Imagining her son in the last hours of his life breaks Nancy Musser's heart "every five minutes," she told a crowd of mourners Monday night.
Lost and alone, wearing only a flannel shirt in sub-zero temperatures, without his car keys or wallet, 20-year-old George Musser walked away from a downtown Stillwater bar early Saturday morning and never reached home.
His body was found a day later more than 2 miles from where he was last seen.
Speaking at a candlelight vigil, his grief-stricken parents thanked friends, family and strangers for helping search for the son in the day and a half before his body was found about 7 p.m. Christmas Day. They also remembered their son's kindness and love for others.
"George had a huge heart," his father, Kent Musser, told the crowd of about 500 people at the vigil at the Stillwater Lift Bridge. "He was full of love and compassion. He hugged us all, and he would say to me every day, 'Love you, Dad.' "
George Musser was last seen leaving Brian's Bar & Grill at 2:10 a.m. His family realized about 5 a.m. Saturday that he hadn't come home, said Anne Weber, his aunt and godmother.
The family found his wallet near the Freight House, a restaurant near Brian's and where his vehicle was parked. His keys were found near a dumpster. The family contacted police and started organizing a search.
Dozens of volunteers stepped forward, some drawn by social media posts such as the "Find George Musser" Facebook page, which eventually grew to about 5,600 members. People searched downtown parking lots, sheds and backyards. Some homeowners put a check on their doors to show that their houses had been searched.
Weber said the family was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. Musser's father is the orchestra director at Stillwater High School, and the family is well known within the St. Michael's Catholic Church community. Local businesses and churches pitched in. People printed maps and tried coordinating to cover the most ground quickly. Weber said she thinks a couple of hundred people joined the search.
A public safety alert was issued at 5 p.m. Sunday. Authorities reported that his body was found about two hours later in the 5400 block of Osgood Avenue North in Baytown Township.
Stillwater Police Chief Brian Mueller said there was no indication of foul play. The Ramsey County medical examiner will conduct an autopsy.
Weber said police have found video of George throughout town in the time after he left Brian's. She said her nephew had been drinking and was disoriented.
"He just couldn't find his way home," she said.
Musser's parents live nearly a mile from Brian's Bar a 20-minute walk. His body was found about 2.5 miles from where he started walking.
"To these young people going out and drinking, use the buddy system," Weber said. "Be with people you trust. Have a plan for how you're going to get home."
She said her nephew was "a warm-hearted, loving kid."
"When he would come into any family event, he would hug everybody, tell them he loved them," she said.
"There was a big hole this holiday, not having George at the table. It's just, like, broken."
George Musser was attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Among other things, he had been studying American Sign Language, Weber said.
"That's what we were talking about at the house today: How can we be more like George?" Weber said. "Hug the people that you love. Tell them that you love them, every time you see them.
"Don't let that go by, because you just don't know when [will be] the last time you'll see them."
