Bulgaria - Lars Mittank, 28, German tourist, Varna airport, 8 July 2014

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Lars still not found. Some quotes from this article, October 2019
Mysterious Universe entering

None of the group had noticed any issues with Mittank’s behavior, although one of his companions at the time, Tim Schuldt, later recalled that Mittank’s hadn’t seemed to have much of an appetite during the final days of the trip.

“He’d have a bowl of soup or a small plate of salad,” Schuldt said, “that was it.”

Despite their concerns, Mittank’s friends proceeded to the airport as planed, leaving their friend behind at the Hotel Color, which was close to the airport where he would catch his delayed flight the following day.

There had been no indication of any strange behavior by Mittank prior to his friends leaving. However, one day after his friends left for their return trip home, the lone traveler’s behavior became increasingly erratic. Hotel security cameras later showed that he appeared to behave in an apprehensive or confused manner; during the time he was lodging at the Hotel Color, Mittank sent a text message to his mother complaining that he felt unsafe.

Based on the correspondence he had with his mother, Mittank seemed to be under the impression that he was being followed—possibly by the four men he had fought with only days earlier—by men who intended to rob him. Security cameras chronicled his odd behavior, showing him hiding in elevators and pacing around the facility, occasionally peering cautiously out of its windows. During his single night at the Hotel Color, Mittank left at 1 AM, and remained gone for one hour; it was never determined where he had gone during this time.
 
Lars still not found. Some quotes from this article, October 2019
Mysterious Universe entering

None of the group had noticed any issues with Mittank’s behavior, although one of his companions at the time, Tim Schuldt, later recalled that Mittank’s hadn’t seemed to have much of an appetite during the final days of the trip.

“He’d have a bowl of soup or a small plate of salad,” Schuldt said, “that was it.”

Despite their concerns, Mittank’s friends proceeded to the airport as planed, leaving their friend behind at the Hotel Color, which was close to the airport where he would catch his delayed flight the following day.

There had been no indication of any strange behavior by Mittank prior to his friends leaving. However, one day after his friends left for their return trip home, the lone traveler’s behavior became increasingly erratic. Hotel security cameras later showed that he appeared to behave in an apprehensive or confused manner; during the time he was lodging at the Hotel Color, Mittank sent a text message to his mother complaining that he felt unsafe.

Based on the correspondence he had with his mother, Mittank seemed to be under the impression that he was being followed—possibly by the four men he had fought with only days earlier—by men who intended to rob him. Security cameras chronicled his odd behavior, showing him hiding in elevators and pacing around the facility, occasionally peering cautiously out of its windows. During his single night at the Hotel Color, Mittank left at 1 AM, and remained gone for one hour; it was never determined where he had gone during this time.
It sounds very much like what happened with my younger brother, when we eventually figured out he had adult onset of paranoid schizophrenia.

He was always saying he was being stalked and followed, told us it was the ex boyfriend of a girl he was seeing. Sounded plausible at the time...but sadly it was the beginning of a major meltdown.
 
It sounds very much like what happened with my younger brother, when we eventually figured out he had adult onset of paranoid schizophrenia.

He was always saying he was being stalked and followed, told us it was the ex boyfriend of a girl he was seeing. Sounded plausible at the time...but sadly it was the beginning of a major meltdown.

So sorry for your brother and you. Must be hard.

I'm not an expert in psychiatry but Lars's behavior in the hotel and airport looks very much like he is paranoia or in a psychosis. Paranoia involves intense anxious or fearful feelings and thoughts often related to persecution, threat, or conspiracy. Many people experience paranoid delusions as part of an episode of psychosis.

"Other causes of paranoia include: Recreational drug use: Cannabis and amphetamine abuse often causes paranoid thoughts and may trigger an episode of psychosis".

Lars could have used drugs, on top of that his antibiotic, maybe he had more damage, a concussion....causing some kind of chain reaction. I don't know.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/why-paranoid#1
 
I agree @Bit of hope , I think it's possible this wasn't an either/or situation but a mix of several unfavourable occurances/circumstances that seemingly created a perfect storm on a psychological level - a punctured eardrum, possible other head trauma, antibiotics, being left behind in a strange country after his friends left, possible alcohol or drug use, not eating well, not sleeping .... these factors could have triggered and exaggerated an already existing fear, leading to intense paranoia and a knee jerk reaction of running off.

But where did he run to? I doubt he simply collapsed and died somewhere and was never found, unless he had a serious, undetected medical condition, which I doubt.

He must have roamed the streets, likely hiding whenever possible, but also seeking out water and food. Someone must have seen a confused and scared looking blond guy!

Maybe he became the victim of a crime, but for what? He had nothing with him that would attract robbers.

Could he have simply, after some time of mostly hiding and roaming, succumbed to lack of (clean) water and nourishment? Maybe made his way out of populated areas and has never been found?

Moo.
 
This case makes me so sad because it's clear he was under mental distress. I'm afraid he likely went to hide somewhere and got stuck or injured and was unable to get out. Airports and massive hubs like that are full of places where someone could hide and never be found again. Reminds me of stories where after being missing for a decade, someone is found in a chimney or in a wall or behind a giant refrigerator.

Elisa Lam case comes to mind.
 
This case seems to have faded from view a bit in the last couple of years, perhaps because nothing seems to be happening.

FWIW, having looked at it, I think the answers lie in his missing hours both when he disappeared from outside McDonalds and the hour missing at the second hotel.

I don’t think he was remotely honest with his friends about the reasons for his injuries. Some other German tourists arranged for Russian or Bulgarian men to beat him up over a football argument? It sounds ridiculous. In fact, it sounds like a “dog ate my homework” kind of excuse when scrambling to concoct a cover story on the hoof. I recall one occasion when I forgot to complete some homework at school and cobbled together some utter nonsense about needing to use the local public library to complete the task and not having the time to get there because of too much other homework. It was complete BS and the teacher knew fine well it was complete BS. That’s what the “I was beaten up by Russian guys” story feels like to me.

His decision to wait outside McDonalds has, to me, the feel of deliberately trying to separate himself from his friends. Perhaps to meet someone. I think the answers lie there.
 
This case seems to have faded from view a bit in the last couple of years, perhaps because nothing seems to be happening.

FWIW, having looked at it, I think the answers lie in his missing hours both when he disappeared from outside McDonalds and the hour missing at the second hotel.

I don’t think he was remotely honest with his friends about the reasons for his injuries. Some other German tourists arranged for Russian or Bulgarian men to beat him up over a football argument? It sounds ridiculous. In fact, it sounds like a “dog ate my homework” kind of excuse when scrambling to concoct a cover story on the hoof. I recall one occasion when I forgot to complete some homework at school and cobbled together some utter nonsense about needing to use the local public library to complete the task and not having the time to get there because of too much other homework. It was complete BS and the teacher knew fine well it was complete BS. That’s what the “I was beaten up by Russian guys” story feels like to me.

His decision to wait outside McDonalds has, to me, the feel of deliberately trying to separate himself from his friends. Perhaps to meet someone. I think the answers lie there.

Hi and welcome An_Owl. Funny you mention the "dog ate my homework" kind of excuse. It brought back some memories and made me laugh. What about "the dog buried my needling work" :) But serious. What bothers me is that the story about the fighting has changed over time or is reported differently by different sources. In the article above they state it like this.

The group of friends continued to enjoy their holiday until Lars was injured after he got into a fight one night. Reports state that fans of Werder Bremen, a German sports club, had allegedly brawled with a group of Bayern Munich fans when Mittank got separated from the rest of his group in a McDonald's restaurant.

Mittank was punched in the head and was left with a perforated ear-drum and a possible concussion. He was then prescribed an antibiotic called Cefuroxime 500 and was forced to stay back in Bulgaria while his friends flew home.

Here is nothing about Bulgarian or Russian guys hit him.
 
I have a feeling he's still alive. I'm usually cautiously pessimistic in missing persons cases but in this case I don't see any reason to assume he's dead. As far as we know, he "willingly" disappeared. There is no sign of foul play or coercion. What would be the cause of death? However, it is weird that he was lucid enough to visit the airport and follow his schedule only to suddenly bolt and never reach out to anyone again, but I'm no expert in (alleged) psychotic breaks.
 
Post from the Lars Mittank Facebook site on July 20, 2020 Findet Lars Mittank

We fear that there has been confusion about our Facebook posts from last year and would like to explain this:

On July 20., 2019, we posted via Facebook that after the last TV show, a truck driver contacted us, who took a homeless person from the border near Dresden some time ago and dropped off in Schildow north over Berlin has. He saw the photos, remembered and reported via Facebook. The resemblance is supposed to be very high, only that the person is very thin, spoke only the most necessary and was overtired. Hair ungroomed up to the shoulder and beard. Outstanding cheekbones and invaded eye socks. That's all the truck driver could tell us.

After this posting we received some pictures from a man from Schildow. In our Facebook posting on July 24., 2019, we just point out that this man is not Lars. That doesn't mean the man the truck driver took wasn't Lars!

We hope this is clear now and we would like to ask you to keep your eyes especially in Berlin and surrounding areas. Pay attention to homeless people and people living in border areas or forests. If you notice anything, please send us a photo and remember the location as precisely as possible. This also applies to all of Germany and neighbouring countries: Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Romania and of course Bulgaria (especially the Golden Sands).

We are grateful for every clue and don't give up hope
 
Post from the Lars Mittank Facebook site on July 20, 2020 Findet Lars Mittank

We fear that there has been confusion about our Facebook posts from last year and would like to explain this:

On July 20., 2019, we posted via Facebook that after the last TV show, a truck driver contacted us, who took a homeless person from the border near Dresden some time ago and dropped off in Schildow north over Berlin has. He saw the photos, remembered and reported via Facebook. The resemblance is supposed to be very high, only that the person is very thin, spoke only the most necessary and was overtired. Hair ungroomed up to the shoulder and beard. Outstanding cheekbones and invaded eye socks. That's all the truck driver could tell us.

After this posting we received some pictures from a man from Schildow. In our Facebook posting on July 24., 2019, we just point out that this man is not Lars. That doesn't mean the man the truck driver took wasn't Lars!

We hope this is clear now and we would like to ask you to keep your eyes especially in Berlin and surrounding areas. Pay attention to homeless people and people living in border areas or forests. If you notice anything, please send us a photo and remember the location as precisely as possible. This also applies to all of Germany and neighbouring countries: Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Romania and of course Bulgaria (especially the Golden Sands).

We are grateful for every clue and don't give up hope
Thanks for this important notice Bit of hope, you do in fact give a bit of hope!!!
 
Maybe I missed this, about the CCTV footage from the hotel. Four years after Lars Mittank became the "most famous missing person on YouTube" his family still clings to hope

Mittank eventually had to check into a cheap hotel called Hotel Color, near Varna Airport, as he saw his friends for the last time leaving in the plane.

One of Mittank's friends in the group later told a German television that Lars was "relaxed" and in a "good mood" when they left him.

However, Mittank's mother got a horrifying call from her son later from his hotel room, where her panicked son told her that he was being followed by some people who were trying to kill him. He reportedly told his mother to cancel his bank cards.

Mittank's mother, Sandra Mittank told a German TV: "I thought, god, my son is in danger. I could hear his heart pounding over the phone. He said people were trying to rob him or kill him."

He also sent a text to his mother asking her about the antibiotics he had been prescribed by the physician.

According to a CCTV footage of that hotel, Mittank was seen flustered, pacing up and down the hotel foyer, looking out the windows and even hiding in a lift.

Reports state that Mittank left the hotel at 1 am before returning later. No one knows till date where he went during that time.

The next day, Mittank texted her mother saying that he had safely made it to the airport terminal, however, when an airport doctor was examining him before flying, he reportedly appeared "nervous and erratic" and was also mistrustful of the drugs he had been prescribed by the physician.

The airport doctor, Dr Kosta Kostov, later said that Mittank began to tremble when he saw a construction worker entering the room and cried: "I don't want to die here. I have to get out of here."

those words make me so sad for him
he was terrified and no one there that he knew to help him
 
I'm Bulgarian and can help. Some of his reactions could be from the medicine side effects. Also according to news, he took the medicine with alcohol. What is strange he left everything documents and things like that at the airport and clinic.
 
Cefuroxime Side Effects: Common, Severe, Long Term - Drugs.com
here are the side effects of the medicine he was prescribed

Thanks and welcome @Emi Every medicine has this very long list of side-effects, this is not an extra ordinary example. Actually nothing in the long list of side-effects does give an explanation/reason for Lars's behavior. Somebody upthread stated that this medicine could lead to hallucinations....I don't see that on the list. I'm not sure what alcohol and or drugs, combined with this medicine, could trigger though.
 
March 25 2021
Lars Mittank, Where Are You?
''While researching the topic, I found an interview with the PI. According to him, Lars must have gone through some serious psychological changes, either caused by the drugs he was prescribed or the incident had unlocked some underlying mental health problem. A normal person would go to the police if they feel threatened (not to mention Hotel Color was close to the police station), but Lars chose not to do that. The PI also shared that he had sent someone undercover to the hotel and found out that there were sex services offered there. It’s unclear whether that had something to do with Lars’ paranoia or disappearance.

There have since been several alleged sightings of Lars, but they all turned out to be a hoax. The family hasn’t lost hope of finding their beloved Lars and they keep looking for ways to locate him.

They have always described him as a kind and loving guy who never did drugs or had mental health problems. There’s no history of mental illnesses in his family, too. I’m saying that because some people speculate that the trauma may have unlocked some sort of schizophrenia or another kind of condition that would cause his erratic behavior.''
 
March 25 2021
Lars Mittank, Where Are You?
''While researching the topic, I found an interview with the PI. According to him, Lars must have gone through some serious psychological changes, either caused by the drugs he was prescribed or the incident had unlocked some underlying mental health problem. A normal person would go to the police if they feel threatened (not to mention Hotel Color was close to the police station), but Lars chose not to do that. The PI also shared that he had sent someone undercover to the hotel and found out that there were sex services offered there. It’s unclear whether that had something to do with Lars’ paranoia or disappearance.

There have since been several alleged sightings of Lars, but they all turned out to be a hoax. The family hasn’t lost hope of finding their beloved Lars and they keep looking for ways to locate him.

They have always described him as a kind and loving guy who never did drugs or had mental health problems. There’s no history of mental illnesses in his family, too. I’m saying that because some people speculate that the trauma may have unlocked some sort of schizophrenia or another kind of condition that would cause his erratic behavior.''
I just read that article posted by the local and they mention that Lars' parents posted an award for any information. Then people just voluntarily started searching for him.

What's really odd is a) if he passed due to the elements/ lack of nourishment, then where the hell is his body??

B) if he's alive, how did he manage without any personal documents or identification? He ran away in shorts and a T- shirt.

I'm curious to know what kind of searching was done by law enforcement.
 
New flyer. New appeal to find Lars. According to the findetLars FB page distributed a lot of new flyers.
Log into Facebook

Posted on Feb. 5, 2021
Dear community,
last night at 17 pm the first print of our flyers reached us. Already today these were packaged in a total of 437 envelopes with 20 flyers. All members of our ′′ FLM Flyer Team ′′ Facebook group will receive more information about shipping tonight. We thank all volunteers from the bottom of our hearts for the great commitment

And on March 5, 2021
Let's get back to something great!
400 people distributed 20 flyers each! Thank you for that!
Another 10.000 flyers are heading out into the wide world next week as a large community of truck drivers has come forward and each of you wants to distribute flyers for us at the rest stops, car stations and forwarding agencies!



145104414_1737878909716415_6215785429429340624_n.jpg
 
Why are there phantom pictures (to the right and left of Lars) on the flyer? Why is it written in German (rather than translated to Bulgarian?)
 

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