Veteran Missing 8 Days, Mystery Man Using His Cell Phone

When he hadn't heard from his close friend Corey Hudlun in over a week, Len Wawczak called his pal's cell phone Friday.

The call rang through to Hudlun's voicemail but Wawczak kept dialing. Someone finally answered, but it wasn't Hudlun.

The man claimed there was some mistake, that the phone belonged to him and not Hudlun. But after some pressing, he told a different story.

"He said he got it off a Mexican dude on the Pink Line train," said Wawczak, 25. "Basically he said he got it for $10."

The man couldn't remember what stop he was near when he bought the phone. There wasn't much else he recalled about the transaction either, Wawczak said.

"He said his name was Verne, he's on house arrest and had to be home before five, so it had to be before that" when he bought it on March 9, Wawczak said.

Wawczak said he and Hudlun, 24, grew up together in Bolingbrook. Wawczak now lives in Chicago. Hudlun split time between the city and his sister's home in Bolingbrook. Hudlun's grandmother also lives in Bolingbrook, he said.

Hudlun left Bolingbrook for the Army. Wawczak said Hudlun didn't talk much about his time in the military.

"He kind of bounced around a lot," Wawczak said of Hudlun. "There'd be times we wouldn't talk for a week or two because he was in the suburbs. Sometimes the people in the suburbs wouldn't talk to him for a week or two because he was up here."

But no one in Bolingbrook or Chicago has heard from Hudlun since early March 8, the day before "Verne" supposedly bought his cell phone for $10 on the Pink Line.

Wawczak said he spent all Friday trying to track down Hudlun and finally got through to the man using his cell phone. Another friend attempted to file a missing person report with the Chicago police but was told that could only be done by a family member. Another friend Hudlun rents space from when he stays in Chicago convinced the police to take a report late Saturday.

Hudlun is about 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. He has a tattoo of a tiger on his chest and "Mr. Hudlun" on his forearm, Wawczak said.

Late Saturday, Hudlun's voicemail was still on his phone.

"Good evening, you have reached Mr. Hudlun," the message says. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to my phone, but please do leave your name and number and I'll be sure to get back to you promptly."

His friends are still waiting for that call back.

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