08/15/05: Andrew Lathrop, 20, Hokodate, Japan

Andrew Lathrop
Missing since 8/15/05

University of Wisconsin-Madison student Andy Lathrop, 20, spoke fluent Japanese and chose to spend his sophomore year of college working as an intern with Labo International Exchange Foundation in Tokyo, Japan. After spending a year overseas, Andy decided to cap off his stay in Japan with a trip to the island of Hokkaido in August 2005. He traveled with a friend and fellow intern on their last weekend in Japan.

The pair took a 20-hour train ride from Tokyo, where they were based, and ferried over to Hakodate, the northern Japan seaport of about 300,000 people. After taking a taxi to the Hakodate Kenkou Center, they grabbed a few hours sleep, then spent most of the day touring Hakodate.

The following day, Monday, Aug. 15, the friends decided to split up because Andy wanted to hike in a national park that was an hour away by train. They planned to meet later that afternoon to catch the Hakodate ferry to the mainland and take the train back to Tokyo.

The day started off as planned.

At about 7 a.m. Andy's friend saw him headed to the showers at the Hakodate Kenkou Center. Then at 7:24 am, she received a text message from him  that read, "I'm leaving."

At 9 a.m., Ariel got another text message: "Ferry at 5:30 p.m. from Hakodate to mainland." Ten minutes later, he wrote, "Let's meet at the station at 4:30 p.m." 

At 9:53 am, Lathrop texted his friend that he had stopped at a local beach and "walked to the swimming area and a ways and the sea is beautiful." He said he would meet her at the station.

His friend spent the rest of the day exploring more of Hakodate, then arrived at the ferry a little after 4 p.m. At 4:09 she sent Andy a text message: "I'm at the station."

Lathrop did not respond, nor did he appear at 4:30, the time he had suggested to meet.

Hours passed. At 10 p.m., the friend phoned coordinator with the Labo International Exchange Foundation in Tokyo, which had arranged Andy's teaching position in Japan. She said to call the police.

That same day--just five days before Andy was scheduled to return home to the United States--the Lathrops received a call telling them that their son was missing. 

10/09/09: Hyeong Kim, 23, Manhattan, NY

Hyeong Kwon Kim

On October 9, 2009, Hyeong Kwon Kim, 23, helped a female friend move in Midtown Manhattan, N.Y. before heading to the Port Authority Bus Terminal on 42nd Street. Kim spoke to the woman before reaching the terminal, but the young man was never heard from again. A friend in Union City, N.J., reported him missing three days later.

New York police found Kim’s body in the Hudson River by Pier 40 off Houston Street on Oct. 16, 2009. The body’s condition made it difficult to identify. It was identified by the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner through dental records. The medical examiner gave the cause of death as drowning, police said, and there was no indication that Kim was the victim of a crime.

Kim was a Korean citizen attending an English language school in New York City. He lived by himself in the borough of Palisades Park.

Kim’s family had come from Seoul after they learned of his disappearance.

02/26/11: Austin Bice, 22, Madrid, Spain

Austin Bice
Credit: El PAIS / Carlos Rosillo

Austin Bice, 22, an honor student in international business at San Diego State University was last seen in the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, in Madrid, Spain.

Bice, an exchange student at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, had spent the night with friends drinking in an apartment before going out to La Sala Riviera nightclub located on Virgen del Puerto in western Madrid.

A doorman at the club suggested Bice rest a while before going in because he looked unwell. A friend stayed outside with him until 1 a.m., when Bice said he was going to walk home. When he failed to return home, roommates reported him missing.

On March 8, 2011, Bice’s body was found in the shallow, slow-moving waters of the Manzanares River, 900 feet south of the nightclub where he was last seen. The body was located after a 550-yard section of river was drained as part of the search.

There were no immediate signs of foul play. An autopsy was carried out, but it is not clear when the results will be released to Bice's family and to a Spanish investigating magistrate. The results of toxicology tests and a full autopsy report are pending, and should be available in the next several weeks. An independent autopsy in San Diego will also be performed.


About Austin Bice

Austin Bice was described by the Examiner.com as “an honor student, star football player, loving son, brother, and a caring friend to many people. Austin was a mature and stable adult, who was admired by many people, and was described as "lighting up a room" with the warmth and energy of his personality by those who knew him well.”

Austin Bice
Facebook photo

Bice, from Carlsbad, California, had been attending school at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, in part of the city called Getafe, since January 15. Carlos Lopez-Terradas, who runs the exchange program at Carlos III University, described Bice as a popular young man with lots of friends.

According to the Examiner.com, “In postings on his blog, Bice wrote about his experience with Spain…[he] was amazed at the party scene, with both Spanish and foreign students often staying out until dawn, but said in a Feb. 9 post that he wasn't imbibing as much as others.

"’Before I came to Spain, I was told by all of my advisers that I should try to keep calm at parties and not try to be the typical loud and drunk American," Bice wrote. "I have done exactly that, staying back and watching hilarious drunken events occur from a relatively sober mind. The Spaniards at the party were not following along with this ideology.’"

On his last post on Feb. 25, he said he was going out: "Hopefully it will not disappoint (I assume it will not). It's in Madrid and it should be a fun night."

Bice was tall and physically fit. He was six-foot-four, 230 pounds and had recently climbed Mt. Whitney in California with his father. He was a star football center at SDSU and was called a “gentle giant.” He also enjoyed softball and kickball at San Diego State, and cheering on the SDSU Aztecs, his favorite basketball team.

He added: "Now, I truly must be going, my Spanish roommates are expecting me to prepare some authentic American food ... Hope they like Hamburgers!"

A Memorial Trust has been set up in Austin Bice’s name to fund scholarships. For more information or to donate, visit the family’s Web page at http://www.austinbice.com/.

08/09/09: Zeyu Qu, 18, Burnaby, BC, Canada

Zeyu Qu
 Missing since 8/9/09
from Burnaby, BC

Zeyu Qu is missing.

Zeyu Qu, an 18-year old English Language student from China was last seen on August 9, 2009 at his residence located in the 6600 block of Broadway in Burnaby. Qu left a message that he would be back in a couple of days, but has not been heard from.

He apparently took some of his belongings with him and may have placed these items in either a yellow carry-on type suitcase or a large blue backpack.

Qu had been in Canada taking an English course for several weeks. He is not known to have anything to do with either alcohol or drugs and has no known medical conditions. He is described as a happy student who was involved in all of the provided student activities until the last few days prior to his disappearance when he became more quiet in nature.

Burnaby RCMP and the Family have been attempting to locate Qu with no success.


Facts in this Case:
Name/age:  Zeyu Qu, 18
Last seen: 08/08/09, Burnaby, BC, Canada
Physical Description: 6'1", 175 pounds, slim build, short black hair, black eyes. It is unknown what he was wearing at the time he left the home, but he apparently often wore a hat.
Investigating Agency: Burnaby RCMP

11/3/08: Sahil Sharma, 20, Surrey, BC, CAN

On November 13, 2008, 20-year old Sahil Sharma left his home in the Newton area of Surrey, British Columbia, to attend classes at Kwantlen Polytechnic University at 72nd Ave & 128th Street. After attending his various classes, he left the campus around 7:30 p.m. and did not return home. Family and friends are still seeking answers to the whereabouts of this young man who by all accounts simply vanished.

At the time of his disappearance, Sharma was a second-year international student from India attending with a focus on Information Technology. He was student in good standing, and with his tuition already paid and having settled in with his uncle and extended family, everything was in place for a positive future.

The search for Sahil Sharma
The Missing Persons Unit at the Surrey Detachment has made a multitude of inquiries in hopes of locating Sharma. They have scoured his e-mail, bank accounts, medical and travel records, as well as interviewed family and friends. They have found no indication of drug or alcohol abuse or any medical issues, and have not found any clues to help locate him.

Sharma's parents flew to Canada and met with police investigators, and have made themselves readily available to meet with the media. His uncle is also willing to speak with the media.

His friends have also set up a Facebook page.


Quick Facts:
Name/age: Sahil Sharma, 20
Last seen: 11/3/08, Kwantlen University, 72nd Ave & 128th Street, Surrey, BC, Canada
Physical Description: 5' 6", 144 lbs, South Asian decent, black hair, brown eyes with a slight beard. He was last seen wearing the brown jacket shown in the photo.

Anyone with any information as to the whereabouts of Sahil Sharma are asked to call the Surrey RCMP Detachment at (604) 502-6477 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

07/15/08: Guowen Weng, 16, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Two years ago today, Guowen Weng, a 16-year old student from China disppeared just 6 hours after arriving in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Weng, who arrived in Vancouver at 2:30 p.m. in preparation for a two-week long summer course, went for a walk around 8:30 p.m., taking his belongings and cell phone with him. He never returned.

Guowen Weng is described as about 5'3" tall, 100 pounds, with black, spiky hair. According to police, Weng speaks no English.

In September, CBS News reported that Weng was the fourth student to disappear from the BCC Academy of English school within days of each other in July. The three other students — a boy, 19, and two girls, 16 and 17— were all in the same class and went missing five days after Weng.

According to CBS News, "The last record police have of Guowen cellphone being used is in Ottawa. Vancouver police Const. Tim Fanning said police tried to contact their families in China but they either weren't helpful or didn't return their calls."

Police now believe they may have used the summer language program as an excuse to get into Canada. All four students were admitted to the country on six-month study visas.

All four cases have now been handed over to the Canada Border Services Agency, Fanning said.

03/02/10: Jonathan Dorey, 22, Richmond, VA

Jonathan Dorey is missing.

Jonathan "Jonny" Dorey, an exchange student attending Virginia Commonwealth University was last seen March 2 leaving his campus dormitory at the Gladding Residence Center with his mountain bike at 11:19 a.m. Since then, neither Dorey or his mountain bike has been seen.

It appears that the last class Dorey attended was Tuesday morning (3/2), and he last used his cell phone that morning. The phone is apparently turned off.

The last purchase he is known to have made also was Tuesday morning at a 7-Eleven.

VCU police Capt. Grant Warren said, "We wish we had more to go on."

Dorey, who is from Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel, attends Great Britain's University of the West of England and was on an exchange to VCU. He was studying geography.

Dorey was reported missing on March 4 by friends. His friends and family say it is out of character fot he young man to leave without telling anyone where he was going.

Police said they do not suspect foul play.


The Search for Jonathan Dorey

During the search for Dorey, University police have worked with Richmond police, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross.

Dorey has been described as an experienced mountain biker. Search efforts have focused on bicycle trails near the James River in Richmond.
On March 16, VCU Police released photos captured by a security camera on March 2 outside of Gladding Residence Center. The surveillance cameras show Dorey leaving the lobby of his dorm with his bicycle.

Dorey's bike is a black single-speed bicycle with an Azonic Steelhead frame, an SDG Bel-Air seat, Race Face lock-on grips, DMR V8 pedals and Kenda tires. It has a black seat with a red stripe down the middle.

Dorey is 6 feet tall, weighs 180 pounds, has brown hair and speaks with a British accent. He was last seen wearing a blue and white plaid jacket with a hood and dark blue jeans. Dorey wears glasses. He was carrying a navy blue Eastpak ruckpak.

VCU and the University of the West of England, Dorey's home university, are offering a combined $10,000 reward for any information leading to Dorey's location.


Belongings found

On March 23, Dorey's backback containing some personal belongings was found near his clothes at Rockett's Landing near Dock and Pear Streets. The items were found by a passerby. The following month, Dorey's parents made the announcement that an empty bottle of gin had also been found at the site.

The area is a popular fishing spot, and the items were reportedly in a hollow area under a large concrete pad beside the north bank of the river. After the discovery, Richmond rescue dive teams searched the nearby James River until 5:30 p.m. and again the following day.

Dorey's parents, Alan and Debbie Dorey, and his brother Simon have flown to the US to help in the search. A Facebook group has also been created to appeal for information; at last count it had 24,635 members.

In April 2010, a witness came forward to say he believed he saw a man fitting Jonny's description swimming in the river on the afternoon Jonny went missing. According to the Charley Project, the weather that day was rainy and mixed with snow.

In September 2011, Dorey's parents planted a tree on the VCU campus in their son's memory. They have stated that they believe he was depressed and committed suicide by drinking a bottle of gin and jumping into the James River.

"Combined with information we got from the Internet sites and writings that we found by the FBI on Jonny's computer - leads us to believe that Jonny died of a suicide or a reckless act as the result of a mental breakdown..." said Debbie Dorey during a brief news conference outside of Harris Hall.
On March 3, 2011, after the one-year anniversary of Dorey's disappearance, a spokesman for VCU Police told NBC12.com that the investigation is still open.

Anyone with information about Jonathan Dorey should contact VCU Police Communications at (804) 828-1196.


Facts in this Case:
Name/age: Jonathan "Jonny" Dorey, 22
Hometown: Guernsey, Great Britain
Residence: Richmond, VA
College: Dorey was an exchange student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He had previously been attending the University of the West of England.
Last seen: 3/2/10, 11:19 a.m., Gladding Residence Center dormitory
Physical Description: 6'0", 180 pounds, brown hair, green eyes. Speaks with a British accent. Last seen wearing: blue and white plaid jacket with hood, dark blue skinny jeans, black shoes. Dorey wears glasses.
Notes: Jonathan Dorey's bike is also missing. It is a black single-speed bicycle with an Azonic Steelhead frame, an SDG Bel-Air seat, Race Face lock-on grips, DMR V8 pedals and Kenda tires. It has a black seat with a red stripe down the middle.
Links: Project Jason, Charley Project
Investigating Agency: VCU Police (804) 828-6409


Originally Posted 3/25/10. Revised 3/16/11.

01/28/06: Kenji Ohmi, 20, Madison, WI

Roomates saw 20-year old ESL student Kenji Ohmi at the WI English as a Second Language Institute (WESLI) go to bed after a dorm party Friday, January 28. The next morning, the dorm’s surveillance camera shows Kenji walking out of the dorm. It was the last time he was seen. His body was found six months later in Lake Mendota by a wind surfer.

Last Seen
Ohmi was seen by his roommates after a dorm party on Friday, January 28. A videorecording also captured him leaving his apartment complex at 202 N. Hamilton St. (about 4 city blocks from Lake Mendota) at 6:45 a.m. on January 28, 2006. He did not take his wallet with him or, despite the cold rain coming down outside, his umbrella. There's no indication why Ohmi left that morning. He told no one where he was going and didn't leave a note. He was also not carrying any bags with him. Ohmi was last seen wearing a black jacket, jeans and white sneakers.

A Good Student
Amy Osorio, a WESLI co-director, said Ohmi was a student at the institute for only a month before disappearing and described him as “shy” and a “good student" who "attended class everyday and always did his homework.” Osorio added Ohmi was closest to his roommates at his Hamilton St. residence, and according to Osorio, Ohmi never showed any signs of wanting to run away. Kenji was from Kyoto, Japan and had been a student for about a month at the Wisconsin English as a Second Language Institute before he disappeared.

Kenji Found
The body of Kenji Ohmi was found in Lake Mendota near Tenney Park (about a mile from Ohmi's residence at 202 N. Hamilton St.) on June 19th, 2006 by a local windsurfer. Mike Cockrem, 46, of Madison, said he spotted the young man's body as he passed it on his wind surfboard just before 1:45 p.m. It was about one-quarter mile off the shore. The body was floating face down, wearing a dark shirt, shorts, tan socks and what may have been sneakers, Cockrem said. Cockrem ran to the lifeguard's hut to use the phone and call 911. Dane County Sheriff's Office boats and divers as well as Madison police and fire arrived just before 2 p.m. Cockrem pointed out Ohmi's body and they pulled it to shore.

The local coroner stated that Ohmi appears to have drowned, but further tests were needed. The police initially stated that were investigating the case as either a suicide or accidental death. On June 21 police announced that they did not believe it was a case of suicide and did not believe that foul play was involved. The Dane County coroner confirmed that the cause of death was drowning and that Ohmi's body had been in the lake since January.

Facts of Interest
Name/age: Kenji Ohmi, 20 (exchange student from Kyoto, Japan)
College: The WI English as a Second Language Institute (Madison, WI)
Area of study: English
Physical description: 5'0," 120#, brown hair, brown eyes
Last seen: 1/28/06, 6:30 am, leaving his dormitory at 202 N. Hamilton street
Recovered: 07/17/06, Lake Mendota near 1200 block of Sherman Ave
Cause of death: drowning
Injuries: unknown, no signs of foul play
Blood Alcohol Content: unknown, probably minimal