Body of missing Stillwater, Minnesota, man, 20, found on Christmas night

ST. PAUL -- The body of a missing Stillwater, Minnesota, man was found on Christmas night.

George Musser, 20, was reportedly last seen at about 2:20 a.m. on Saturday, Christmas Eve, leaving Brian’s Bar & Grill at 219 Main St. S. in Stillwater without a coat.

Family members had spent the weekend searching for him with the help of the community.

“George was located by Stillwater Police at approximately 7PM, in Baytown Township, deceased,” the Stillwater Police Department reported on its Facebook page on Sunday night. “George’s family has been notified. There is no other information at this time as this case is still under investigation. We appreciate all the wonderful volunteers that came out on Christmas to help search for George. A special thank you to other agencies that also assisted with the search/investigation; Stillwater Fire, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Oak Park Heights Police Department, The Minnesota State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. … We ask that you respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

A release late Sunday from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said a man’s body matching Musser’s description was located near the 5400 block of Osgood Avenue North in Baytown Township, roughly 2 miles from downtown Stillwater.

It said the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating.

A GoFundMe page has been established.

“This was not the outcome we were praying for,” wrote Heidi Kram, an extended family member and organizer of the GoFundMe account. “We know George has entered heaven and God and all of his family in heaven will take care of him until we can see him again. We are raising money to help his family with his funeral expenses.”

As of late Sunday, more than $14,000 had been raised at Gofund.me/efbf8e26 .

A Facebook group, Find George Musser, had been created over the weekend for updates about the search for the missing man.

On that page, family members said it had been confirmed that Musser’s wallet was found in a snow bank near the Freight House at 305 Water St. S. in downtown Stillwater — but his ID was missing. His car was reportedly parked at the Freight House parking lot and his keys were found near a trash bin near Brian’s Bar.

Brian’s and the Freight House are close in proximity, about a two-minute walk.

A community-led search for Musser began at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Hundreds of searchers met on the riverside, east of the Freight House in Stillwater, according to a Facebook post. Responding to a plea from Nancy Musser, the missing man’s mother, residents of downtown Stillwater also searched their garages, sheds and cars.