Gay Va. man missing after attending Capital Pride

Police are asking for help in finding a 31-year-old gay man who was reported missing Monday when he failed to return to his home near Fredericksburg, Va. after attending Capital Pride festivities.

A spokesperson for the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia said Edward Roland Minnoe IV was last seen by his roommates and friends late June 13 at Ziegfeld’s/Secrets nightclub at 1824 Half St., S.W., in D.C.

“He was seen speaking with an unknown race male inside the club, and that is the last time he was seen by witnesses,” says a statement from the Sheriff’s Office.

“He has not shown up for work as a manager at Petco in the Fredericksburg, Va. area, which is very unusual,” says the statement. “Mr. Minnoe was last [seen] wearing a white tank top, plaid brown and blue shorts and flip flops.”

The statement says Minnoe’s right ear is pierced with a diamond stud, his left ear is pierced twice and had a gold stud earring and a gold hoop earring. It says he was also wearing a silver “rainbow” ring on one of his fingers.

D.C. police, including the department’s Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit, are assisting in the investigation.

Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Capt. Liz Scott said Minnoe’s roommates told authorities that he chose to remain at the club rather than drive home with them when the roommates wanted to leave. Scott said the roommates told a Sheriff’s Office investigator that Minnoe was with a man he met at the club at the time the roommates left to drive home.

She said Ziegfeld’s/Secrets has cooperatied with her office and D.C. police in efforts to find Minnoe and that the club has made available to authorities surveillance video from its security system, which captured images of Minnoe and possibly the man he met there.

Authorities have not released a description of the man Minnoe is said to have met at the club other than to say the unidentified man is of an “unknown race.”

The Sheriff’s Office describes Minnoe as a white man, 5 feet 8 inches and weighing 135 pounds. It says he has a tattoo of the name “Luke” on his right leg, a tattoo of a tribal band on his right arm and possibly a tattoo of an Asian dragon on his left upper arm.

Anyone with information about Minnoe’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office at 540-507-7111.