'It Can Be Solved': 17 Years On, Search For St. John's Student Josh Guimond Continues

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota family is fighting for fresh eyes to investigate their son's disappearance.

Josh Guimond hasn't been seen in nearly 17 years since he left a college gathering with friends at St. John's University.

The new request for answers in the case may end up in court.

READ MORE: Age-Enhanced Photo Released For Josh Guimond

Attorney Mike Padden made the formal request to the Stearns County Sheriff's Department last month for the entire case file related to Guimond's disappearance so private investigators can possibly solve it.

"We really feel the resource of that case file is really important for us to try to connect the dots," Padden said.

He is representing Brian Guimond, Josh's father, in his new quest for closure.

"Just another day trying to get something done," Brian Guimond said.

November will mark 17 years since Josh told his friends he was taking the three-minute walk back to his dorm one night. When no one could find him the next day, Stearns County got involved. The search for answers soon centered around Stump Lake on campus.

"I'm convinced this is not a situation where he ended up in a lake. Something else happened here," Brian Guimond said.

Padden has sparred with Stearns County before, most recently representing Dan Rassier, a once publically-named person of interest in Jacob Wetterling's kidnapping who is now suing. Padden also points to Jared Schierel's abduction and attack that happened months before Jacob's -- along with what he calls the mishandling of the 1978 Huling case. A mother and her three children were murdered in Clearwater, where the suspect was again quickly in custody only to be released soon after.

All Stearns County cases have many of the same players in charge.

READ MORE: 'I Know He's Watching Us': Vigil Held For Josh Guimond

"Those were all three where the content of the investigation would have resulted in a case being solved," Padden said.

Stearns County has denied Padden's request for the case stating the case is still active. The agency's chief deputy didn't want to comment further for this story, only telling WCCO that the investigation is ongoing.

"It can be solved. It's just going to take the right people looking at the right information," Guimond said.

Padden is planning to file a lawsuit in the next month against Stearns County with the hope a judge will decide to grant them access to the case files.