes, who explained that there are many factors that impact what happens to a human body when it enters water. Weather, wind, tides, animal and human activity, temperature and other elements can all dictate if that person's body stays near the shore or moves elsewhere. However, it is generally accepted that the body of a deceased person first sinks in water and then resurfaces sometime later due to the accumulation of gases produced during decomposition. So again, if Ryan fell into the water and drowned and his body resurfaced sometime later in Portland harbor, why wasn't his body found? Maybe if there was a concentrated search effort in the water, he would have been because just a few years after Ryan disappeared, the bodies of three men on three separate occasions, months apart, were all found in Portland Harbor Acorns makes it easy to start automatically saving and investing so your money has a chance to grow for you, your kids and your retirement. You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that fits you and your money goals. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you invest with the spare money you've got right now. You could start with $5 or even just your spare change. And you don't need to feel like financial wellness is impossible. Acorns gives you small, simple steps to get you and your money on track. Basically, Acorns does the hard part so you can give your money a chance to grow. Head to acorns.com downeast or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today. Paid non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns tier 2 compensation provided investing involves risk. Acorns Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor view important [e-mail] downeast hey dark down Easters, it's Kylie. And if you're like me, you're looking to add some new podcasts to your list of existing favorites like Dark down east this new year, Audio Chuck has you covered all year long with a full lineup of incredible shows and new episodes dropping every single weekday. From unraveling mysteries to insider perceptions on investigations, there's something for everyone. I personally start every Tuesday morning off with my friend and fellow Investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra and her show Park Predators, learning all about cases that occurred in some of the most beautiful locations around the globe, Explore all the shows that Audiochuck has to offer and find some new podcasts to add to your routine this year by searching audiochuck. That's a U D I O C H U C K Wherever you're listening. Trust me, you won't run out of amazing stories to dive into. According to Scott Dolan's reporting in the Kennebec Journal, Portland firefighters and police detectives recovered the body of 43 year old John Faunville floating in the water near the Portland Cruise Ship Terminal on the afternoon of August 10, 2015. The man's cause of death was later ruled accidental drowning. The location of this man's body was just about one block from the base of India Street. A few months later, In January of 2016, 23 year old James Dyer disappeared after a night out with friends in Portland's Old Port. David Hench reports for the Portland Press Herald that James was last seen leaving the Pearl nightclub on Fourth street and he got separated from his group as they left to walk back to their car. Security footage showed him outside of the club, but not much else. Police decided to search Portland harbor for James based on the fact that the car that would have driven him home that night was parked on Union Wharf that juts out into the harbor. That and as police said, other people reported missing from the Old Port had turned up in the water. Matt Byrne reports for the Press Herald that James body was recovered from Portland harbor on February 20, about a month and a half after he disappeared. There were no signs of foul play and it's believed that James drowned. And then In June of 2016, six months after James Dyer disappeared, another 23 year old man named Matthew Foster was reported missing also after a night out in the Old Port. He was supposed to meet up with friends but never showed. Gillian Graham reports that for about a week police searched for Matthew in Portland harbor after dogs tracked his scent to the waterfront. Sonar and divers scoured the water near Chandler's Wharf but came up empty and the search was called off on June 17. But on June 22, Matthew's body was spotted floating in the water between Union and Widgery Wharf, not far from the initial search area. It's unclear what was determined to be Matthew's cause of death, but it seems his case was not as quickly labeled accidental drowning as the others. Police were actively seeking information and tips about his disappearance while further tests were pending. Now it deserves mention that the similarities between James Dyer and Matthew Foster's cases and a series of apparent drowning deaths of men in The Boston area gave way to speculation that a serial killer was victimizing men along the New England coastline. However, that theory has not been proven, and it's a case I'll have to dig deeper into with you at a later date. But I bring up the cases of James Dyer and Matthew Foster and John Faunville simply to show that there were three separate incidents of men ending up in Portland harbor, and all three of them were found weeks or months later, either by chance or after a concentrated search effort. If Ryan Blagojevich had entered the water after leaving the shelter that night in March of 2013, it is totally conceivable that he too could have been found by chance or by concentrated search effort. If there was one. Ryan's last known location was within a half mile of the last known locations of Matthew Foster and James Dyer and within a few blocks of where John Faunville was found in the water. In at least the case of James Dyer. Police checked security camera footage in the hopes of learning more about his movements on the night he disappeared. Though the footage didn't reveal much, at least police checked. I don't see any record in the incident reports regarding Ryan's disappearance that cameras at the shelter or near the cruise ship terminal and visitor center or at any number of the businesses along India street were ever checked for sightings of Ryan. I asked the city of Portland about the cameras on the welcome center at the cruise ship terminal and waterfront near the end of India Street. I was told via email that those cameras were there back in 2013 and the footage is stored for 90 days. So it's likely that footage from the night of March 31st still existed when Eve reported her brother missing in May. As for security cameras at Milestone, they have some, too. I spoke with a longtime Milestone staff member who you'll actually hear from in a moment, and he told me that the cameras typically erase footage after a week, so by the time Ryan was reported missing, any recordings from that night were gone. Either way, I see no evidence of those being checked or requested by Portland pd. Security camera footage would have been helpful, even just to see which direction Ryan walked when he was asked to leave that night. Did he go towards the water or away from it? And it would have been enlightening to see if anyone followed him, like maybe the other guest at the shelter who he was reportedly being rude to that night. It's something Eve can't get out of her mind.

[Eve Blagojevich]

I've always wondered if the person that he had an altercation with at the shelter, if Something happened outside after Ryan was asked to leave. That's always been a big question in my mind. Definitely.

[Kylie Lowe]

An incident report dated February 19, 2018 states that there were no leads one way or another, and police still had yet to identify any known associates of Ryan's to interview. If anyone had a problem with Ryan, if anyone wanted him to disappear, if he met with foul play and someone saw something that night, none of that information has made its way to investigators all these years later. So his disappearance remains classified as a missing person case, not a homicide. I asked Eve about another scenario that has not yet been ruled out. Was it possible that Ryan harmed himself?

[Eve Blagojevich]

I used to say no sometimes. Now I think there may have been a tiny chance just because of how low he was. So I can't say that I. I don't think he would have. But there is a chance.

[Kylie Lowe]

There's a chance. Any number of scenarios is possible. Accident, homicide, suicide. Finding him would help answer a number of lingering questions, and that remains Eve's number one mission and a driving factor in sharing his story.

[Eve Blagojevich]

I want to find him and bring him home. I just. I don't need to know what happened to him. I don't. I want to know, but I don't need to. I just want to find him and bring him home, put him to rest where we can all visit him. His daughter can visit him. He deserves that. He doesn't deserve to be wherever he may be right now. He just does. I think of him being cold and being lonely and like he deserves to be back with us. So hopefully one day we can do that. Hopefully.

[Kylie Lowe]

Hey, Dark Down Easters. It's Kylie. And if you're like me, you're looking to add some new podcasts to your list of existing favorites. Like Dark down east this new year, AudioJack has you covered all year long with a full lineup of incredible shows and new episodes dropping every single weekday. From unraveling mysteries to insider perceptions on investigations, there's something for everyone. I personally start every Tuesday morning off with my friend and fellow Investigative journalist Delia D'Ambra and her show Park Predators, learning all about cases that occurred in some of the most beautiful locations around the globe. Explore all the shows that audiochuck has to offer. Find some new podcasts to add to your routine this year by searching audiocheck. That's a U D I O C H U C K Wherever you're listening. Trust me, you won't run out of amazing stories to dive into when a person experiencing homelessness goes missing. And when there are Co occurring factors like substance use and mental health concerns, societal stigma and systemic issues impact the attention on their case by law enforcement and by the media. There are also roadblocks in place that simply make it more logistically challenging for a family member to independently find a loved one who does not have a permanent address. I spoke with Joseph McNally, who is the Director of Homeless Services at Milestone Recovery, the place Ryan Blagojevich was last seen. Joseph started with Milestone in 2008 as a shelter attendant.

[E]

When I started here there was just a parking lot across the street and guys would often pass out in the parking lot or fall. And I remember one time I went outside and I was just doing sort of, you know, a check around the neighborhood and there was somebody that was in that parking lot and people were literally stepping over him and nobody bothered to reach down and check on him to see if he was okay, if he was breathing, you know. And so I think our staff really do a good job reminding folks that there are people that still care about them and that want them to do well in life, whatever that looks like.

[Kylie Lowe]

Milestone's mission is about compassionate, respectful care and harm reduction while helping those who won't or can't get help elsewhere for whatever reason. Right now, Milestone Recovery on India street has a 36 bed wet shelter for men who are experiencing homelessness and under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The shelter is low barrier, meaning you don't need an id, there's no wait list, it's first come, first served and doors open at 3pm for general sign in and guests can stay until 6:30 the following morning. Beyond the shelter, Milestone offers medical services from volunteer doctors, outreach and supplies at encampments via their Home Team Program, a non profit medical detox and recovery program, housing services to help their clients obtain a stable living situation outside of the shelter, and more, all of which is funded by grants and donations so guests and clients are welcomed regardless of insurance or their ability to pay. About 70% of the staff at Milestone have disclosed that they have lived experience and so their compassion for the people they serve comes from having been where they're standing. While Milestone's mission is to meet everyone where they are in their own journey and they serve many different people with a range of backgrounds and experiences. There is a common code of conduct and expectations for guests at the wet shelter where Ryan Blagojevich was known to stay during his time in Portland. Joseph explained that while maintaining a low barrier facility, the big rules are no violence or threats of violence towards other clients or Staff, no hate speech, and no stealing. If someone was to violate those rules, they would be restricted. And the length of time can vary depending on how severe the incident was and if it was a pattern of behavior. Sometimes guests are restricted for an evening up to a month for a violation of the rules. Joseph noted that they rarely use a trespass order on someone as it prevents them from using their services. Joseph couldn't speak specifically about Ryan, but when Ryan was asked to leave on the night of March 31, the report said he was being rude to guests and staff. So he was likely in violation of one of those rules. And Eve doesn't hold it against the shelter for having Ryan removed that night. She recognizes that his behavior often resulted in consequences. But sometimes she lets her mind wander into what if scenarios. What if, instead of just moving her brother along, the Portland police officer had taken Ryan into custody instead? Ryan was on probation at the time, and if he was drinking, as Eve suspects he was, Ryan was in direct violation of his probation conditions. If he'd spent the night in jail, maybe she wouldn't be looking for him right now. Another one was, what if, when Eve started calling shelters looking for Ryan, they could have informed her that he hadn't been seen in days or weeks. That was one of the roadblocks Eve ran into before she reported Ryan missing. Shelters like Milestone can't give out any information about their clients or guests. They couldn't tell Eve if Ryan had ever been to the shelter, let alone the last time they saw him, which meant there was some time lost there, critical time that could have been used to start looking for Ryan sooner. I asked Joseph about this policy, which, again, is not unique to Milestone, But I was curious what Milestone can do in a situation like this when a family member is searching for their loved one.

[E]

One of the things that we always encourage folks to do is to leave a message. And that way, if somebody with that name shows up, we'll relay that message. We'll allow them to use the phone to make contact. You know, we've had mothers and fathers and brothers all call here and ask about, you know, John Doe and whether he's staying there. And it's really hard when we tell them. We can't confirm or deny if someone's here and you have the person on the other end in tears because they haven't heard from him in, you know, x amount of time. And it's one of the tougher parts of the job is the confidentiality, because sometimes you want to say, yes, he's here. He's safe, he's okay. Or sometimes it's no, we're worried about him as well. We haven't seen him in a month. So it's tough. It's really tough.

[Kylie Lowe]

These privacy protections are in place for a reason. You think of situations where someone is escaping a domestic violence situation in a shelter, for example, and their location being disclosed could put them in danger. But these privacy protections can also have unintended consequences, like Eve not knowing her brother hadn't been seen at the shelter since that last night in March. Homelessness, substance use disorder, and mental health challenges create significant barriers in missing persons cases, often causing individuals like Ryan Blagojevich to fall through the cracks. This is exactly why it's so critical to share Ryan's story and others like his. We can't let Ryan be forgotten because his family will never forget and Eve will never stop looking for her brother. Eve's most recent endeavor in Ryan's case is to have him declared legally deceased. She's working with the main volunteer Lawyers Project to obtain a death certificate for Ryan. While this is a necessary logistical step as she sorts through the probate process for her mother's estate, a death certificate means so much more than that to Eve.

[Eve Blagojevich]

I believe that Ryan deserves a death date. If we didn't truly believe that something happened that night, we would wait, you know, But I truly. We know something happened that night. We don't know what, but we know he's no longer with this part of.

[Kylie Lowe]

The death certificate process is getting all the information together about Ryan's case and the investigation to prove that police have at least made an attempt to prove that Ryan isn't alive somewhere unknown, just hiding out in a new life. So Eve reached out to the Portland Police Department in the summer of 2024, trying to track down the detective who had Ryan's case. That's when Eve learned that Detective Giesica retired from the department. And after that, Ryan's case was never reassigned. According to the September 2024 supplemental report she received, Ryan's case is considered inactive. However, Portland police officer Christopher Cheney did review Ryan's file when she called, and he took steps to follow up on a few loose ends in the process. Officer Cheney made a confusing discovery. Ryan was delisted from the NCIC missing person file. In 2019, Ryan was no longer listed as a missing person. According to the FBI, the records in the NCIC missing person file are retained indefinitely until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. So then why was Ryan removed? Did another agency have contact with Ryan? Did his trail lead further than the night of March 31, 2013? The officer requested an offline Department of Justice audit for Ryan's name and birthday to see if his information had been run at any police terminal nationwide between 2013 and 2024. About six weeks later, the results came back and they showed that Ryan may have had contact with two separate police agencies since he was reported missing. There was possible contact with Ryan on July 31, 2021 by Massachusetts State Police when he was served with a protection order and before that some kind of contact with the Plymouth County Jail in Massachusetts in 2017. Officer Cheney made direct contact with these agencies to follow up on these supposed hits and determine if they were accurate. The Massachusetts State Police couldn't find any record of the protection order that the 2021 hit referenced, nor could they find any record of contact with Ryan after 2011. The agency couldn't explain why this hit was generated, but suggested that it was possible a trooper or dispatcher ran Ryan's name through their terminal for an unknown reason. There's really no clear answer here except that Ryan did not have contact with Massachusetts State Police in 2021. It was a dead end lead. The other police contact with Plymouth County Jail also turned out be a dead end lead. There were no booking photos, intake paperwork, prints or other documentation to show that Ryan was at that facility in 2017. But again, the explanation as to why the audit showed Ryan had contact with the agency was all conjecture. Since Ryan was from that area. Maybe someone ran his name around the anniversary of his disappearance when media coverage brought him to the forefront again. Who knows? What Officer Cheney finally concluded after following up with the person in charge of NCIC reporting for Portland was that the names are purged from the NCIC system on a routine basis and require confirmation from the reporting agency to prevent them from being removed. The person in charge said they remembered confirming with NCIC a few times, but it's possible one of those confirmation emails was missed. Ryan's name being removed from NCIC as a missing person could have had implications for the ongoing effort to find him. But then again, as Eve pointed out to me, there was a warrant out for Ryan's arrest, and so if he had made contact with a police agency after he was reported missing, she likely would have heard about it anyway because he would have been arrested. So Eve's effort to find her brother, to have him declared legally deceased, and to honor his life and share his story continues. She hopes people can learn from Ryan's journey and from her own.

[Eve Blagojevich]

I'm very blessed. I just celebrated five years sober, and I am so thankful every day because I could have been Ryan when I was at my worst with my alcoholism, I could. Something bad could have happened to me. And so I'm very lucky that I'm here today. And my oldest sister is sober. She's been sober for a very long time. My other brother and other sister are. They're getting help right now, and they're really trying to go the straight road, you know, so we're all trying to pick up the pieces now. But Ryan never got like that chance. And I just want to be that voice for him and like for people also that are struggling with mental health issues and with addiction issues. Because we matter too, and we deserve a voice. He was an awesome guy, and he was so much more than his relationship with alcohol. Like, he was so funny. He was a master craftsman. He built a house from bottom up. You know, he could play the violin so well. It was so beautiful. And he was just such a cool soul. Like, he was just so awesome. He was a good person and he had a good heart. And like I said, like when I was a kid, he was going through it then, you know, but he treated me so well. He spoiled the freaking heck out of me. I'll always remember he got me an N64 like when it first came out. And who does that for their little sister, you know? He was a good guy and I. I hope one day his daughter can. I hope she knows that he loved her.

[Kylie Lowe]

If you have information about the disappearance of Rob Brian Blagojevich, please call the Portland, Maine Police Department at 207-874-8575. To provide information anonymously, you can call 207-874-8584 and leave a message on the department's crime tip line. You may also text the keyword ppdme and your message to 8474 and if you would like to learn more about Milestone Recovery and support the organization through a donation, visit milestone-recovery.org to find resources to support those experiencing homelessness in your community, visit endhomelessness.org foreign thank you for listening to Dark Down East. You can find all source material for this [e-mail] Be sure to follow the show on Instagram arkdowneast. This platform is for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who are still searching for answers. I'm not about to let those names or their stories get lost with time. I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is Dark Down East. Dark down east is a production of Kylie Media and Audio Check. So what do you think, Chuck? Do you approve?

[Ashley Flowers]

Hi, I'm Ashley Flowers, creator and host of the number one true crime podcast, Crime Junkie. Every Monday, me and my best friend Britt break down a new case, but not in the way you've heard before and not the cases you've heard before. You'll hear stories on Crime Junkie that haven't been told anywhere else. I'll tell you what you can do to help victims and their families get justice. Join us for new episodes of Crime Junkie every Monday. Already waiting for you by searching for Crime Junkie. Wherever you listen to podcasts.