A part-time student is still missing after disappearing from Ledo’s Lounge at 2608 N. High St. in the early morning hours of Aug. 11.
Twenty-year-old Julie Popovich has been missing since she left the bar more than a week ago. Family and friends have been papering the campus and surrounding areas with posters describing Popovich, offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to her safe return.
Although Popovich is not listed in OSU’s student directory, she is listed as an OSU student on thefacebook.com, an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges and universities.
Popovich, of Reynoldsburg, is described as 5-foot-11, 105-pound female with brown eyes and hair. According to the Central Ohio Crime Stoppers, she is a size-0 model with perfect white teeth.
OSU media relations could not be reached for comment.
Columbus police have said they do not think Popovich left Ledo’s willingly. In addition, the department has assigned homicide detectives to the case, according to WBNS-TV.
Popovich disappeared from Ledo’s Lounge while celebrating a coworker’s birthday. Media reports have said that friends saw her leave the bar with a man they did not recognize, but Teonna Brooks, a close friend of Popovich, said it is not like her to leave with someone she did not know.
“As soon as I found out she was missing I talked to the girls the next day that were there that night and they said they never saw Julie leave,” Brooks said.
Brooks said she has not talked to anyone who can confirm Popovich left with someone.
“No one I know said they saw Popovich get in a car with anyone. I don’t know where that rumor came from,” Brooks said.
Brooks said she, Popovich and another woman drove together in Brooks’ car to the bar, arriving at about 11 p.m. Popovich was supposed to leave with her boyfriend, but he never came to the bar because of a late night at work, Brooks said.
“Even if he didn’t show up, four of Julie’s other girlfriends were there (to give her a ride),” Brooks said.
Brooks said the last time she saw Popovich was at about 1 a.m. when Popovich told her she was going outside to smoke a cigarette.
Although it has been speculated that Popovich left with an unidentified man at about 1 a.m., Brooks, who said she was sober because she had to drive home, said she left Ledo’s between 1:30-2:00 a.m. and never saw Popovich leave with anyone.
“When I left the girls asked me ‘Hey, have you seen Julie?’ and I said ‘no, but have her call me if you see her because I’m leaving,'” Brooks said. “If she left at 1 a.m. in a car, don’t you think someone would have said something that night like ‘I already saw her leave?,’ but no one said that.”
“I just think they’re leading the cops in the completely wrong direction because no one’s really sure,” Brooks said. “Does anyone really know what they saw?”
When asked if any person showed interest in Popovich, Brooks said she did not notice anyone.
“She’s a model. She’s beautiful,” Brooks said. “She’s used to guys hanging all over her. But no one guy or person really stuck out to me.”
Earlier this month the Columbus Division of Police issued a crime advisory for OSU’s campus after a string of armed robberies in the Short North and campus-area occurred after the victims had left bars and restaurants at closing time.
The robberies have yet to be solved.
Popovich’s mother was unable to be reached for comment.
Anyone with information about Popovich’s disappearance is urged to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 614-645-TIPS.
