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Otsego Family Sends Heartfelt Plea For Help In Search Of Missing Man

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The family of a missing Monticello man has a heartfelt plea for anyone who can help them find their loved one.

"We just need our son, brother, grandson and friend back in our arms and I pray you help us. Please, please help us," said Patty Brunn, Joe's mom.

No one has heard from 23-year-old Joe Brunn since early Saturday morning. He left the Boondox bar in Otsego around 2:00 a.m. and was headed for the nearby Holiday Inn. He never made it to the hotel.

"It's so unlike him to be gone," said Heather Brunn, Joe's sister. "I just want my baby Joe home in my arms, with my family, and we are such a close family. I know if you were close family, you'd want your children home with you," Patty said.

On Monday, that overwhelming sense of helplessness was met by the helpful. Hundreds of volunteers helped in the search to bring Joe home.

"This is so overwhelming to see the people here," said Carol Brunn, Joe's grandma.

Grandma Carol said she couldn't just sit back and wait for news to come in about her grandson.

"I just needed to be with Joe and with the family. I feel closer to Joe when I'm out here walking," Carol said.

She joined in the search and looked near the hotel where cameras captured him early Saturday after leaving a nearby bar. Over the last two days, the search effort covered about 10 square miles. Along with the cornfields to the north of the hotel, crews also looked to the south. Law enforcement also traveled Highway 39 to Monticello where Joe lives. Wright County Sheriff's deputies also started searching in nearby neighborhoods.

"If you know of anything, if you saw him on the road, if you saw an accident that sparks your mind around 2 a.m. Saturday morning in Otsego, I beg of you, please let law enforcement know to help us out," Patty said.

For Joe's family, the extra help is keeping hope alive.

"We're a very close family. We want our brother and son back. If you ask anyone in this community, we Brunns, we stick together and we need the whole group," Heather said.

Law enforcement do not believe anyone is involved in Joe's disappearance. He was last seen wearing a light grey dress shirt and black pants.

A fund has been set up to help pay for supplies and food for volunteers helping with the search.

The Wright County Sheriff's Office is doing a water search as well on the Mississippi River. Volunteers are being asked not to interfere with that.

Anyone who finds anything on land on the search has been instructed to call 911. And if anyone has information on his whereabouts, please call the sheriff's office at 763-682-1162.

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