1 August 2023
The parents of a 23-year-old missing from Eagan since October announced they have established a nonprofit organization — Bryce’s Blessings — to honor him and support bereaved families coping with the loss of a child.
Bryce Borca’s last known location was Fort Snelling State Park at the end of Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan. He was trying to walk home after a night out with friends.
Bryce Borca (Courtesy of the family via Eagan Police Department)
“These last 9 months have been devastating to us and our family and friends,” Troy and Carina Borca said Tuesday in a statement. “Through our faith and our will to fight on, we continue to live each day in a way that would make Bryce proud. To this end, so many of our family and friends have asked what they can do to support us. Those questions have led us down a different path than we anticipated 9 long months ago.”
Bryce’s Blessings is a 501(c)(3) organization with “a mission to provide lasting impact and financial support to bereaved families coping with the loss of a child, especially those dealing with ambiguous loss,” Borca’s parents said. “In the wake of this tragedy, we are pulled to do what Bryce did best – give back to others in need.”
The 1st annual Bryce’s Blessings Classic was held July 18 at The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake, attracting 144 golfers, 40 volunteers and nearly 100 more friends who participated in dinner and post-golf festivities, according to the website brycesblessings.org.
The search for Borca has included hundreds of volunteers, multiple state and federal agencies, professional search teams, canine teams, drones and water sonar equipment, covering over 100,000 acres of land and water in Fort Snelling Park and surrounding areas. The search generated many tips and leads, including surveillance videos from the community and businesses in the area.
Police say there is no indication of foul play in Borca’s disappearance.
Friends of Borca said he’d been drinking on a party bus through the early morning hours of Oct. 30 and took a ride-share back to Eagan with friends. Ride-share records showed Borca was dropped off in the 3200 block of Hill Ridge Drive in Eagan with two friends at 2:08 a.m., according to a search warrant affidavit previously filed by police to collect Borca’s electronic devices to search for evidence to assist in locating him.
Borca left to walk back to his residence in the 3400 block of Promenade Avenue, which is about two miles away. At 2:34 a.m. Oct. 30, Borca spoke with friends using video FaceTime and said his phone had 2 percent battery remaining and he didn’t know where he was. The video appeared to be in a heavily wooded area.
He shared his location from his phone, which put him in a wooded area off Minnesota Highway 13, the opposite direction of his apartment. The call ended and his friends believed his phone ran out of battery power.
In January, the family announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts. They asked anyone with information to contact Eagan police at 651-675-5706.
“We are forever grateful to the Eagan Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, search volunteers, and our friends and family for their support, love and prayers,” Borca’s parents said Tuesday. “While the search for answers continues, we remain hopeful for peace to come.”
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