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Family Searches Again For Missing U of M Student

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) — Family members and volunteers are searching again in the southern Twin Cities suburbs for a University of Minnesota student who's been missing since the night her ex-boyfriend killed another man outside a Burnsville bar.

Anna Rae Schunk reconnected with Shavelle Chavez-Nelson, 31, in hopes of recovering a $5,000 loan he never repaid, but it may have been a fatal mistake for the 20-year-old.

Schunk's brother says police told their family they found his sister's white jacket with a U of M logo, covered with blood and 18 to 20 holes that may indicate she was stabbed.

While the family searches for answers, volunteers continue to search for any sign of Anarae.

"I was looking at the Facebook site and they said that this might be a possible location," said volunteer Andrew Carlson.

Social media led concerned people to the banks of the Mississippi River in Lillydale Park in St. Paul.

The small group of volunteers does not even know Schunk, but felt they had to do something to help her family find her.

Breanna Remy and Tany Bradach have been through this before. Both were volunteer searchers for Mandy Matula. They brought what they learned in that search to this one.

"We all have that same goal, you know, to get out here, work together," Remy said. "It's just kind of one of those natural feelings - you just have to get out to help."

Although Matula's body has never been found, they're hoping for success this time around. Searchers did find something, though they're not sure if it is related to Anarea's disappearance. But any little thing to keep hope alive is welcomed.

While family and friends wait on DNA results to see if the bloody jacket can be linked to Schunk, all they can think about is why Shavelle Chavez Nelson, who has a lengthy criminal record, was not behind bars.

Schunk's parents say they will meet with the Dakota County Attorney Tuesday morning to discuss the case and the search for their daughter.

Police are still providing few details about the investigation. While they said over the weekend that they received information that led them to believe Schunk had been killed, they haven't publicly disclosed what the evidence was.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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