Search continues for missing Jefferson City man
Law enforcement in Mid-Missouri continue to search for man believed to have jumped off the Missouri River Bridge in Jefferson City.
On Thursday, police were called to the bridge for a report that a man may have jumped off the bridge. At the time, the caller told police she did not see the man jump, but believed he did.
Monday, Jefferson City police identified the man as Randy C. Chugg, 21, of Jefferson City.
Investigators say Chugg and his girlfriend got into an argument in the 1100 block of W. McCarty Street on Thursday. Chugg reportedly told his girlfriend he was going to jump off the bridge.
The woman was driving over the bridge and saw Chugg standing on the pedestrian walkway. When she was able to park and make her way to the walkway, she could not find him. Chugg’s personal items, including clothing, were found on the walkway near their “lock of love.”
Despite an initial search by the Jefferson City Fire Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol Water Division, emergency responders were not able to find Chugg. The search was called off due to unsafe conditions for responders.
The Highway Patrol says they will restart their search when it is safe to be back on the river. Jefferson City police say they are treating the case as a missing persons investigation.
