The parents of a University of Portland freshman who was found dead in October are asking for students to come forward with any information that might shed more light on what happened to their son.

Dustin and Mary Klinger, the parents of Owen Klinger, submitted a letter to the school’s student newspaper, the UP Beacon, on Friday. The letter spelled out some of the specifics of their son’s disappearance and asked students for any help they can offer.

Owen Klinger, 18, was last seen Oct. 6, 2019, leaving his dorm room at the University of Portland shortly before 8 p.m. He was found Oct. 20 in the Willamette River near the St. Johns Bridge.

Klinger’s mother, Mary, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that this week had been especially difficult, as it marked six months since Klinger was found.

“I think about him every day,” she said. “It seemed like a fitting time to remind everyone that we still do not have complete understanding of what happened with Owen.”

In the weeks that Klinger was missing, family and friends organized search parties and combed the city for any sign of the missing teen, often gathering hundreds of volunteers.

Throughout the investigation and after Klinger was found, police said there was no sign of foul play in his disappearance or death. But Klinger’s parents said the Portland Police report into their son’s disappearance has raised more questions than answers. The family also received the medical examiner’s report, which determined Klinger’s cause of death was drowning. The report states Klinger likely died by suicide, but finds that there are too many uncertainties to determine a manner of death.

The letter detailed several lines of questioning the family still has, from a potential Title IX violation that Klinger may have witnessed, to unaccounted items he had with him when he went missing, like a phone and $150.

His parents urged students who had any information to contact them, even if it seems minor or they didn’t know Klinger well.

Mary Klinger said that before the school year ends and students shift their focus, the family hopes to reach students that might know anything that could help fill in the gaps about Klinger’s disappearance.

“We are just not willing to let questions go unanswered if we have any chance of learning more,” Klinger’s father Dustin said.

Anyone with information can contact the family at findowenk@gmail.com or text 503-522-7014.

—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

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