ACTIVE SEARCH JAPAN - Patricia "Pattie" Wu-Murad, 60, US Citizen, on hiking trip Kumano Kodo Trail, didn't arr next stop Osaka, 10 Apr 2023

[neesaki]

Some points from the article.

Help Find Pattie: Missing hiker in Japan has ties to Kansas City

Pattie Wu-Murad went missing on April 10, when she was supposed to set out on anhike on the Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan. Her family in Lenexa is trying to spread the word everywhere they can.

www.kshb.com

Pattie doesn’t seem like the type to leave her itinerary behind, according to family, and IMO.

"She was very careful about the whole thing, which is why we're not so sure she made it to the trail, because they're not finding her on that trail," Murad said. "And there's been search and rescue teams who are very good at it. We've had volunteers who are ex-military who've also been in on the search and can't find a sign of her."

Upon their arrival in Japan, Pattie's family found out she'd left her itinerary Ye behind at the guesthouse, which they found strange.

They're not sure if she left the itinerary behind by mistake or some other reason

What kind of information could police not want to share with the family concerning the last two people to see Pattie?

The picture of Pattie at the guesthouse the night before she went missing is cropped. There are two other people in the picture with her, the guesthouse owner and an Australian tourist.

Murad said the Japanese police said they've questioned both people and don't think they had anything to do with Pattie's disappearance. However, the police won't give the family any more information.

First time I recall hearing police think she may have gone missing voluntarily.
Family is adamant she wouldn’t do so. But it does make me wonder. Jmo

Police in Japan told Pattie’s family there’s a chance she wanted to go missing, but the family is adamant that’s not the case. The family said Pattie was supposed to meet friends in Osaka after the hike.

 

[ZaZara]

Some points from the article.

Help Find Pattie: Missing hiker in Japan has ties to Kansas City

Pattie Wu-Murad went missing on April 10, when she was supposed to set out on anhike on the Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan. Her family in Lenexa is trying to spread the word everywhere they can.

www.kshb.com

Pattie doesn’t seem like the type to leave her itinerary behind, according to family, and IMO.

What kind of information could police not want to share with the family concerning the last two people to see Pattie?

First time I recall hearing police think she may have gone missing voluntarily.
Family is adamant she wouldn’t do so. But it does make me wonder. Jmo

BBM

LE does not share all info that they have for obvious reasons. They take into account that this may turn into a criminal investigation that yields results. In that case, they have to protect their witnesses and the statements of those witnesses. Since they don't know yet which way the investigation is going, they will remain silent about the details.

As for missing voluntarily there are three possible explanations for Pattie's disappearance (lost her way, foul play or missing voluntarily) and LE has to keep an open mind (versus tunnel vision.) Unfortunately, missing voluntarily is also the lazy cop's option IMO.

 

[neesaki]

DOUBLE POST

 

[neesaki]

BBM

LE does not share all info that they have for obvious reasons. They take into account that this may turn into a criminal investigation that yields results. In that case, they have to protect their witnesses and the statements of those witnesses. Since they don't know yet which way the investigation is going, they will remain silent about the details.

As for missing voluntarily there are three possible explanations for Pattie's disappearance (lost her way, foul play or missing voluntarily) and LE has to keep an open mind (versus tunnel vision.) Unfortunately, missing voluntarily is also the lazy cop's option IMO.

Of course. My point was , I wonder if there is really information to be withheld, or if it’s just that they have no more information. There is a difference.
I strongly doubt she’s missing voluntarily, however it has happened a time or two. JMO

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Some points from the article.

Help Find Pattie: Missing hiker in Japan has ties to Kansas City

Pattie Wu-Murad went missing on April 10, when she was supposed to set out on anhike on the Kumano Kodo Trail in Japan. Her family in Lenexa is trying to spread the word everywhere they can.

www.kshb.com

Pattie doesn’t seem like the type to leave her itinerary behind, according to family, and IMO.

What kind of information could police not want to share with the family concerning the last two people to see Pattie?

First time I recall hearing police think she may have gone missing voluntarily.
Family is adamant she wouldn’t do so. But it does make me wonder. Jmo

Leaving her itinerary behind could be as simple as having changed her plans and written a new one. If Pattie had no reason to believe anything was going to happen to her, she would have had no reason to think anyone would ever go searching for her at the Mandokoro guesthouse. Her itinerary would have been meaningless trash for the guesthouse owners to dispose of; she could have left old itineraries at a number of guesthouses during her pilgrimage and we'd never know.

But it could also be that she had reasons for wanting to leave behind evidence of her presence and plans. Or that she was leaving a false trail if she did indeed go missing voluntarily. Or, and this would be particularly sad, if she became lost it might have been because she had accidentally left her itinerary behind and couldn't remember the details of her route.

Customs and sensibilities are very different in Japan than they are in most Western countries, and I suspect the police's reluctance to share information is part of that.

 

[annpats]

When there is talk of 'leaving her itinerary behind', I'd like to know if this is her whole itinerary for her whole trip until she gets back home, or just the itinerary for the next day?

 

[annpats]

Oh, another thing while I think of it:

I don't have an issue with the photo of Pattie taken at the guesthouse being cropped.

Many personal photos are cropped before media release to include just the person involved.

It doesn't mean there is anything suspicious, it's data protection for the people that aren't involved and don't need their photos included.

 

[slowpoke]

When there is talk of 'leaving her itinerary behind', I'd like to know if this is her whole itinerary for her whole trip until she gets back home, or just the itinerary for the next day?

The 4/22 update from the G F M page says the paper they are describing as an itinerary appeared to be a list for the upcoming days.

 

[annpats]

The 4/22 update from the G F M page says the paper they are describing as an itinerary appeared to be a list for the upcoming days.

Thank you for the information.

I don't know if it's baffling she left it behind or not? It could've just been an oversight.

Has it been mentioned WHERE she left it behind? On her bed? In a waste paper basket? On a table downstairs in the guesthouse?

The WHERE may matter as to whether it was intentional or accidental.

 

[evilwise]

Of course. My point was , I wonder if there is really information to be withheld, or if it’s just that they have no more information. There is a difference.
I strongly doubt she’s missing voluntarily, however it has happened a time or two. JMO

It's probably just a privacy thing, privacy is very important in Japan. The westerners probably feel like they should be able to independently interview those witnesses while the Japanese authorities probably say that they've sufficiently interviewed them and since they're not suspects, they shouldn't be officially connected to the case.

 

[slowpoke]

Thank you for the update.

I wonder if there’s a reason they are not sharing the itinerary paper by posting it.

I note that they shared the other paper, the one that I guess is from the guestbook, where she wrote “blessed to be healthy” or something like that.

 

[annpats]

It's probably just a privacy thing, privacy is very important in Japan. The westerners probably feel like they should be able to independently interview those witnesses while the Japanese authorities probably say that they've sufficiently interviewed them and since they're not suspects, they shouldn't be officially connected to the case.

If both the Australian hiker and the 3 trail runners told the Japanese police that they didn't see Pattie, then I believe them.
They've got no reason to lie, and no reason to harm Pattie either.

 

[Snoopster]

It's probably just a privacy thing, privacy is very important in Japan. The westerners probably feel like they should be able to independently interview those witnesses while the Japanese authorities probably say that they've sufficiently interviewed them and since they're not suspects, they shouldn't be officially connected to the case.

I agree.
We (Westerners) often believe we are owed an explanation. (and we aren't necessarily)
We are used to fairly transparent systems, even though LE in our own countries hold back information in cases (as they should).

My thoughts continue to be with Pattie's loved ones. This must be so devastating for them. They've gone above and beyond in their efforts to find Pattie. <hugs> to them.

 

[neesaki]

It's probably just a privacy thing, privacy is very important in Japan. The westerners probably feel like they should be able to independently interview those witnesses while the Japanese authorities probably say that they've sufficiently interviewed them and since they're not suspects, they shouldn't be officially connected to the case.

Once again, certainly. That doesn’t negate the fact, that inquiring minds want to know. It’s really just that simple. As inquiring minds, as Websleuthers, we do just that, we question everything. I apologize if there’s been any miscommunication.

 

[neesaki]

Thank you for the information.

I don't know if it's baffling she left it behind or not? It could've just been an oversight.

Has it been mentioned WHERE she left it behind? On her bed? In a waste paper basket? On a table downstairs in the guesthouse?

The WHERE may matter as to whether it was intentional or accidental.

Without any answers to this, it sheds suspicion on what happened. Did Pattie, the perfectionist who perfectly planned to the nth degree actually leave her itinerary behind by accident? If she was so meticulous, then why?

Or, did she leave it behind because she was caught off guard by someone, who interrupted her plans.

Or, did she leave it behind because she planned to mislead her family as to her plans.

I vote no on the last one. given what we know so far about her personality,
her abandoning her family is the least likely scenario. IMO.

In agreement , it’s extremely baffling.

 

[neesaki]

I wonder if there’s a reason they are not sharing the itinerary paper by posting it.

I note that they shared the other paper, the one that I guess is from the guestbook, where she wrote “blessed to be healthy” or something like that.

I’m wondering about that myself. Shes been described as meticulous , so it could make a difference if it was say, left laying on a bedside table , as though she had just forgotten it, which, according to family, wouldn’t be typical for her to do.
Or, was it discarded in the wastebasket, which could mean, what….. it was only a rough draft? or she had discarded it because she had changed her plans and made a new one?

 

[annpats]

I’m wondering about that myself. She's been described as meticulous , so it could make a difference if it was say, left laying on a bedside table , as though she had just forgotten it, which, according to family, wouldn’t be typical for her to do.
Or, was it discarded in the wastebasket, which could mean, what….. it was only a rough draft? or she had discarded it because she had changed her plans and made a new one?

I do wish th family would reveal some more details regarding this.
Do you think the Japanese police even told the family where the itinerary was left behind? I hope so.
Let's hope those details are passed on.

 

[Hap]

I wonder where the orange fleece was lost. On the trail? Taken by someone?
Just another part of the puzzle.

 

[ZaZara]

Update from Murphy Murad via Help Find Pattie on Twitter:




27 days.

It has been 27 days since my mom, Patricia Wu-Murad, went missing.

Based on the information we know, all high probability areas have been searched and we still have no leads.

Tomorrow is the last day the police will be utilizing resources from surrounding prefectures and going all out on search and rescue efforts.

Our second group of US search and rescue experts left yesterday and we currently do not have the funds to bring in another.

Whilst the local community has been gracious to us, offering discounts when they can, accommodation is charged by number of people, not number of rooms. Additionally, heavy rain is expected from May 6-8, meaning we wouldn’t be able to fly our drones and our SAR teams won’t be able to explore hazardous areas off trail. For these reasons, and many others, myself, Dad, Brother, and close friend have all decided to leave Japan.

As heartbreaking of a decision as this was, we agreed any remaining funds should be used to employ Mountain Works for as long as possible instead of losing hundreds each day to accommodate our stay. As badly as we wanted to help, we are not trained in SAR. We need to be able to keep these skilled experts on the ground to give us any hope in finding her.

Now let me be clear, WE ARE NOT GIVING UP. My dad and I will be stationed in Singapore, less than 6hrs by flight incase we are needed right away. We have local volunteers still searching on the family’s behalf. We have specialists from our first US search team offering logistical support. We will stay in contact with our local SAR team, the Japanese police, and government officials to make sure everyone remains involved.

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

If Pattie got lost and ended up some distance from where the search is being conducted, it's going to be virtually impossible to find her in that kind of terrain. And even if she did stay on the trail and somehow slip or fall, there are so many trees, ravines, steep mountains etc. Finding people in that kind of terrain is never easy.

But for some reason my gut is pointing me at either the roads or the rivers. I don't know why.