Who Is Michael Doherty? Franklin Police Searching For Missing Duke University Student, Find Shirt And Shoe

Police have launched a massive manhunt in Franklin, Massachusetts to look for a missing 20-year-old Duke University student, Michael Doherty who was last seen around 1:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday in the area of Phyllis Lane with his college friends.

Police said Monday that Doherty's shirt and shoe were found in an area now being searched near his home in Franklin, at the edge of a swamp. Police authorities have employed helicopters, motorboats, drones and K9s for the search. A second shoe that matched Doherty’s was also found on a nearby golf course.

According a Facebook post on the Franklin Police Department’s account Monday, Doherty was last seen “wearing a blue t-shirt with a Nike symbol, black pants and sneakers. He is a white male 5 feet 10 inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes.”

Doherty, who studies at Duke University and is a junior mechanical engineering major there, was back home for his summer break.

His family told officials before his disappearance, Doherty was out with friends at a party on Phyllis Lane, from where he left alone Sunday morning. However, he did not return to his home on Catherine Avenue, which is about a mile away from Phyllis Lane. His parents also told CBS Boston that his phone had been charged before leaving the house, but police said there was no activity on his phone since he left.

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A Reddit campaign was launched by several students at Duke to help recruit volunteers from the Boston area to provide more aid to the search. A post on the All Duke Facebook page requests students to "upvote" the link to the campaign on the social networking site in order increase its visibility, according to the Duke Chronicle.

Rising senior John Clarke, president of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity chapter at Duke told the Duke Chronicle that came to the area where the search was being conducted with a group of friends to help and support the efforts.

Police and investigators have urged residents to look around their area and check outside their homes for any kind of information. The police department wrote in their Facebook post: “We urge you to check the area outside your residence including any sheds or detached buildings and call the Franklin Police at 508 528 1212 if you have any information.”

Some of Doherty’s neighbors said the police were using every possible method to search for the teenager.

“They were going through people’s back yards with this big German shepherd,” said neighbor Pat Henry.

Due to bad weather it has also been difficult to search in swamps or use helicopters. However, Massachusetts State Police Air Wing helicopter and some other drones had also joined the search by late Sunday morning.

“When it rains the way it’s been raining, I’m sure there’s water deep on both sides … I’m sure it’s 5-6 feet deep,” said neighbor Henry.

Apart from the police, several other agencies also helped in the search Monday, including the state environmental police, whose officers are trained in navigating woods and swamps.

Police talked to other people around the area and enquired about when they had last seen Doherty.

“It’s a local family, and we just hope for the best,” said a neighbor.

In a statement to CBS Boston, Duke University said: “Our thoughts are with Michael and his family for a quick and positive outcome.”