Students

Peru State Asks Judge to Dismiss Lawsuit over Missing Student

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Peru State College officials are requesting a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit of missing daughter filed by her mother, LaTanya Thomas.

The lawsuit blames the college for failing to protect Thomas' 19-year-old daughter Tyler "Ty" Thomas, who was apparently killed in a December 2010 attack by fellow student Joshua Keadle.

Police officials have not been able to find Tyler's body yet, who has been missing since Dec. 2, 2010.

The lawsuit also demands more than $1,600 to repay Tyler's student loans and for emotional damages that the family incurred.

Currently, 32-year-old Keadle is serving a 15- to 20-year prison sentence at the Lincoln Correctional Center for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in 2008, while he was a college student in Dodge County.

Keadle told the investigators that he and Thomas had sex that night at a boat dock in Peru on the Missouri River. They were later involved in an altercation, during which Tyler is known to have threatened him with a rape complaint to the officials.

Moments later, Keadle said that he returned to his dorm room and took a shower to erase any physical evidence of their encounter. 

So far, Keadle has not been charged in the case. He is claimed to be the last person to have seen Tyler alive.

Attorney Ronald Krause, who is favoring the dismissal motion, alleges that the college officials were unaware of the consequences before allocating Keadle a dorm room, which was a few doors away from Tyler.

Apart from Peru State, Thomas sued Keadle, the city of Auburn, Nehama County, the state of Nebraska, Nebraska State College board members, the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges, the University of Nebraska and the Board of Regents.

Attorneys for the NU Board of Regents, the cities of Peru and Auburn, and Nemaha County are also urging the case to be dismissed.

Thomas' attorney Timothy Ashford said the college acted ignorant and did not verify Keadle's background before granting him admission and did not implement proper security measures, including hiring and training security personnel -- to prevent criminal attacks on campus and in the surrounding area.

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