Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Search continues in mysterious case of missing biologist
The Memphis [TN] COMMERCIAL-APPEAL ^ | 20 NOV 2001 | Thomas Jordan

Posted on 11/20/2001 11:06:30 AM PST by archy

Search continues in mysterious case of missing biologist

By Thomas Jordan
jordan@gomemphis.com

One of the world's leading structural biologists, whose abandoned rental car was discovered on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge last week, remained missing Monday. Dr. Don C. Wiley, 57, a Harvard University biochemistry and biophysics professor, was in Memphis attending the annual meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The board met Wednesday and Thursday at the hospital.

Wiley's rented white Mitsubishi Galant was discovered abandoned on the bridge at 4 a.m. Friday.

Police said the key was in the car's ignition switch and the vehicle's hazard lights hadn't been turned on. The car also had a full tank of gas.

Memphis Police Inspector Matt McCann said Monday Wiley's disappearance was baffling.

"We just don't know where he is right at the moment," McCann said. "There is no indication of foul play that we can determine at this point."

McCann said Wiley is "known throughout the world in his field. For him to suddenly disappear like this is of great concern to us. We're putting in a lot of man-hours trying to locate him."

Dr. William Evans, deputy director of St. Jude, said Wiley has been a member of the advisory board for about 10 years. The board, composed of 15 physicians and scientists, evaluates the hospital's programs through discussions with faculty members.

Evans said he talked with Wiley Thursday night after a dinner at The Peabody. He said Wiley was in a good mood.

"Don was always the life of the party in terms of any kind of conversation . . . and he was doing just that," Evans said.

Wiley is an accomplished scientist, Evans said.

"He has won some major scientific prizes. . . . He's been considered for the Nobel Prize. He's one of the world's premier scientists in his field."

Wiley is the John L. Loeb Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Harvard's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology.

According to a biography of Wiley released by Harvard, he is "one of the most influential biologists of his generation." His work focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms through which viruses infect cells and the resulting immune responses they elicit.

He recently had been investigating dangerous viruses including AIDS, Ebola, Herpes Simplex and influenza.

In 1999, Wiley and another Harvard professor, Dr. Jack Strominger, won the Japan Prize for their discoveries of how the immune system protects humans from infections.

Wiley and Strominger won the Albert Lasker Medical Research Awards in 1995 for their work on the immune system, which has shown how the body fights infection and rejects organ transplants.

- Thomas Jordan:

529-5880 November 20, 2001


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bloodhounds
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last

1 posted on 11/20/2001 11:06:30 AM PST by archy (archy@hyperchat.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Alamo-Girl; archy
*ping!* [ker-choo!]

-archy-/-

2 posted on 11/20/2001 11:07:33 AM PST by archy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: archy
Yikes! BTTT
3 posted on 11/20/2001 11:09:37 AM PST by Aggie Mama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Nita Nupress
ping
4 posted on 11/20/2001 11:10:38 AM PST by Gracey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Gracey
A structural biologist would probably not be the first choice of a terrorist looking for help making weapons of mass destruction.
5 posted on 11/20/2001 11:12:12 AM PST by tgiles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: tgiles
Thanks for the input but I don't understand enough regarding types of biologists.

However, it seems to me that someone was in the car with him and made him get out - enter another vehicle. Perhaps the location would make it seem like suicide.

6 posted on 11/20/2001 11:14:55 AM PST by Gracey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: tgiles
A structural biologist would probably not be the first choice of a terrorist looking for help making weapons of mass destruction

Unless it was one who had worked with Visna in particular, say back around 1980-'85.

-archy-/-

7 posted on 11/20/2001 11:17:00 AM PST by archy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: *Bloodhounds; Wallaby; T'wit; Budge; Great Dane; Acorn; adanaC; CholeraJoe
Trust this is not another loss possibly every bit as tragic for the Bloodhounds as that of Dr. Jonathan Mann and his wife, Dr. Mary Lou Clements-Mann in the Swissair crash.
8 posted on 11/20/2001 11:18:27 AM PST by Askel5
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gracey
Ive heard that guy lecture before. He is one of the best ever. Wow. That is a really strange story.
9 posted on 11/20/2001 11:18:34 AM PST by Kale
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: tgiles
"A structural biologist would not be first choice for a terrorist..."

Probably true, but would not a structural biologist be important to developing counter measures to bio terror. Sort of like taking an all star linebacker off the field at game time. Just a thought.

10 posted on 11/20/2001 11:19:03 AM PST by xkaydet65
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: tgiles
What does a structural biologist study?
11 posted on 11/20/2001 11:19:18 AM PST by motexva
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: archy; nunya bidness
Visna? Like this sort of Visna?
12 posted on 11/20/2001 11:22:00 AM PST by Askel5
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: archy
Is there any speculation that he may be involved with the anthrax envelopes/letters?
13 posted on 11/20/2001 11:22:48 AM PST by blam
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: archy
Do we have another X-file to open? I pray that Dr. Wiley has not gotten in harm's way.
14 posted on 11/20/2001 11:25:56 AM PST by d14truth
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Askel5
Visna? Like this sort of Visna?

Well, more like this sort of Visna. Or see the article from the USDA Agricultural Research magazine:
Toward Retrovirus-Resistant Sheep; Genetically engineered sheep; ovine progressive pneumonia; visna virus; encephalitis; pneumonia; arthritis; Caird E. Rexroad; Beltsville; MD Apr17 1994

Personally, I'd be more concerned if HPAI was the choice for a bioterror weapon- it's got far more possibilities for real economic and agricultural devestation.

-archy-/-

15 posted on 11/20/2001 11:32:50 AM PST by archy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: archy
Want the tinfoil hat theory* on why he might have been "disappeared"?

Suppose he had proved, once and for all, that Peter Duesberg, Karry Mullis, Mbeki, Hodgkinson, Lauritsen, Fintan Dunne, etc, and let's not forget Serge Lang, were all right; HIV is not the cause of AIDS and, possibly, AIDS is not a even a communicable disease. Billions of dollars would be at stake. People have been "disappeared" for far less.

* Too whom it may concern. I beat you to it.

16 posted on 11/20/2001 11:36:53 AM PST by Aurelius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blam
Is there any speculation that he may be involved with the anthrax envelopes/letters? In several Memphis-area drinking establishments frequented by cops and in others in which a few old-time newsmen still gather, though now doing without the company of former Pine Bluff AP bureau workhorse Les Seago. And likely in a few gathering spots near Pine Bluff, Ark, Plum Island NY, Dugway, Utah and Ft. Detrick, Maryland and other *educational and veterinary research facilities*.
17 posted on 11/20/2001 11:38:33 AM PST by archy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: Aurelius
Want the tinfoil hat theory* on why he might have been "disappeared"?

Suppose he had proved, once and for all, that Peter Duesberg, Karry Mullis, Mbeki, Hodgkinson, Lauritsen, Fintan Dunne, etc, and let's not forget Serge Lang, were all right; HIV is not the cause of AIDS and, possibly, AIDS is not a even a communicable disease. Billions of dollars would be at stake. People have been "disappeared" for far less.

* Too whom it may concern. I beat you to it.

Of course, in Memphis, folks have also *been disappeared* for their shoes. Sometimes their bodies are found; sometimes not.

'Course if those Arkies from 'cross the river got ahold of him, the corpus delecti may be some local family's Thanksgiving dinner and likely will never be found. Bones, maybe.

-archy-/-

19 posted on 11/20/2001 11:44:32 AM PST by archy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Aurelius
That is, neither communicable nor a disease in the scientific sense of the latter term. Duesberg is a leading figure in the field of microbiology (although his status has been artificially diminished and he no longer gets government scientific grants because he doesn't toe the official line). Mullis is a Nobel Prize winning microbiolist.
20 posted on 11/20/2001 11:45:39 AM PST by Aurelius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-83 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson