blacksburg, virginia – Search for answers in the disappearance of Virginia Tech student Johnny Roop. He was supposed to be heading to his parents' home in Abingdon, but never arrived.
Johnny's mother, Veronica Roop, is pleading for her son to be brought home.
“No matter what happens, we're all here for you,” Veronica said. “We're here, so all you have to do is call. Wherever you are, I'll be there. I'll come to you.”
[READ MORE: 20-year-old Virginia Tech student still missing]
Surveillance camera footage showed a 20-year-old man at a local bank on Friday afternoon. That same day, his cell phone rang at a shopping mall in Christiansburg.
Investigators believe he left the area on his own and do not believe he is in danger, but loved ones said this is not normal behavior.
“Many people can smile even when they're not smiling on the inside, so don't let that fool you,” Veronica says. “This is completely out of character. Anyone who knows Johnny will tell you so. Something is definitely wrong. We don't know what it is.”
Dr. Todd Burke, a criminologist and former police officer, said the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is still following leads because of these unusual circumstances.
“If they think it's OK, we have it under control, we know where this person is, we know why this person left, we don't need the public's help with this,” Burke said. he said. “They probably won't ask.”
He said that in missing person cases, police must look into every detail of a person's life.
“When you talk about victimology, it's the study of victims, so you want to know as much as you can about the individual,” Burke says. “Not only how did they become victims, but what was their daily life like?”
If you see Johnny Roop or his vehicle, police say you should contact your local police department immediately.
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