Nepal - Aubrey Sacco, 23, Langtang, 20 April 2010 *Arrest*

[Lindsaym]

There's no reason to assume that this guy was ever IN Nepal. According to the caption, the photo was taken in Darjeeling -- Darjeeling is a hill town in the northeast of India. It's part of a circuit frequented by expats and tourists that might (thinking of the rail itineraries here) reasonably include Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta...

I agree that he doesn't strike me as American -- more European in look. I say that largely because he's slim and his clothing accentuates his slimness (ie is form-fitting) in a way that most North American guys' clothing is not. Moreover, his clothing looks like he bought it at a local bazaar -- it looks like the product of a local tailor -- which marks him as either a low-budget expat or a low-budget long-term traveler, IMO.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Nepali parks marked by missing visitors

After two months of trekking through Nepal’s wintry valleys and hills, a young American hiked alone along a path before ending her journey.

But as she stopped to rest near two stupas, or Buddhist temples, in Langtang National Park two days before Christmas, Lena Sessions, 23, spotted a local man wearing a black dust mask.

“Either I (sexually assault) you or I kill you,” she said the man told her. He then came at her with a curved 1½-foot knife, or the traditional khukuri used by local tribes.

Sessions escaped and made her way to the U.S. Embassy in Katmandu, where she learned she was not the first to encounter problems on that trail while hiking alone.

The U.S. Embassy has issued a warning against hiking alone in Nepal, stating that two American women were attacked and seriously injured in 2010 while hiking alone on popular trails.

More: http://tucsoncitizen.com/usa-today-news/2012/01/24/nepali-parks-marked-by-missing-visitors/



Solo hiking by women discouraged in Nepal

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...omen-discouraged-in-Nepal/UPI-95941327538501/

 

[Kat]

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_20097257

Posted: 03/04/2012 01:00:00 AM MST
March 4, 2012 8:52 PM GMT Updated: 03/04/2012 01:52:19 PM MST

Mention of Aubrey in article above.

 

[GrainneDhu]

The Sacco family may have more luck by contacting an ex-pat who has lived in Nepal in the long term, so can "bridge" the two cultures. Someone who was clearly not a government type, who automatically raises suspicion in the area.

One (rather famous) such person would be Alan Burgess, the Himalayan climber who has spent 14 years living in Nepal. He's also got experience leading trekking groups through the Langtang area. While he is now (apparently) living in the Salt Lake City area, he continues his Himalayan ventures each year. I don't know him personally but have been following his exploits for years, along with his twin Adrian Burgess.

Alan Burgess has credibility with the Sherpa and other Nepalese. Asking him to poke around a bit on his next expeditions surely could not hurt and may help.

Sadly, the Himalayas have a long history of disappearing people. The terrain alone is very tough and even people with extensive experience hiking in the US can easily get in trouble trekking in Nepal.

 

[Walker]

Seems to me that dogs should have located AS if she came to harm on the trail.

By the way, Lama Hotel, the location AS was last determined to have visited, is at about 7,200 ft, high enough to cause altitude sickness.

"Lama Hotel" is the name of the entire small village. And, the "hotel" itself is a rustic accommodation, more like what we might call a hostel. Langtang hotels & teahouses provide decent and inexpensive lodgings and food to the mostly Western hikers.

Despite the high elevation, Lama Hotel is still below tree line; and not situated upon barren rocky terrain, which might thwart dogs.

On the other hand, could the elevation itself impair the effectiveness of searching dogs?

http://www.vigilantpress.com/family-of-missing-girl-in-nepal-offers-reward/2086.html

Quote from above link:

On May 19, [2010] Paul Saco and his son along with a Nepali family friend who resides in Colorado arrived in Nepal to help coordinate efforts on searching. Through discussions with the witnesses and invetigation reports, the Sacco fmily learned that:

• Aubrey left a Kathmandu hotel on April 20 and took a bus to Langtang National Park. She left the belongings that she wouldn’t be hiking with — like luggage and a computer — at that hotel and never came back for them.

• Aubrey started her trek on April 21 and stayed the night at a hotel in the park. There, she spoke with a trekking guide, and they talked about opportunities for her to volunteer with schoolchildren in Kathmandu after she finished the hike, according to her mother, Connie Sacco, who is following events from Colorado.

• The guide says he saw Aubrey continue her hike on April 22. That day, a different hotel farther along the trek has a record of her having tea — her last known location, according to Paul Sacco.

 

[Walker]

In the following investigation, search & rescue dogs were tested at high altitude. While their performance was impaired, they could still function at 4800 m (or about 16,000 ft.)

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/12/2694S.full


Since AS was last seen at Lama Hotel (7,200 ft), dogs could probably have been effective at finding her scent.

 

[necco]

In the following investigation, search & rescue dogs were tested at high altitude. While their performance was impaired, they could still function at 4800 m (or about 16,000 ft.)

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/128/12/2694S.full


Since AS was last seen at Lama Hotel (7,200 ft), dogs could probably have been effective at finding her scent.

Like people, they'd probably need more hydration and more rest at high elevations.

 

[Walker]

Like people, they'd probably need more hydration and more rest at high elevations.

That's true. Dogs get altitude sickness just like people. According to the article, the time they need to find their targets is slower at elevation of 12K ft than at sea level.

Therefore, at elevation 7K ft, the dogs should have been able to find the scent, although some of the dogs may have been performing more slowly than they would at lower elevations.

 

[No Stone Unturned]

Finding Aubrey - YouTube

Video on Youtube posted this week by a group doing a benefit for Aubrey in May. It includes Aubrey's mother.

 

[Walker]

Belgium Debbie Maveau missing from Dhunche:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2211685

 

[Walker]

Belgium Debbie Maveau missing from Dhunche:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2211685

Found dead. Cause undetermined at this point.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fu...n+woman+found+dead+in+Dhunchhe+&NewsID=336009

Lots of similarities. AS's journal reveals that she tried very hard not to "worry," but those thoughts she was pushing out of her mind may have been the voice of her own intuition telling her that she was in a dangerous situation.

Aubrey's first post December 18, 2009 to her "Glitter the World" blog: http://blogs.bootsnall.com/aubrey/aybowan.html

Protected: Ayubowan!

Ayubowan! This is the Sinhalese greeting for “we wish you a long life!”

After a 23 hour plane ride (which I wont bore you with the details of) I was greeted by a nice man with kind eyes, wearing a white top and white sarong holding the “Aman Resorts”sign. I was kindly escorted to the car which would take me down the one road on the West side of Sri Lanka, to meet the spa Manager, Natalie.

Worrying: robbing us of the present moment

I had felt a little numb up to this point because I was trying not to have any expectations or worries about my trip. But now, as I drove 3 hours to Fort Galle, an old Colonial town in which one of the Aman resorts, Amangalla, was located, I was feeling a little unsure. I wasn’t at all bothered by the large population of people or poverty, I’m used to it [Note: Actually, she was not used to seeing true poverty at all. ] and have seen it often while traveling, but in my car I was simply an observer. I started to create small worries in my head such as, “who will I talk to” or “what will I do all day?” These were exactly the thoughts I was avoiding having before my trip. This happens when you are not fully present and in the moment, your mind starts to wander, creating endless stories. Worrying comes from thinking of the future. I was imagining myself on the street with these people, trying to think of what I would do all day with my time. Truth was though, I wouldn’t even be on these road sides, I wouldn’t even be with these people, and all of my small worries were a waste of my precious time. I quickly snapped out of it. Realizing that I had my first opportunity for some Sri Lankan cultural immersion, I chatted up my driver. Rahn, is his name.

Apparently she had never heard of Gavin de Becker.

 

[DutchSleuth]

Belgium Debbie Maveau missing from Dhunche:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2211685

It has been determined now that she died from violence, and some of her belongings are missing

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/1901/reisn...bbie-Maveau-stierf-in-Nepal-door-geweld.dhtml

 

[Walker]

It has been determined now that she died from violence, and some of her belongings are missing

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/1901/reisn...bbie-Maveau-stierf-in-Nepal-door-geweld.dhtml

Thank you for posting that link.

A rough translation:

The 23-year-old woman from Desselgem who in a national park in Nepal death was recovered, is killed by violence. That confirms the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. Is there a possible letters rogatory sent to Nepal.

The body of Debbie showed injuries that are not caused by Maveau wild animals or a trap. Moreover, not all her personal belongings were found. The body of the young woman has not yet been released because there is further research is needed to determine the exact cause of death. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office finds it still too early to speak about a murder or robbery murder.

The examining magistrate in Kortrijk has ordered additional tests to determine the exact cause of death.

On the Aubrey Sacco facebook page, a poster stated that DM's camera had been found, but its memory card had been removed. DM had been decapitated, and her body was described as "mutilated."

 

[Walker]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/06/26/decapitated-belgian-trekker-found-in-nepal/

“Her head was around 13 inches from the rest of her body,” local inspector Bhakta Sunuwar told AFP, adding police had no leads on the culprit and were trying to establish if she had been killed by someone she met before the trek.


Sunuwar said robbery and rape were unlikely motives since her underwear had not been removed and her camera and 8,000 rupees ($93) in cash were not taken.

“People are not cooperating with the investigation. Everyone in the area says they have not seen her,” he added.

“We found that she had travelled to Dhunche from Kathmandu by bus but none of the drivers in the area confirmed that they had seen her.”

 

[Walker]

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-days-Belgian-decapitated.html#ixzz1zQr8zUZN

British backpacker vanishes in Nepal sparking fears trekkers are being targeted days after Belgian was found decapitated

• Zisimos Souflas, 27, vanished after setting off on a hike
• Family reported him missing when he failed to return to England
• Backpacker may have been murdered, police admit
• Footpaths in the area are well-marked and the weather was good when he vanished
• Mystery disappearance has come to light days after Belgian hiker Debbie Mavea, 23, was found decapitated

At this point, investigators still believe that he most likely is the victim of an accident.

 

[tarabull]

FEARS FOR NEPAL BACKPACKER
July 2, 2012

snipped...There have been at least a dozen unsolved missing cases in Nepal in the past decade.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/330172/Fears-for-Nepal-backpacker

 

[GrainneDhu]

Found dead. Cause undetermined at this point.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fu...n+woman+found+dead+in+Dhunchhe+&NewsID=336009

Lots of similarities. AS's journal reveals that she tried very hard not to "worry," but those thoughts she was pushing out of her mind may have been the voice of her own intuition telling her that she was in a dangerous situation.

Aubrey's first post December 18, 2009 to her "Glitter the World" blog: http://blogs.bootsnall.com/aubrey/aybowan.html

Apparently she had never heard of Gavin de Becker.

I disagree. If her worries were as cited (who to talk to and what to do, etc), then that doesn't sound like intuition to me, that sounds like social anxiety. Which, in turn, leads me to think she may have been in over her head.

If she was having a lot of social anxiety, that may have de-sensitised her to true intuition of danger.

Jon Krakauer talks about this in his book Into Thin Air when he mentions experienced climbers who have avoided disaster when their inner voice told them not to go for the summit on a particular day, even though conditions seemed right. He noted that his own inner voice was never of any use because it always screamed "we're all gonna diiiieeeeeee!!!"

If Aubrey was used to experiencing such worries (as she implies by saying she was having such thoughts before she left), then she may have been so used to it that when she did meet danger, she didn't recognise the difference.

 

[tarabull]

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-days-Belgian-decapitated.html#ixzz1zQr8zUZN



At this point, investigators still believe that he most likely is the victim of an accident.

snipped from the link:

The graduate is just the latest young tourist to go missing in Nepal.

University of Colorado student Aubrey Caroline Sacco disappeared in the Himalayan mountains two years ago but has never been found.

Gareth Koch, 24, vanished in 2004 while Julian Wynne, 33, failed to return from a hiking trip four years ago.

Alex Ratnasothy, 24, was never found after a robbery as he was on his way to the town of Namche Bazaar in 2003.

Lena Sessions, 23, an American, was hiking alone in Langtang in December when a knife-wielding man threatened to rape and kill her but she was able to escape.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have warned trekkers not to set off alone in Nepal.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-days-Belgian-decapitated.html#ixzz1zTkzaBfz

__________________________________

So why do people continue to trek alone??????????

:banghead:

 

[tarabull]

Missing US girl's travel partner in Thailand

It has been more than two months but the whereabouts of a missing American trekker, Aubrey Caroline Sacco, are still unknown.

[snip]

The authorities now suspect involvement of a criminal group and are treating the case as a criminal matter.

According to highly placed sources, the US Embassy has located Aubrey’s ‘travel partner’ Steve Miller in Thailand. Aubrey, along with Miller, had entered Nepal via Darjeeling. Sources claim that Miller had not checked into Langtang Park. “Miller had accompanied her till they reached Hotel Elite,” add the sources.
The search team had found her laptop, journals, a guitar and a few more items from the hotel.

Nepali Police admitted that it failed to figure out what might have happened to her. But it said it would investigate from scratch from a new angle.

More: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fu...+travel+partner+in+Thailand&NewsID=248193&a=3

:waitasec:

Is SM the fairhaired guy in the photo they found on Aubrey's laptop???

 

[tarabull]

Could fear be hindering search for missing hiker?

Aubrey Sacco was living up to her motto, "glitter the world," on her five-month post-college trip through South Asia before she disappeared in Nepal last spring, her family says.

The 23-year-old artist and musician from Colorado started her trip in December, teaching yoga to vacationers in Sri Lanka. Later, she went to India, studying yoga and volunteering to help schoolchildren with art and music.

[snip]

Sacco vanished in April during a hike along Nepal's sylvan and rocky Langtang trek. Some volunteers who've helped look for her say they've heard a disturbing refrain from villagers: Even if they or others in the area did know what caused her disappearance, they wouldn't reveal it.

[snip]

Although many factors -- such as the area's remoteness and difficult terrain -- have made clues to Sacco's fate hard to come by, the villagers' fear of Nepali authorities may be a significant obstacle in the hunt for the truth, some of the searchers say.

MUCH MUCH MUCH more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/03/aubrey.sacco.nepal/

also snipped...Although giving no indication that they do know what happened, the villagers said people there fear that police would improperly point the finger at them if they signaled they knew anything, said BK and other volunteers to whom CNN spoke over the past few months.

While villagers' fear of authority has many roots, including a bloody 10-year insurgency that concluded just four years ago, they cite a specific case: The imprisonment of four Nepali men who reported finding the bludgeoned body of a British hiker in the same valley in 2000.

The area villagers believe the men are innocent.

..."All the villagers in the Langtang area say that [the arrestees in the 2000 case] didn't do anything, and that the real people who did never got caught. That's what's making the search [for Sacco] so difficult," said BK's American wife, Sandra Krasa.