Missing teen’s death shocks Va. community; Cause unknown

Students and faculty at Fairfax County public schools are being asked to wear black on Tuesday in honor of Bryan Glenn. (Courtesy of Fairfax County police)
Searchers headed up the path near Thaiss Park. (WTOP/Hank Silverberg)
Students gathered for the search for Bryan Glenn at Thaiss Park. (WTOP/Hank Silverberg)
A crowd gathered at Thaiss Park in the City of Fairfax to resume searching for 17-year-old Bryan Glenn. (WTOP/Hank Silverberg)
Classmates, parents and volunteers continued the search for Bryan Glenn on Monday. (Courtesy of Fairfax County police)
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WASHINGTON – The parents of a missing Fairfax County high school football player and Eagle Scout have confirmed the body police found in a Virginia park on Monday is their missing son.

Search teams found the body of Bryan Glenn a quarter of a mile up a City of Fairfax park trail where they had previously found his car. The body was found wearing the same clothing the search teams were told to look for. Glenn’s teachers and friends contributed to the search efforts.

The announcement sent a ripple through the community, including Woodson High School, where Glenn, a senior, played football. The school brought in grief counselors on Tuesday and asked students and faculty to wear black in honor of their classmate.

Police have not yet indicated a cause of death.

“This devastating news has been a great shock to our family and friends. Right now this family and our community are grieving and we need to let the investigation run its course,” Mike and Rosella Glenn said in a statement about their son. A copy of the full statement is available below.

Bryan Glenn, 17, was last seen when he dropped his brother off at the high school on the morning of Oct. 1.

On Monday, the searchers fanned out along a wooded area and a 17-mile-long path that starts at Thaiss Park, where Glenn’s car was found on Oct. 2.

Bryan Glenn was officially listed as missing in unusual circumstances by Fairfax County police and as “endangered missing” by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The park where his car was found is about two miles from the high school. His father says he also bought something from a nearby donut shop shortly after dropping his brother off for school. Bryan was seen in the school parking lot the morning of Oct. 1 but he did not go to class that day or return home that evening. He did not show up for class on Oct. 2, either.

Teachers and friends who gathered in the park for the search did not believe the missing teen had run away. They say he had been applying to colleges last week and studying for the SATs as late as Sunday night.

The full statement from the Glenn family:

“With tremendous sadness in our hearts, we learned this afternoon of our son Bryan’s death. This devastating news has been a great shock to our family and friends. Right now this family and our community are grieving and we need to let the investigation run its course.

Thanks to everyone in the community and around the globe who offered their love, prayers and support to our family over the past week. Your kindness has given us strength during this difficult time and has touched our hearts forever. Our family would like to express our profound gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers and search team leads. Special thanks to the media and Fairfax area businesses for their continued support.”

Mike & Rosella Glenn

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