Dark Downeast - The Disappearance of Bryan Nisenfeld (Rhode Island)

Episode Date: May 15, 2023

On February 6, 1997, 18-year old Bryan Nisenfeld sat in his afternoon literature class at Roger Williams University in Providence, Rhode Island. Bryan was acting differently during class that day, almost despondent. Where he went after class, what the final moments of his life entailed, is still a mystery. He was simply never seen or heard from again. He never returned to the campus or even to his dorm room. His bank account showed no activity. He didn’t call home.Roger Williams University did not notify Bryan’s family of their son’s disappearance for almost a week.Months later, as summer was coming to an end, a family walking along the shore of Hog Island came upon a lone hiking boot. Inside was a wool sock and a severed foot. 2- DNA tests eventually confirmed the remains to be those of Bryan Nisenfeld.What really happened to Bryan Nisenfeld? Whether an accident, a self-made choice, or foul play, Bryan’s parents hold steadfast to their belief that more could have been done if only Bryan’s disappearance had been reported to police, or to them, and acted upon much sooner. At the very least, maybe they would have some answers.If you have information that could help bring a conclusion to Bryan Nisenfeld’s case, please call 877-RI-SOLVE.Shop Sarah Madeira Day with code: DOWNEAST for 20% off your order of unstretched and paper prints View source material and photos for this episode at darkdowneast.com/bryannisenfeld Dark Downeast is an audiochuck and Kylie Media production hosted by Kylie Low.Follow @darkdowneast on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTokTo suggest a case visit darkdowneast.com/submit-case

On February 6th, 1997, 18-year-old Brian Neisenfeld sat in his afternoon literature class at Roger Williams University in Providence, Rhode Island. His professor would later recall that Brian was acting differently during class that day, almost despondent. The professor tried to catch Brian's attention as he walked out the door, but Brian didn't stop. Where he went next, what the final moments of his life entailed, is still a mystery. He was simply never seen or heard from again. He never returned to the campus or even to his dorm room. His bank account showed no activity. He didn't call home. And Roger Williams University did not notify Brian's family of their son's disappearance for almost a week. Months later, a family walking along the shore of Hog Island came upon a lone hiking boot.

Inside was a wool sock and a severed foot. DNA tests eventually confirmed the remains to be those of Brian Neisenfeld. What happened to Brian Neisenfeld? Whether an accident, a self-made choice, or foul play, Brian's parents hold steadfast to their belief that more could have been done if only Brian's disappearance had been reported to police or to them and acted upon much sooner. At the very least, maybe they would have some answers. I'm Kylie Lowe, and this is the case of Brian Neisenfeld on Dark Down East. Rhode Island was once known as the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,

one of the original 13 colonies. It was founded by a man who had been religiously persecuted and ultimately exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. That man was Roger Williams, who later became the namesake for Roger Williams University. In the mid-1950s, Roger Williams College was established in Rhode Island's capital city of Providence. Over time, the name was changed, and the main campus was relocated. Today, the main campus of Roger Williams University sits on over 140 acres in Bristol, Rhode Island, a quaint, quintessential harbor town located on the east side of Narragansett Bay. That quaintness and small-town atmosphere was what Brian and his family appreciated as they

toured campuses in preparation for Brian's big college decision. Brian grew up in Audubon, New Jersey, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Although his mom and dad divorced in 1989, Brian remained close with both of his parents and his younger brother and half-sister. He was known as a homebody. In 2017, Brian's mother, Marianne, told Angela Columbus of the Philadelphia Inquirer, I wouldn't call him a loner, but Brian is the type of person who prefers a close circle of friends to many acquaintances." At Audubon High School, Brian was an honor student, a member of the tennis team, and a writer for the school magazine. His academics earned him scholarship offers from two schools, Syracuse University in New York and Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.

Marianne told CBS News in 2001 that she and Brian's father, Stephen, encouraged Brian to choose Roger Williams because, quote, we just felt that small atmosphere was more conducive to Brian's personality, end quote. They believed that Brian would be safe in Bristol. Brian entered Roger Williams University as an architecture major. He shared a townhouse-style dormitory with a number of housemates, one of whom fondly remembered him and his preference for listening to Beck and Nirvana while he studied in his room. Brian could often be found drawing cartoon characters and murals. Allison Hawkins told Shane Murphy of the campus newspaper Hawke's Eye, quote, The things he wrote and drew were brilliant. His

attention to detail was amazing, end quote. Although a gifted student in high school, college coursework proved to be more challenging than Brian expected, and he struggled to keep his grades up. He'd stay awake all night in the studio to work on assignments. His mother told Angela Columbus of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Brian was feeling stressed because, quote, he was also on scholarship and he was under pressure to keep his grades up, end quote. During the semester break at home in New Jersey, Brian told his parents that he was having a hard time, not only academically, but socially too. His former roommate had dropped out after the previous semester,

leaving Brian all alone in his dorm room. And then Brian started getting harassing phone calls, sometimes threatening phone calls, from that former roommate. Marion told Mike Frenolik for the Courier-Post, quote, they had a falling out. There was some kind of argument, but Brian would never tell us what it was about, end quote. Brian missed home, but his parents encouraged him to stick it out one more semester, and Brian agreed. When Brian returned to Roger Williams in January of 1997, he changed his major to English and, after discussing it with his parents, considered the possibility of transferring to another school for his sophomore year that fall. changed his major to English and, after discussing it with his parents, considered the possibility of transferring to another school for his sophomore year that fall.

Clint Riley reported for the Courier-Post that Brian sent a letter home to his mother just a few days before he disappeared. In it, Brian included a poem he had written about how badly he wished to return to Audubon. The poem was entitled Home. On Thursday, February 6th, 1997, Brian left his dorm room, a window still open, with his backpack, a notebook, and some homemade chocolate chip cookies sent by his mom. He was off to attend his literature class as scheduled. Jason Turcotte reported in Hawke's Eye that Brian was behaving strangely during class. Turcotte wrote that the last faculty member to see Brian was the professor of that literature class, Dr. Deborah Robinson.

He hadn't participated in class and he ignored Dr. Robinson when she asked to speak with him. Brian breezed by her and walked out the door, never acknowledging his professor. Where did Brian go that day after walking out of class without a word to anyone? He didn't go back to his dorm, not that afternoon or that night. His absence was peculiar enough for one of Brian's housemates to report him missing to university officials, but not to police. It wasn't until nearly a week later that Roger Williams University administrators called up Brian Neisenfeld's parents to tell them that their son hadn't been seen or heard from in six days. Stephen Neisenfeld, Brian's father, officially reported his son missing on Wednesday,

February 12th, after hearing from university officials. The investigation began with piecing together Brian's last movements and attempting to track where he may have gone. Brian did not have a car, and his bicycle was still back in his dorm. His dorm room window was left open. The Walkman he used to listen to music was left on the floor of his room. His glasses and his guitar were left behind too. There was no note goodbye. Stephen told Clint Riley of the Courier Post, His room looks like he stepped out to go to the bathroom and he never came back.

End quote. His financial records did not tell the story of someone planning to take off for a new life either. Days before Brian disappeared, he withdrew just $10 from his bank account, leaving a $220 balance. That was the last activity on his accounts. Brian's parents knew Brian was homesick during his time at Roger Williams University. In the beginning of Brian's first semester, Stephen sent a letter to the university explaining that Brian might benefit from a little extra attention.

Stephen shared with Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press, quote, I told them Brian was a quiet individual and kept to himself, and they should engage him to see how he was doing, end quote. The threatening phone calls Brian had been receiving from his former roommate

left him feeling unsettled and a little scared. Stephen reported those calls to university officials who he believed did nothing. However, according to reporting by the Philadelphia Inquirer, local police located and interviewed Brian's former roommate who had supposedly been making those threatening phone calls, and he told investigators that he hadn't seen or heard from Brian in over a week. Rhode Island State Police later stated that the threats could not be substantiated. Brian's father, Stephen, had spent time on the RWU campus and slept in Brian's dorm during the earliest weeks of the investigation. He consciously chose alumni weekend to visit the campus again,

this time with a number of Brian's friends and other family members holding signs pleading for information. Stephen claimed that nobody from the university, not even students or alumni, ever said anything to him, but campus police occasionally drove past. Carla Morgan, a resident of nearby Little Compton,

did stop to talk to Brian's family and friends. She told Clint Riley of the Courier-Post, quote, I feel this whole thing has been handled poorly. These people have just been brushed aside, end quote. However, Jason Turcotte reported for the Hawke's Eye paper that RWU President Anthony Santoro maintained that university officials had behaved responsibly and with integrity throughout the entire investigation.

Captain Joseph De Silva from the Bristol Police Department was the lead investigator on the case. He told Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press that investigators did not suspect foul play and that they believed Brian was still alive. They didn't have any reason to believe otherwise, he said. All of that changed, however, in August of 1997. A family from Warren, Rhode Island was walking along the shore of Hog Island with their two young children when the mother came across a size 10.5 Thornton Bay hiking boot. A gray wool sock was still inside the boot, and inside the sock were the remains of a foot. The family alerted authorities who

collected those remains, as well as additional human remains that had been discovered by one of the children nearby. Those were later determined to be a shin bone. When police notified Brian's parents, they arranged to return to Rhode Island to provide blood samples for DNA testing. As reported by the Associated Press and the Berkshire Eagle, Captain De Silva shared that Marianne was broken up after confirming that Brian owned a pair of those exact same hiking boots. Captain De Silva, once so hopeful that Brian could be found alive, said, quote, I'm kind of sad on my part. Then again, maybe it will turn out not to be Brian Neisenfeld, end quote.

It would take several months for the test results to come back. In the meantime, Marianne was beginning to understand that Brian might not ever come home alive. Days after the remains were discovered on Hog Island, Marianne told Clint Riley of the Courier-Post, quote, I'd like to believe that he is still alive, but I don't believe he is. End quote. Police continued to investigate Brian's disappearance. However, they still had found no evidence of foul play. Portsmouth Police Chief Paul Rogers explained to Paul Tolm of the Associated Press

that had Brian jumped off the bridge, for example, there were two areas where they'd expect a body to wash up, and authorities anticipated what was still to be discovered in those waters beneath the Mount Hope Bridge. Police brought in divers to search the shores of Hog Island where the earlier remains had been discovered. They focused their efforts on the northern and southern edges of the island where remains typically wash up when someone has fallen or jumped from the nearby Mount Hope Bridge, a span that connects Bristol to Portsmouth and overlooks Narragansett Bay from 125 feet above the water. Carly Kinnis and Chris Gifford wrote for Hawke's Eye that Rhode Island State Police had deployed boats

and search dogs and helicopters were being used around Hog Island in an attempt to locate more human remains. Despite those extensive search efforts, though, additional remains were never found. In May of 1998, the Rhode Island Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that the remains found on Hog Island eight months earlier were, without a doubt, those of Brian Neisenfeld. Brian's family held a memorial service for their son at Audubon High School,

where he was once a star student. Marianne told Carol Comeno of The Courier-Post, quote, The community has been so supportive and interested in Brian, we thought it would be the perfect venue so we could have a lot of people involved. By this time, Brian had been gone for over a year, and police still had not come any closer to determining if this death was by suicide, a homicide, or an accident. But his parents had a degree of closure. Brian's mother, Mary Ann, shared with Carol Comeno, quote, it is good we finally have a resolution about that aspect, but at the same time, my heart is broken, end quote. His father, Stephen, agreed and told

Carol Comeno that while all along they felt deep down that Brian was likely gone, the report from the medical examiner was a, quote, crushing blow. Not only was the confirmation of Brian's death a crushing blow, Brian's parents had to cope with what they perceived as inaction and a lack of effort by Roger Williams University officials, by campus police, and Bristol police when Brian first disappeared. Brian's parents were especially concerned that Captain De Silva of the Bristol Police Department was too hung up on the theory that Brian simply walked away from his life. According to a January 1998 article by Clint Riley for the Courier-Post, after repeated requests for help by Stephen and Marianne, the Rhode Island

Attorney General's Office agreed to review the Bristol Police Department's handling of the case and determined that Rhode Island State Police needed to get involved. When Lieutenant Michael Iarossi and Detective Nicholas Tella from the Rhode Island State Police interviewed Brian's family and friends, it was the first time they had ever been interviewed by anyone from Rhode Island. Clint Riley of the Courier-Post reported that Audubon police had interviewed Brian's family and friends. However, not once, not even during the family's many trips to Bristol to search for their son, were they ever questioned by Bristol police. Eric Dyer of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that law enforcement officials

still had yet to determine what happened the day Brian disappeared, but it was repeated that foul play was not likely involved. Regardless, State Police Captain Stephen Pair told Eric Dyer, quote, we may never find out how he ended up in the water or how this happened. It's still open, though. We haven't stopped working on it. End quote. In a March 2000 article in the Providence Phoenix, Ian Donis reported information that had not been mentioned in mainstream media reports.

Information that Brian's parents believe may have influenced the way university officials and local police handled his case. While looking into reports made by the Rhode Island State Police, Stephen Neisenfeld discovered that the falling out Brian had with his roommate may have been centered on a possible romantic relationship between the two. According to the piece by Donis, the report stated, a security officer at Roger Williams perceived a disagreement between Brian Neisenfeld and a male former RWU student as possibly being a romantic tiff. Because of this, Stephen Neisenfeld believes a threat to his son wasn't taken seriously, and college officials botched the chance for an intervention that might have spared Brian's life. Brian's mother, Marianne, believes it was possible that Brian may have been questioning his sexuality

and Stephen was concerned that his son's sexuality, or anyone else's perception of it, had an impact on how his case was investigated. Donis reported that Stephen later contacted a man named Jeffrey Montgomery, the executive director of a gay civil rights organization based out of Detroit called the Triangle Foundation, and he asked him to bring attention to Brian's story. After speaking with Stephen about Brian's disappearance and death, Montgomery shared Brian's story during a memorial lecture at Brown University in March of 2000. He shared the story to highlight in his words, quote,

the way that gay people are regarded as so disposable by the non-gay community, end quote. After the remains found on Hog Island were confirmed to belong to Brian Neisenfeld, Eric Dyer of the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke with Roger Williams University President Anthony Santoro, who said, quote, We're all grieving. What makes this so shocking is that this campus is very quiet. We've never had an incident like this. End quote. Roger Williams University wasn't the only college campus in America at the time that was having to recover from the loss of a student under mysterious and sometimes violent circumstances. In 1998, Carol Roberts reported for the San Luis Obispo Telegram Tribune that a number of students go missing from campuses each year. California Polytechnic State University, better known as Cal Poly, was working with authorities in the late 1990s to investigate not one, but two missing students.

A company called Security on Campus, Inc. was created specifically to help find missing college students. Myra Codner, the company's administrative assistant at the time, told the Telegram Tribune that a number of missing students' cases are not taken seriously by campus authorities simply because those students are 18 years or older. They have every right as a legal adult to leave campus for the night, for the weekend, or forever. Security on Campus Inc. is now called Cleary Center, in honor of Jean Cleary, who died when she was a student at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. In 1986, Jean was sexually assaulted, brutally beaten, and killed on her on-campus dorm. According to the Cleary Center's website, it was during the investigation into Jean's death that her parents learned that Lehigh University had a history of violent crime. Lehigh University's record also showed that they regularly

failed to enforce dormitory security measures for the students who lived on campus. This lackadaisical approach to student safety resulted in a door being left propped open at Jean's residence hall, allowing her killer the opportunity to commit a crime that could have been prevented. Jean Cleary's parents went on to pass legislation not only in their home state of Pennsylvania, but in dozens more states that required college campuses to report crimes and safety statistics on campus. In 1990, federal legislation was passed under the Jean Cleary Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, better known as the Cleary Act. It required campus security and safety statistics to be reported to the U.S. Department of Education on an annual basis. York. The parents of Suzanne Lyle, a sophomore at State University of New York in Albany who

disappeared in 1998 under mysterious circumstances, worked to amend the Crime Control Act of 1990. The Crime Control Act, a federal law, prevented police from processing missing persons reports for anyone over the age of 17 until at least 24 hours had elapsed. Doug Lyle, Suzanne's father, pushed for change to that law to allow missing persons reports for those under the age of 21 to be processed immediately. In 2003, President George W. Bush signed Suzanne's Law, making it part of the Amber Alert Bill

and helping to protect those between the ages of 18 and 21, especially if their disappearances may have occurred involuntarily or under dangerous circumstances. Through additional legislation, Brian's family wanted to honor his legacy with Brian's law. New Jersey State Representative Robert Andrews shared a letter with the House of Representatives from Brian's father, which read in part, University administrators, by their own admission, overlooked the threatening phone calls Brian

received prior to his disappearance. This response by Roger Williams University denied Brian's family an opportunity to intervene on Brian's behalf and maybe save his life. At the very least, Roger Williams University, by its failure to report Brian missing on a timely basis, denied trained professionals time to immediately launch a search for him. We know that time is an essential ingredient used by law enforcement in locating a person. These actions of Roger Williams University officials delayed this important process, end quote. Brian's family hoped this proposed legislation would amend the 1990 Campus Security Act by requiring colleges and universities to notify parents and police of a missing student within 24 hours of their

reported disappearance. However, there were concerns about how the bill would conflict with other federal requirements. In a 1999 piece by Gene Vernacchio of the Courier-Post, Anthony Santoro, the president of RWU, said, I understand a parent's concern, but how do you define missing? There is an obvious on to explain that the Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, also known as FERPA, requires colleges and universities to maintain student confidentiality, even from parents. But Stephen believed this needed to be changed. He told Martin Z. Braun of the Philadelphia Inquirer, quote, when you know a kid is missing, you act immediately. The late reporting of the disappearance absolutely hurt Brian's case. In the early summer of 2000, Brian's law passed in the House, but there was no indication, either through media reports or legislative records, that Brian's law was passed in the Senate. However, the purpose behind Brian's law hasn't been dismissed entirely.

Elements exist in other legislation and institution-specific policies. Though the policies and legislation were not in place in time to help Brian Neisenfeld's family, their efforts in Brian's honor will protect other students and families, should the worst happen in the future. In the fall of 1998, a memorial was dedicated in Audubon, New Jersey, to honor town residents who had died before they turned 21. Brian Neisenfeld was included in the memorial, and a number of concrete benches were installed around the garden in his name. Jeff Beach reported for the Courier-Post that organizers hoped the memorial would serve as a place of healing for those who had lost their loved ones so young.

Brian's mother and half-sister are regularly involved in the upkeep and maintenance of the memorial. It has been 26 years since Brian Neisenfeld disappeared, and police seem to be no closer to understanding how Brian died or even what events led up to his final moments. He was officially declared dead in 1998, but NAMIS, the National Missing and Unidentified Person System, which is operated and maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, still shows Brian as a missing person and notes that he is believed to have jumped from Mount Hope Bridge.

In 2021, WPRI reported that Brian's death is still an ongoing investigation. However, the narrative surrounding his case is inconsistent. Bristol Police Detective Julie Vader told WPRI, quote, we don't to the Rhode Island Cold Case Playing Cards, Brian Neisenfeld's case is listed as an unsolved homicide, and it says foul play was suspected. Regardless, law enforcement officials from Bristol Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Rhode Island State Police all agree that they want this case to be solved so that Brian's family can finally have not only the

closure they deserve, but also peace. Stephen, Brian's father, passed away on March 28, 2023. His obituary states that he had a special fondness for poetry, just like his son, Brian, the intellectual, the English major who enjoyed drawing and poetry, the quiet kid who preferred to spend time with his family and closest friends. Brian's mom, Mary Ann, simply told WPRI, I miss him. He was my everything." If you have information that could help bring a conclusion to Brian Neisenfeld's case, please call 877-RI-SOLVE. Thank you for listening to Dark Down East. This episode was written and researched by Dina Norman,

with additional research, writing, and editing by me, Kylie Lowe. Sources cited and referenced for this episode are listed at darkdowneast.com. Please follow Dark Down East on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening right now. And if you could, leave a review on Apple Podcasts. I love to hear what you think of the show and what you want to hear next, and reviews are really the best way to support this show and the cases I cover. If you have a personal connection to a case and you want me to cover it on this podcast, please contact me at hello at darkdowneast.com. Thank you for supporting this show and allowing me to do what I do. I'm honored to use this platform for the families and friends who have lost their loved ones and for those who

are still searching for answers in cold missing persons and homicide cases 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