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"He was just a great kid": Family grapples with heartbreak after George Musser, 20, found dead near Stillwater

Vigil held for young man found dead near Stillwater
Vigil held for young man found dead near Stillwater 02:23

STILLWATER, Minn. – George Musser's body was found Sunday after he disappeared on Christmas Eve from a bar in downtown Stillwater. Musser was 20.

Friends and loved ones gathered Monday for a candlelight vigil to commemorate Musser.

"George, we love you," said Kent Musser, George's father. "We all love you and we miss you so, so much."

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CBS

Musser's aunt, Anne Weber, says there are no words to describe the feeling of loss.

Musser's keys and wallet turned up near Brian's Bar & Restaurant on Main Street, but they were miles from where he was eventually found in neighboring Baytown Township.

Without many answers at this point as to what happened, friends and family are remembering him as warm and kind-hearted.  

George Musser
George Musser Stillwater Police

"Whenever he would come into a family gathering, he comes up and gives everybody a hug and tells them that he loves them," Weber said. "He would do the same thing when he left. That's one of the things we've been talking about: if we could all just be more like George."

Large searches all weekend demonstrated how many people Musser touched during his time here.

"What this makes you think about, like spending time with people," Weber said. "What are your priorities? Doing what you can be doing to connect with your loved ones."

The cold limited the vigil to about 15 minutes, but many lingered to embrace each other, tears in their eyes.

"He was just a great kid, and it's just heartbreaking," Weber said.

Musser's family says police have videos of him in different places confirming he was traveling through town. Officers are still investigating the case.

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