Family and Friends of Missing NCSU Student Hope to Generate New Leads

Kristen Modafferi, 18, has been missing since June 23, 1997. Herparents, who live in Charlotte, andfriends say she vanished that day from the San Francisco Bay area, whereshe was going to summer school at the University of California atBerkeley. She has not been seen or heard from since.

Investigators suspect foul play.

On Friday, Kristen's friends and family distributed yellow ribbonson the NCSU campus. They hope their cause will get some national attentionduring Saturday's N.C. State-Maryland men's basketball game, which airs onESPN. Students, including Kristen's sister Allison, will hand ribbons tospectators.

"The intention is to catch ESPN's attention so, hopefully, we might haveKristen's picture broadcast nationally," Allison Modafferi toldTheNews & Observer.

Kristen was last seen leaving work at the Spinelli CoffeeCompany at 3 p.m. on June 23, 1997. Shereportedly told fellow employees that she was interested in going to thebeach in the Lands End area, and asked for directions.

Kristen never returned that night to her house in Oakland, never showedup for work the next day and never attended class the following day.

Family and friends say she is not the type of person who would disappear without telling others where she was going.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to Kristen'ssafe return. If you have any information, call Officer Patrick Mahany ofthe Oakland police at 510-238-3641, or Graham Desvernine of DesvernineAssociates, a private investigation firm, at 800-969-9800.