Found Deceased AL - Chih-Kai Lai, 21, Auburn University student from Taiwan, 17 Aug 2019

[JerseyGirl]

The Auburn Police Division is looking for 21-year-old Auburn University student Chih-Kai Lai from Taiwan. Lai as an Asian male standing at 5-feet-6-inches tall with brown eyes, black hair. He is about 170 pounds and wears glasses.

Lai last communicated with a family member on Saturday Aug. 17.

Auburn police looking for missing Auburn University student

 

[mlhenn]

New photos released of missing Auburn University student

Thursday, the police department released three new photos of Chih-Kai Lai, a 21-year-old graduate student from Taiwan.

Lai, who is studying Computer Science, arrived in the United States from Taiwan on July 24.

A member of the Auburn Taiwanese Student Association reported him missing on Monday after he failed to report for a scheduled class on campus.

 

[10ofRods]

One of the worst missing person articles ever.

Left where of his own accord? Where was he living? What building was his class in?

I believe Auburn must have an International Student Coordinator (accreditation standard) to admit international students. Why has that office not released some kind of statement or information? Why is it just a student group that's reporting him missing?

Hopefully, the distant family member can contact the Campus Police and the International Student Office and give a phone number to be tracked.

 

[JerseyGirl]

21-year-old Chih-Kai Lai was set to begin classes at Auburn on August 19. He never showed and police have been looking for the Taiwanese graduate student ever since.

According to a surveillance photo from near his apartment, Lai was last seen wearing black warm-up pants with white stripes, running shoes, a t-shirt, and glasses.

Police continue search for missing Auburn University student last seen in August

 

[rainynights]

Still missing
Auburn University Student Chih-Kai Lai remains missing since August

 

[dotr]

Just now learned of this mp because he was referenced on this thread..
AL - AL - Aniah Haley Blanchard, 19, Auburn, Lee County, 23 Oct 2019

 

[ilovematt]

He arrived on July 24th and disappeared by Aug 17th? His poor family. I wish this had more attention as I’m embarrassed to say I just heard of it via another WS forum.

 

[ZsaZsa]

2 weeks pass since Auburn University student’s disappearance

This is all I can find on him. Police say he left of his own accord. I wonder did he take his possessions with him ? Is that why they say that?

 

[dotr]

Nov 6 2019
Taiwanese Auburn student remains missing after three months, police continue search

New photos of missing Auburn University student Chih-Kai Lai have been released. (Source: Auburn Police Department)
"Surveillance photos from Lai’s apartment complex show that he was last known to be wearing black warm-up pants with white stripes, running shoes, a t-shirt, and glasses.

His disappearance has regained attention following the disappearance of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, an Auburn woman attending Southern Union State Community College in neighboring Opelika, on Oct. 23.

Police in Auburn are continuing the search for both Lai and Blanchard and anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Auburn Police Department at 334-501-3140."

 

[Underneath the Sky]

Nov 6 2019
Taiwanese Auburn student remains missing after three months, police continue search

New photos of missing Auburn University student Chih-Kai Lai have been released. (Source: Auburn Police Department)
"Surveillance photos from Lai’s apartment complex show that he was last known to be wearing black warm-up pants with white stripes, running shoes, a t-shirt, and glasses.

His disappearance has regained attention following the disappearance of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, an Auburn woman attending Southern Union State Community College in neighboring Opelika, on Oct. 23.

Police in Auburn are continuing the search for both Lai and Blanchard and anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Auburn Police Department at 334-501-3140."

Just out of curiosity, does anyone on here know what his T-shirts (in the photos) refer to?

 

[Underneath the Sky]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone on here know what his T-shirts (in the photos) refer to?

For whatever it's worth, a little Googling reveals that "ARMUSA"--if that's what the black-and-white shirt says--is a "Spanish manufacturer of elite cartridges and ammunition since 1960."

 

[TimesEight]

Nov 6 2019
Taiwanese Auburn student remains missing after three months, police continue search

New photos of missing Auburn University student Chih-Kai Lai have been released. (Source: Auburn Police Department)
"Surveillance photos from Lai’s apartment complex show that he was last known to be wearing black warm-up pants with white stripes, running shoes, a t-shirt, and glasses.

His disappearance has regained attention following the disappearance of 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard, an Auburn woman attending Southern Union State Community College in neighboring Opelika, on Oct. 23.

Police in Auburn are continuing the search for both Lai and Blanchard and anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Auburn Police Department at 334-501-3140."

I'm wondering if LE suspects a connection between these two cases (and probably Alexis case as well)?
It does give the impression they ramped up the search for him since Aniah is missing.
Which in a way is so sad, this guy deserved the same attention as Aniah got from te beginning, although I understand that he isn't as high profile as she is

 

[bykerladi]

I'm really bothered that there isn't more information available on his disappearance. Did he have a roommate? Did he ever check into his room? What did he leave behind? Did he have any social media posts? Has his cell phone pinged somewhere?

 

[TimesEight]

Exactly! Ofcourse, he was new in town, probably didn't know a lot of people at the university yet, but he must have been in contact with some people in the weeks between his arrival in the US and his disappearance.

Chances are he didn't have a car, so how did he move around town? Walk, bus, bike?
Did he have a roommate? Phone pings? Last SM updates? Seen on cctv?

Also, is there any info about his family? You would expect them to step to the media and at least hear from his family. I don't know if his family has the social means to fly to the US, but you might expect them to do so if they had the opportunity. If not, I would expect them to make a Facebook page or Twitter about his disappearance.

 

[ilovematt]

So worried about him. Was college hard on him? Had he been keeping up with his studies? Let on his own accord is something I don’t think they would say unless pretty sure.

 

[Quill]

The posted articles all say that he was set to begin classes and had arrived in late July. That sounds to me like he may not have ever started classes at Auburn. Do we know if he had completed any classes the previous semester? I could be wrong, but you would think if he had the article might describe him as "Auburn <insert classification here>" , sophomore, junior etc.

 

[dotr]

Maybe CKL did not really wish or intend to go to the university at all?
If so, that would give hope that maybe he is alive, but possibly somewhere else in the US.
speculation, imo.

 

[slowpoke]

I don’t know the Chinese language at all, but through a google image search was able to find articles written in the language. I believe this is how Chih-Kai Lai’s name is written, if you want to search yourself for news articles:

"賴致愷"

From various articles this is what I can piece together, which may not be accurate due to google translate’s imperfect translations:

Chih-Kai came to the US on July 24, accompanied by his father (and aunt, I think). His father remained here in the US with his only son until Aug 1, when the father returned to Taiwan after getting his son settled in his dorm, and all seemed fine.

Chih-Kai had a roommate until Aug 14, but because it is “a temporary dormitory” he was alone from the 15th to the 18th.

All his baggage was still in his room, with only his cell phone missing. His bank account does not show any abnormal withdrawals.

On Aug 17, he had contact with his family.
On Aug 18, he used cash and ate somewhere.
Aug 19 was the first day of classes at Auburn, and Chih-Kai did not appear, which was when he was noted as missing.

Here’s a link to one Chinese language article on Chih-Kai:
影／失聯前都正常　北科大：賴致愷是獨子，阿嬤不知道孫失蹤 | ETtoday新聞雲

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Hope he's okay and contacts his family soon. I think a foreign student choosing to not even attempt classes at all and disappearing willingly must be highly unusual.

 

[ilovematt]

Thanks so much for doing this. It gave me a pit in my stomach to read the translated details. His poor (seemingly hands-on and loving) father. Mega worried for him.

I don’t know the Chinese language at all, but through a google image search was able to find articles written in the language. I believe this is how Chih-Kai Lai’s name is written, if you want to search yourself for news articles:

"賴致愷"

From various articles this is what I can piece together, which may not be accurate due to google translate’s imperfect translations:

Chih-Kai came to the US on July 24, accompanied by his father (and aunt, I think). His father remained here in the US with his only son until Aug 1, when the father returned to Taiwan after getting his son settled in his dorm, and all seemed fine.

Chih-Kai had a roommate until Aug 14, but because it is “a temporary dormitory” he was alone from the 15th to the 18th.

All his baggage was still in his room, with only his cell phone missing. His bank account does not show any abnormal withdrawals.

On Aug 17, he had contact with his family.
On Aug 18, he used cash and ate somewhere.
Aug 19 was the first day of classes at Auburn, and Chih-Kai did not appear, which was when he was noted as missing.

Here’s a link to one Chinese language article on Chih-Kai:
影／失聯前都正常　北科大：賴致愷是獨子，阿嬤不知道孫失蹤 | ETtoday新聞雲

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