Congressman's son vanishes while attending University of Houston
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- UPDATE (3:04am Friday): Congressman's missing son and UH student Carl Conyers has been found safe.
Family and friends are making an emotional plea for the safe return of a missing 21-year-old University of Houston student. Carl Conyers is also the son of U.S. Representative John Conyers of Michigan.
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Conyers was last seen by his roommate Tuesday evening. His car is still at his home, and now his family is desperate to find him.
His mother Monica arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport Thursday afternoon.
"I just want my son to come home," she said. "If something happened, if you have my son, just let him go. Carl, if something has happened to you, just, just come home."
VIDEO: Texas EquuSearch joins in search for missing UH student
"No matter what position his father has, he's a human and Carl is his son," said Tim Miller, with Texas EquuSearch. "He's going through the same emotions that all families do."
Conyers was drawn to UH because of its entrepreneurship program. His roommate, Chet Ball, was the last of his friends to see him Tuesday evening. Conyers was preparing dinner.
"I greeted him. He had his shirt pulled up over part of his face. I thought it was strange," he said.
Conyers had apparently shaved his beard.
"It's not a big deal, but he loves his beard. Why would he not tell me he was going to do that?" asked Daisha Lewis. She has been in a relationship with Conyers for about a year.
Corey Gentry is one of the last people to see Carl Conyers before he was reported missing.
"I'm scared, I don't even know what to think," said Gentry, Carl's friend.
Gentry and Conyers' roommate sent a text messages to Conyers Tuesday morning.
Video: Jeff Ehling interviews Conyer's roommate
"Carl never texted back, so we are just thinking he just wanted to chill out in his room because Red said he had his face covered up with a shirt and he thought his beard was shaven and Carl said, 'Yeah, it's been a crazy day. I shaved my beard'," Gentry said.
Gentry thought Conyers was in his room all night. He says on Wednesday Conyers' roommate called.
"Yesterday morning he called me and said, 'I still don't hear anything' and I was just telling him to try to open the door. We hung up. He called back and said the door was locked and I said try to get in there. He got in there, and said, 'Nobody's here,'" Gentry said.
Lewis says she got two direct messages from his Twitter handle Wednesday. One said he was OK. The other telling everyone to meet him on campus at the university center. She doesn't believe it was really him.
"I had a bad feeling," Lewis said. "I went back to the apartment and when I did, his ID was gone, his debit card was gone, and some clothes were gone.
On Thursday, University of Houston police knocked on Conyers' door, with no answer. Houston police arrived an hour later, just as Conyers' roommate returned home.
Neighbors are getting fliers with Conyers' picture in the hope someone has seen him.
"I pray that he's OK, that nothing happened to him," neighbor Henry Menephee Jr. said.
Shadawn Reddick-Smith, a spokesperson for Carl's father, Rep. John Conyers, issued the following statement.
"Yesterday, Rep. John Conyers, Jr. and his wife Monica Conyers learned of the disappearance of their son, Carl Conyers, who is a student at the University of Houston. Rep. Conyers and his family ask for privacy as they work through this situation of uncertainty and ask that anyone with knowledge of their son's whereabouts, contact the Houston Police Department immediately."
Texas EquuSearch posted flyers in the area near his apartment and conducted a foot search along Brays Bayou. Members from the Houston Police Department assisted in the search.
Anybody with information about Conyers' whereabouts is asked to contact Houston police at (832) 394-1840.
