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Hundreds now searching for BYU student; boyfriend passes polygraph.
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Posted: 12:55 PM- The second day of a large-scale weekend search for missing BYU student Camille Cleverley is underway with the highest volunteer turnout of the 8-day effort and a new focus on Provo Canyon.

"The search is picking up steam," said family spokesman Robert Gossman. "The community is turning out in droves to help search for Camille."

The 22-year-old Brigham Young University senior was reported missing after she left on a bike ride Aug. 30. She was last seen riding north on 900 East in Provo near the Missionary Training Center; teenagers found a similar bike near Bridal Veil Falls on Sept. 1.

Earlier today, Provo police announced David Sperry, Cleverley's boyfriend, voluntarily submitted to and passed a polygraph test Friday.

An FBI special agent examiner administered the test and the results will be reviewed by an "independent, experienced FBI regional supervisor who will conduct a quality control process," according to Provo police Capt. Cliff Argyle.

That process can take up to two weeks, he said.

Sperry's father, Dick Sperry, said the family never had any doubts about whether their son was involved. The family can account for all of Sperry's time around the time of Cleverley's disappearance, he said.

Dick Sperry said the family understood that "anytime a girl has a boyfriend and disappears, [her boyfriend] is the first person they suspect."

Sperry spends long hours at work and the couple would usually come to the family's home when he was off.

"Because of their relationship she spent a lot of time here," Dick Sperry said. "The family considers her almost like a son or daughter to us."

Today's search includes a far more extensive canvass up Provo Canyon, with civilian volunteers working along with professionals, Gossman said.

About 400 volunteers had joined the search Friday, a number matched only a few hours into Saturday's search, he said.

The volunteers are a mix of BYU students and members of the community, said Megan Call, a BYU volunteer handling phones at search headquarters in the Harman Conference Center.

Searchers are split into two groups, with BYU students canvassing neighborhood homes around the area Cleverley was last seen and all other volunteers sent to search Provo Canyon.

Gossman asked that anyone who owns property in the canyon make sure to check their property, especially any vacant houses or cabins.

Members of Cleverley's and Sperry's families are participating in today's search, as they have been throughout the week.

"The family has been incredibly encouraged by the support from this community," spokesperson Brandon Gaudin said at search headquarters. "Especially today, the people coming out in numbers has really put a smile on their faces."

Police said attempts to absolutely determine that the bike found near Bridal Veil Falls was Cleverley's have been stymied. Police are hoping Schwinn, the bike's maker, can provide a list of bikes that were sent to Provo area stores to see if the bike could have been hers.

The teens who found it kept it for several days, then learned it matched the description of Cleverley's bike and turned it into police on Thursday.

A woman used Cleverley's debit card and identification number to purchase two bottles of fruit juice and doughnuts on Aug. 31, but a store clerk couldn't say if the woman was Cleverley, police said.

For Sunday's search, volunteers are asked to report to the Camille Search Center at 770 E. University Parkway (Harmon Building) in Provo at 8 a.m. Call 801-422-0670 for more information.

Hundreds of volunteers report for today's search effort
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