UP CIO Disbury missing

Bad weather suspends search near Multnomah Falls for University of Portland's chief information officer

By Dana Tims, The Oregonian
on January 05, 2013 at 9:38 PM

Bad weather has suspended the search near Multnomah Falls for the University of Portland's chief information officer.

Paul Disbury, a two-year employee of the university and a Sherwood resident, was last seen on Dec. 31 before leaving his vehicle in the parking lot of Multnomah Falls, police said. He was reported missing the same day.

Multnomah County Search and Rescue personnel spent two days searching for Disbury. Their efforts included rappelling the hillsides near the falls, diving into adjacent ponds and scouring trails in and around the area.

Police said information provided by family members and a number of different contacts led them to believe Disbury was suicidal.

"That's what we have determined, unfortunately," said Sherwood Police Department Capt. Ty Hanlon. "That's why we have strayed from a missing person's search. At this time, we are looking at a recovery effort."

Disbury was hired by the university sometime in 2010, said Joe Kuffner, a University of Portland spokesman. The university's website states that Disbury was appointed UP's chief information officer last March.

"Paul directs the institution's academic and administrative computer and voice and data communications personnel," according to the website. "He also is primarily responsible for leading the wide variety of campus technology users toward an environment that achieves the institution's goals related to technology."

High winds and build up of ice forced suspension of the search, Hanlon said. The effort will resume once weather improves, he said.

– Dana Tims

The body of Paul Disbury, the chief information officer for the University of Portland and a Sherwood resident who went missing late last year, was recovered Friday.

Capt. Ty Hanlon, the Sherwood police spokesman, said the Multnomah County Search and Rescue Team found Disbury in the upper pools of Multnomah Falls, close to where he had left his car.

Disbury was reported missing on Dec. 31, 2012, launching a two-day search. The efforts included rappelling the hillsides near the falls, diving into adjacent ponds and scouring trails in and around the area.

High winds and ice forced rescue workers to suspend their immediate search, but there were several more attempts to find him over the next months, Hanlon said.

Information provided by family members and a number of different contacts led police to believe Disbury was suicidal, Hanlon said.

The cause of death was cranial cerebral trauma, which is "basically a head injury," Hanlon said, after a 542 feet jump off the falls.

Disbury was hired by the university in 2010, according to Joe Kuffner, a University of Portland spokesman.

Kuffner said he had no immediate comment about the recovery of Disbury's body or about his time working for the university.

The university's website stated that Disbury was appointed UP's chief information officer in March, 2012. His responsibilities included directing the communications personnel and leading technology initiatives.

-- Jesse Marx
Oregonian reporters Lynne Terry and Dana Tims contributed to this report