Lucye Rafferty/The Hoya Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson announces the filing of a missing persons report yesterday outside Healy Hall while Ghidei’s mother looks on.

Local authorities found a missing student yesterday evening, 90 minutes after announcing that the family of Eden Ghidei (MSB ’06) had filed a critical missing persons report with etropolitan Police Department earlier that day.

University officials and MPD reported that Ghidei had been safely located not far from campus shortly before 6 p.m. Ghidei had not been in contact with friends or family members since Thursday night, when she was last seen in New South.

Police directed all inquiries to university officials who declined to offer specifics for privacy reasons.

“She’s safe. She’s currently receiving medical treatment locally and her family is on the way to see her,” Julie Green Bataille, assistant vice president for communications, said shortly after learning from MPD about Ghidei’s condition.

Ghidei, a HOYA staff photographer and business assistant, works at the Georgetown University Alumni and Student Federal Credit Union and was a member of the crew team.

“I cannot tell you how relieved I feel,” Vlad Vojnovic (MSB ’05) said after learning that Ghidei had been found safe. Vojnovic said he knew Ghidei from attending Orthodox Vespers with her last year and in his role at GUASFCU, where he serves as Chief Personnel Officer.

“I prayed for her and her safety. She’s just such a close friend,” he said.

University officials held a press conference at 4:30 p.m. in front of Healy Hall to notify local media about the missing persons report. Students received a broadcast e-mail before the press conference notifying them about Ghidei’s disappearance.

At the press conference, Ghidei’s mother, Rashan Tesfamariam delivered a heartfelt plea asking for her daughter’s safe return.

“Eden, please come to me,” she said. “I miss you, I love you, please.”

Tesfamariam said that a roommate dispute had occurred earlier in the week, but details regarding Ghidei’s disappearance remain unclear. Tesfamariam also said that it was unlike her daughter to remain out of contact with anyone for so long.

University officials said that they helped Ghidei’s family file the critical missing persons report and that they had cooperated fully with MPD.

“This came about as a result of concerns that Eden had not come to class on Friday and had missed all of her regular appointments,” Todd Olson, interim vice president for student affairs, said. “There was a level of concern on Friday and that level of concern [had] grown throughout the weekend and today.”

Flyers with Ghidei’s picture and description were distributed throughout campus yesterday afternoon.

MPD Capt. Michael Jacobs said that a critical missing report involved constant follow-up, but that no searches had been ordered in the case.

The Department of Public Safety, the Office of Residence Life and deans at the McDonough School of Business had been meeting with students since Friday. They continued meeting over the weekend to make sure that different groups on campus could fit together the pieces of the puzzles.

Olson defended the decision to wait until yesterday to file the missing person’s report.

“Often after doing a few searches for someone who’s thought to be missing – after a few hours or a day we find the person that people were looking for and it turns out not to be a big deal,” he said.