Ecuador - August Reiger, 18, US student, Banos, 16 June 2013

[modesty blaise]

i think august was kidnapped not for ransom but slave labor.

 

[Sunshine95]

i think august was kidnapped not for ransom but slave labor.

Curious about your theory- can you tell me more?

 

[modesty blaise]

Curious about your theory- can you tell me more?

I took out the sexual component and imo all that's left is that or the organ trafficking angle.


ETA: I also read a recent case of a missing british man Darrell semester who was found 13 yrs later doing forced labor on an irish farm.

 

[OldSteve]

Doesn't seem the type to be taken for forced labor IMO. I can see taken as a result of mistaken gender... would think if he was taken LE would know something by now. They should have informants who could at least give them tips..
It doesn't jive with me that this could be such a touristy place and thugs could sneak in and out like that. If that is the case, state dept. should send out a warning for US citizens not to visit.

 

[wfgodot]

"Organ theft" dubious as why would thieves want to "harvest" a tourist whose disappearance is likely to spark a huge investigation?

Forced labor also - why kidnap a person whose having gone missing will trigger a detailed inquiry?

It's either a ransom kidnap, a murder, an accident, or a voluntary disappearance I think. The latter two are the most likely at this point.

 

[meanmaryjean]

I'm still leaning toward voluntary until I see some evidence to the contrary.

 

[lucky181]

A new lengthy article about August
The question baffling two countries: What happened to August Reiger?

there have been three credible reports of a young man fitting his description. Given the fact that August is thin, fair-skinned and towers over the local population, authorities are taking the reports seriously.

Two of the sightings are from the same person and all three report the same circumstances, with the same people in which they saw a young man they believed to be August.

The witnesses said they saw someone who looked like August sitting in the back of a truck heading towards the Amazon jungle.

Though no ransom has been asked, kidnapping remains a leading hypothesis by officials since they feel that if he had fallen from a mountain ledge his body would have been discovered by now.

Two journalists from Diario El Comercio, one of the oldest newspapers in Ecuador, agreed to talk to Latina Lista about August’s case on the condition that their names be changed, due to a new media censorship law that went into effect.

According to ‘Carla’ and ‘Felipe’, the government silences critics. “And Diario El Comercio is a very uncomfortable stone in (President) Correa’s shoes,” both said

“August’s case is very sensitive. The reason is simple: It shows a reality that this government wants to hide. Ecuador has a strong drug trafficking problem, and that opens the door to violent crimes, such as kidnapping,” explained Carla.

The kidnapping hypothesis has a missing link, pointed Carla. “Nobody has asked for a ransom,” she said. “That is a red flag.”

Both journalists concur that “August’s case has opened a Pandora’s Box in Ecuador” highlighting the fact “We have a severe crime problem.”

http://latinalista.com/2013/09/the-question-baffling-two-countries-what-happened-to-august-reiger

1. Did the same person see him on two separate occasions? In two different locations..both heading into the Amazon?

2. How extensive was the search on the mountain? To think that his body would have been discovered by now seems to be a strange statement. Would someone stumble across it?

3. Drug trafficking...I'm not sure of the possible connection. Ransom to buy drugs? A drug transaction on the trail and he was a witness?

 

[margarita25]

This is terrible. Really scary stuff. I thought there would be some new information by now. I'm hoping this August's disappearance is voluntary, or if he is deceased, an accident, and not anything more sinister, as some of the possible theories here suggest. It has got to be so awful for his family not knowing.

 

[katydid23]

I don't think it was voluntary. He was about to go to school on a full scholarship. If he wanted to get awaay from his family he could have waited a couple of weeks and gone off to University.

I don't think he would have put his family through all of this purposely. He would have at least picked up a phone or emailed and said ' I'm OK, just needed some space.'

The more difficlut question is what the he!! happened to this kid. I lean towards kidnapping.

 

[wfgodot]

The university he'd enrolled in was only 20 miles away from the family's house.

 

[Sunshine95]

Bumping for August!
Today I have the feeling that he is ok, able to use his charisma and intelligence to be moving closer to freedom and to returning to his loved ones. Hope I am right

 

[lillygator]

has there been anything more on August?

 

[OldSteve]

In reading the article:
http://latinalista.com/2013/09/the-question-baffling-two-countries-what-happened-to-august-reiger

where it mentions:

"The day before August, his younger brother and parents were going to take a long-awaited 3-day tour of remote areas in the Amazon jungle, the Oklahoma family decided to take a short hike along the scenic trail that ran past their resort hotel. Towards the end of the hike, August elected to walk ahead of the group and meet them at the top of the trail."

I had previously not realized the short hike by their hotel was something planned last minute (well, the day before). When it says "the family decided" - I would like know who brought the idea up in the first place.

 

[Sunshine95]

Keep checking in on you, August! Hoping to hear good news any day now...

 

[margarita25]

Any news?

 

[wfgodot]

Haven't heard a thing. I read the Daily Oklahoman site every day. That's OKC.

 

[CMac2]

Bumping for August

 

[lucky181]

The fb page has a post from earlier this week that indicates that searchers in Ecuador might be getting close to August. I hope this is true.

https://www.facebook.com/bringaugusthome

 

[CMac2]

The fb page has a post from earlier this week that indicates that searchers in Ecuador might be getting close to August. I hope this is true.

https://www.facebook.com/bringaugusthome

I was just checking MSM this morning for any updates on August's case. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[OldSteve]

The fb page has a post from earlier this week that indicates that searchers in Ecuador might be getting close to August. I hope this is true.

https://www.facebook.com/bringaugusthome

Wonder why they say they are closer to finding him then ever before?