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'Someone Knows Where My Son Is': Desperate Family Continues Search For Missing Student

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- "Someone out there knows where my son is, someone knows where my son is, I need that person to come forward to show your heart and your mercy."

Jeff James made a desperate plea for help finding his son Dakota James on Saturday.

The Duquesne University graduate student was last seen at the Wood Street T Station on Jan. 25 after he left the 941 Saloon on Liberty Avenue. Since then friends and family have been putting up flyers with his picture throughout the downtown area. The family was heartened by the number of joining the search.

"Today we've asked Pittsburgh to step up and they have, we have lot of volunteers here to help in the search looking for Dakota," investigative consultant Larry Forletta said.

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Some of the volunteers joining the search are professionals. John Rogowski from the Allegheny Mountain Rescue had his teams walking along on the North Shore and through North Side neighborhoods. Rogowski said searches in the city are a little different than probing through the woods.

"Mostly dealing with hazards of the city dealing with traffic dealing with railroads dealing with waterways," Rogowski said.

Search teams canvassed nearby parks looking for everything from clothing to shoes - anything that belonged to Dakota James.

Another team took a specially trained dog to search the riverbank nears the trail behind the H.J. Heinz plant.

"We want to make sure that if were taking five people out, five people are coming back and they all have their fingers and toes, because that's what they went out with," Dakota James.

Meanwhile the Dakota James' family continues to wait, hope and pray.

"Please, whoever you are out there, I don't care who you are, please come forward and help us take care of this," Jeff James said.

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