(UPDATE) 6/6/11 Search Continues at Liberty Reservoir for Missing Randallstown Man

UPDATE, 6/6/11

Police have not found any new developments in the case of Rodney Goggins Jr., a Randallstown resident and Baltimore City Fire Recruit who has been missing since Monday, May 30.

Police and fire officials searched the Liberty Reservoir’s water and woods last week to no avail.

"As we canvassed the Liberty Reservoir, we ruled out every significant finding utilizing state-of-the-art HD sonar technology provided by local law enforcement, fire department and a subject matter expert from Marine Sonic Technologies in Virginia," Kevin Cartwright, spokesman for the Baltimore City Fire Department, said via e-mail.

The Baltimore City Watershed Rangers will continue to perform water and land surveillances for any sign of Goggins and the Baltimore County Police Missing Persons Division will stay in touch with his family and pursue leads as they develop, Cartwright said.

Last week, several departments staged their search at the boat dock off Liberty Road in Eldersburg for Goggins, 20, who was reported missing by his family on May 30. Family and friends gathered along the tree-lined road Thursday to express their support and await any news.

Dive teams used sonar technology to search the floor of the reservoir, said Sgt. Christopher Davala of Maryland State Police's underwater recovery team. 

"A side-scan sonar … actually takes a picture of the bottom and gives us a relay picture—basically a video—of what the bottom looks like, of which the body would show up if it's on the bottom," he said.

On the ground, several officials combed the area in search of Goggins and evidence. 

"Maryland State Police [and] our recruits have done surveillance in and throughout the woods," Cartwright said last week. "And unfortunately there's been no positive results at this point."

Maryland State Police took the lead in the investigation, Davala said. Officials and volunteers from the Baltimore City Fire Department, Baltimore County Police, the Baltimore County K-9 unit, Maryland Department of Natural Resources and others were also on the scene last week.

Goggins visited a friend on Kenwood Avenue in Baltimore City late Sunday, and his friend told police he left her home late that evening and he had not been seen since, police said.  He also did not show up to work for his training with the Baltimore City Fire Department on Tuesday, May 31, according to Lt. Robert McCullough, spokesman for Baltimore County police.

Goggins’ 2000 black Buick was found at approximately 3:30 p.m. Wednesday along Liberty Road near the reservoir, McCullough said.

It is unknown if there was foul play, he said.

"We will continue our efforts, performing grid patterns throughout the reservoir," Cartwright said. "And we'll continue that until all significant findings have been ruled out."

Baltimore County Police are asking anyone who may have seen Rodney Goggins Jr. to contact the Baltimore County Police Department at 410-887-1340 or 410-307-2020.