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

[vls12345]

Some mentioning in passing of a “sister trip” in Spain. Had Pat been to it?

Rsbm.

Yes, she did hike part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain:

During the pandemic in 2020, Pattie Wu-Murad retired from her job at United Technologies where she'd worked for more than 30 years. When the pandemic restrictions were lifted, she started researching trips. In fall 2021, she hiked a portion of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that winds through Europe and into Spain.

"She loved it so much that she wanted to do it again," her husband, who now works as a math coach for the Norwich Public Schools, recalled. So she did, the next time bringing a friend. A trip to Egypt and Jordan followed.

Family joins search for CT woman missing in Japan: 'We took things into our own hands'

The family of Patricia "Pattie" Wu-Murad say local police have restarted their search...

www.ctinsider.com

 

[Charlot123]

Thank you for posting this wonderful video. It's great to see part of the trail. And how hard it appears to be. They had some great notes & commentary as they hiked.

It did seem very lonely on the trail. But, with Pattie's yellow backpack, I think that might have helped someone to notice her (at least if they came upon her soon after an injury or fall)? Maybe? I do wonder if she was on a different trail altogether now that her backpack has been located. But why? And how?

You are welcome!
I noticed that it is not far from civilization at all but with these high trees and lack of light, it might be easy to get lost. Also, when they were climbing up, one asked, what if it rains?

And indeed, what if? April seems to be in-tourist season for the trail, meaning, shouldn't have, but who knows? It may get slippery. Also, if Pattie was traveling in-season, everything was more expensive, meaning, she needed to carry more cash than off-season.

Then lack of items in her backpack makes one wonder. Only her family knows where she'd carry cash, but I just wanted to ask. One doesn’t need to assault, merely grab the backpack and run. And then the woman who is already lost, maybe pushed/traumatized during the episode doesn't have a chance.

This case is gaining track now that her family members are/is in Japan. I wonder if someone just dumped the stuff kept at home, just somewhere, and we don't know if Patty took that very trail.

I mean, there is one obvious thing that needs to be done, one question i don't want to ask publicly if Patty met foul play. But I hope her family has done it. And that will hint at certain possibilities. Good luck to them.

 

[Charlot123]

Rsbm.

Yes, she did hike part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain:

Family joins search for CT woman missing in Japan: 'We took things into our own hands'

The family of Patricia "Pattie" Wu-Murad say local police have restarted their search...

www.ctinsider.com

Is it possible that one can book hiking by sister trails in different countries via the same agency?

Anything else connecting these trails?

 

[vls12345]

Is it possible that one can book hiking by sister trails in different countries via the same agency?

Anything else connecting these trails?

I don't know re: booking but I would think you could.
(Eta: Yes, you can. For example here is a random company I found online that provides this type of service.)

I think there are people who travel and hike pilgrimage trails as a hobby. Or a calling. Kind of like some people like to do RV travels, or go on cruises, etc. I remember an early article when Pattie went missing and a friend/couple were talking about what a great person she is; if I remember correctly, they had met her on the Camino de Santiago. They all stayed in touch afterward, updating each other of planned hikes, etc. Hoped to meet again someday on hiking trails....

General reference about pilgrimage trails:

Top 10 pilgrimage routes around the world

Not solely for the spiritual, pilgrimages are epic hiking routes that take in soul-stirring landscapes. Here are 10 of the best, from Ireland to Israel.

www.nationalgeographic.com

Pilgrimages around the world

Conquered the Camino? Keep seeking on these seven epic routes.

www.lonelyplanet.com

 

[slowpoke]

Top photo:
Google map showing walking route from Minshuku Mandokoro to what I think is the start of the Kohechi trail, where the Kohechi Funato Bridge is. (Anyone, correct me if this path is inaccurate.)
I added a yellow line & arrow where I feel the guesthouse owner probably walked Pattie, pointing her in the right direction.

Bottom Left photo:
Streetview map of area I think the guesthouse owner walked Pattie up to before saying goodbye.

Bottom Right:
url below this pic — The owner sending off another guest several years ago. This is why I surmise this is where Pattie was walked to, as well. JMO

 

[slowpoke]

This case is gaining track now that her family members are/is in Japan. I wonder if someone just dumped the stuff kept at home, just somewhere, and we don't know if Patty took that very trail.

I mean, there is one obvious thing that needs to be done, one question i don't want to ask publicly if Patty met foul play. But I hope her family has done it. And that will hint at certain possibilities. Good luck to them.

^snipped

Not positive, but I don’t believe Pattie’s family is in Japan right now. They stopped their active searching in Japan at the end of May, and returned home after that, but with regular contact and updates with the police there. Last I read, the family was waiting and trying to decide what their next move should be (after the backpack and other items were found). MOO

Also, you asked earlier about “cards that the tourists signed”, and did Pattie do that, too. Pattie did apparently did get her booklet stamped, as we learned she intended to earn becoming a Dual Pilgrim.

A “Dual Pilgrim” is a status achieved for someone who has walked both the Kumano Kodo and the Camino de Santiago. She told a friend just before going missing of her intention.

 

[starlightstarbright]

Is it possible that one can book hiking by sister trails in different countries via the same agency?

Anything else connecting these trails?

You wouldn’t necessarily ‘book’ the routes through a travel agency, though you can (much more expensive!). I’ve walked one of the Camino de Santiago routes in Spain and I just organised it all myself. Bought a flight, hostels and rooms booked online, bought a guide book with map in a shop and off I went. I think that’s what most people would do, but you can go through more organised group tours. Often these involve walking with other people.

I do think it’s quite common though that once walking pilgrimage routes becomes your ‘thing’ you want to do different ones. So it’s not surprising at all that Patty may have walked a Camino and then come to do this one too. Even if no formal connection between the two bookings. JMO

 

[slowpoke]

You wouldn’t necessarily ‘book’ the routes through a travel agency, though you can (much more expensive!). I’ve walked one of the Camino de Santiago routes in Spain and I just organised it all myself. Bought a flight, hostels and rooms booked online, bought a guide book with map in a shop and off I went. I think that’s what most people would do, but you can go through more organised group tours. Often these involve walking with other people.

I do think it’s quite common though that once walking pilgrimage routes becomes your ‘thing’ you want to do different ones. So it’s not surprising at all that Patty may have walked a Camino and then come to do this one too. Even if no formal connection between the two bookings. JMO

To refresh our memories on this, Pattie deciding to walk the Kumano Kodo Kohechi route was only made while already in Japan for another pilgrimage walk, that of the one called Shikoku 88.

She said she was ahead of schedule, heard about the Kumano Kodo one while doing a portion of the Shikoku 88, and so wanted to do it in the time she had before meeting a friend on Apr 16 to finish the Shikoku route with him/her.

Here’s a post I made back in Apr 2023 about this: (Link)


MOO - Pattie was so enthusiastic about these pilgrimage walks. Makes me sad, but then I guess she was doing something that really brought her joy.

 

[Charlot123]

Mom Disappeared During Solo Hike in Japan. 17 Months Later, Her Backpack and a Single Shoe Were Found

A backpack and a single shoe belonging to Patricia Wu-Murad, a Connecticut mom who went missing in Japan last year, have been found, according to her family.

people.com

ETA: “They then searched the area and located a single shoe downstream from the backpack’s location. Both were located in a stream northeast of the Mandokoro guesthouse, where Wu-Murad was last seen.”

Questions to someone who might be more into geography:

What is the way to find how the spring water floats, to the north or to the south?

How can I find the area on Google maps?

Is there any map of the area? I don’t know where to look in Google maps tbh. There are so many trails. And is anyone aware of the name of the spring,

In general - a US citizen has disappears abroad. Why no Interpol/FBI/any agency involved?

Edit: I googled and there is a Mandakoro farm and Nagano guesthouse… am I looking at the right area?

 

[Cryptic]

In general - a US citizen has disappears abroad. Why no Interpol/FBI/any agency involved?

Jurisdiction and sovereignty issues.

Interpol is mostly for fugitives. In regards to the FBI, they have no jurisdiction in Japan. Then factor in that even friendly countries can be very, very reluctant to allow foreign law enforcement agencies to assist with internal matters.

 

[duckcat]

FBI was involved very early on, per information from Pattie’s daughter, Murphy. But yes, the FBI’s resources are still limited in a case like this. Japanese police are still in charge of the investigation and I recall early on there was frustration that the family had knowledge or understanding that the police could access or request telecomm information, but that Japanese authorities were denying this was possible with an American eSIM and/or not willing to share it. There are international politics at play, the US has tenuous relationships with much of Asia, including Japan. Intelligence isn’t shared. She worked for a company that may have poor relations with some Asian countries.

CT senator Richard Blumenthal also advocated for the family.

“The couple’s daughter Murphy arrived in Japan and received an offer of help from Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who asked the State Department to press Japanese authorities to resume the search.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/05/02/japan-missing-hiker-volunteers/

IMO, both of these things are quite unusual for overseas missing persons cases. It doesn’t answer questions but many overlook that Pattie’s career was in a highly sensitive industry. She worked in international compliance for the Asia Pacific region for an aerospace and weapons manufacturer, United Technologies, which merged with Raytheon in 2020. Her recent retirement is irrelevant, she still held sensitive information and likely had clearances that flag with her passport. She also holds Taiwanese citizenship which is an area with conflict at the moment. Neither of these things are mentioned much in news articles and I believe intentionally.

She wasn’t a meek retiree, she was very clearly a very intelligent, careful and competent woman. Not that it should matter, but almost certainly the breadwinner in her family. Meaning, capable, independent, confident on her own. An experienced long distance hiker. Her trail was well marked and well maintained as it was a pilgrimage trail, it’s something we’ve known from the start. Long distance trails in the US do not look like this so a western perspective may be skewed. Hers was not a rugged off grid trail. A most logical explanation is that she encountered something harmful—a person, an animal, or a sudden medical episode like a heart attack.

It is unusual IMO for the FBI, a major senator, and the state department, to show interest in an overseas missing persons case so quickly upon disappearance.

Her family many times have mentioned they don’t discount a theory she could have been kidnapped and I think it’s likely they understand the complexities and motivations for why that could have occurred.

 

[Charlot123]

FBI was involved very early on, per information from Pattie’s daughter, Murphy. But yes, the FBI’s resources are still limited in a case like this. Japanese police are still in charge of the investigation and I recall early on there was frustration that the family had knowledge or understanding that the police could access or request telecomm information, but that Japanese authorities were denying this was possible with an American eSIM and/or not willing to share it. There are international politics at play, the US has tenuous relationships with much of Asia, including Japan. Intelligence isn’t shared. She worked for a company that may have poor relations with some Asian countries.

CT senator Richard Blumenthal also advocated for the family.

“The couple’s daughter Murphy arrived in Japan and received an offer of help from Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who asked the State Department to press Japanese authorities to resume the search.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/05/02/japan-missing-hiker-volunteers/

IMO, both of these things are quite unusual for overseas missing persons cases. It doesn’t answer questions but many overlook that Pattie’s career was in a highly sensitive industry. She worked in international compliance for the Asia Pacific region for an aerospace and weapons manufacturer, United Technologies, which merged with Raytheon in 2020. Her recent retirement is irrelevant, she still held sensitive information and likely had clearances that flag with her passport. She also holds Taiwanese citizenship which is an area with conflict at the moment. Neither of these things are mentioned much in news articles and I believe intentionally.

She wasn’t a meek retiree, she was very clearly a very intelligent, careful and competent woman. Not that it should matter, but almost certainly the breadwinner in her family. Meaning, capable, independent, confident on her own. An experienced long distance hiker. Her trail was well marked and well maintained as it was a pilgrimage trail, it’s something we’ve known from the start. Long distance trails in the US do not look like this so a western perspective may be skewed. Hers was not a rugged off grid trail. A most logical explanation is that she encountered something harmful—a person, an animal, or a sudden medical episode like a heart attack.

It is unusual IMO for the FBI, a major senator, and the state department, to show interest in an overseas missing persons case so quickly upon disappearance.

Her family many times have mentioned they don’t discount a theory she could have been kidnapped and I think it’s likely they understand the complexities and motivations for why that could have occurred.

It is not impossible, the way you present it, however: yet if the risk of kidnapping was not minimal, would Patty, being a bright and worldly woman, with certain clearances, decide to travel to Japan and hike alone on a trail?

 

[vls12345]

Thinking of Pattie and her loved ones.

I wish we had further updates.

 

[vls12345]

Bumping. Thinking of Pattie and her loved ones.

 

[StillDiggin]

Pattie has been found sadly deceased. RIP to a fellow pilgrim & all our thoughts go out to her family.
Update from Murphy:

On Friday, May 9, 2025, our family received confirmation that our beloved wife, mother, sister, daughter, Aunt, and friend, Pattie Wu-Murad, is deceased.

This confirmation came more than two years after she went missing while hiking in Japan on April 10, 2023. Despite an extensive international search effort that involved 24 American search and rescue (SAR) professionals, local Japanese SAR experts, law enforcement, U.S. Embassy officials in both Japan and Washington, D.C., the FBI, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, no trace of Pattie was found in the months following her disappearance.

In September 2024, after almost a year and a half of no news and no clues, a fisherman discovered Pattie’s backpack and one hiking shoe near a stream closer to a different trail from where we originally believed she was hiking. Upon this discovery, Japanese police conducted a search of that region for several days, but again, no further evidence was found.

Then, on April 27, 2025, a member of our original U.S. search team who was in Japan retraced the area near where the backpack had been found. During his hike, he discovered several of Pattie’s personal items and what appeared to be a femur. He delivered the remains to the local Japanese police, who confirmed they were human. DNA testing was performed, and on May 9, we were notified that the remains were a match to Pattie, through comparison with our daughter’s DNA.

Although we had tried to prepare ourselves for this outcome, the finality of this news is heartbreaking. It offers a measure of closure, but many questions remain unanswered, including the exact circumstances and cause of Pattie’s death. We now begin the process of working through international protocols to bring her remains home.

We would like to express our profound gratitude to all those who supported us during this long and painful journey.

To the professional U.S. search teams—thank you for volunteering your time, skill, and compassion, risking your own safety and asking only for expense coverage in return.

To the Japanese SAR experts and volunteers—we are deeply grateful for your local knowledge, commitment, and kindness. You offered not only your expertise but also your humanity: providing meals, transportation, snacks, drones, and heartfelt companionship when we needed it most.

To our families who stood with us - thank you for your constant support, communication, and advocacy. Whether you helped spread the word on social media, reached out to search and rescue teams, or contacted news outlets, your dedication to helping us find Pattie went far beyond anything we could have hoped for. We are deeply grateful.

To the countless friends, colleagues, and strangers who reached out via social media, text messages, phone calls, and prayers—your encouragement and hope sustained us more than you can possibly know.

Pattie was an incredible woman whose love and friendship touched many lives. While we are devastated, we are also humbled by the global community that rallied to help find her. We will continue to honor her memory with love and gratitude in our hearts.

With love and thanks,
Kirk, Rachel, Murphy, and Bryce

Help Find Pattie | Update from Murphy: | Facebook

Update from Murphy: On Friday, May 9, 2025, our family received confirmation that our beloved Wife, Mother, Sister, Daughter, Aunt, and Friend, Pattie Wu-Murad, is deceased. This confirmation came...

www.facebook.com

 

[vls12345]

Condolences to Pattie's loved ones.

 

[LookingForClues]

Remains found in Japan confirmed to be missing hiker from Storrs: family

More than two years after a woman from Storrs went missing while hiking in Japan, investigators have found her remains and confirmed her death, according to her family. Pattie Wu-Murad went missing on April 10, 2023, while hiking in the Nara Prefecture in central Japan. She was last seen...

www.nbcconnecticut.com

More than two years after a woman from Storrs went missing while hiking in Japan, investigators have found her remains and confirmed her death, according to her family.

Pattie Wu-Murad went missing on April 10, 2023, while hiking in the Nara Prefecture in central Japan. She was last seen checking out of the Mandokoro guest house around 7 a.m.

 

[TheMom77]

Good news that she was found. My heart goes out to her family.

 

[LookingForClues]

The Hartford Courant has a fairly long article:

Remains found in Japan confirmed to be missing hiker from CT

Remains and personal items belonging to the Storrs woman were found in Japan late last month.

www.courant.com

The search and rescue person who found the remains had happened to be in Japan and reached out and asked Murad if he could keep looking in the place where the backpack had been found last fall. Murray said yes.

According to Murad, he found the femur and several personal items of Wu-Murad’s, including a stuff sack and a waistband to the backpack she was wearing.

<snip>

“(Their son) Bryce went that way (when they were there searching for her). We said, ‘Well, she said she’s going on the other trail.’ He walked it for like three miles and said, ‘No, this is too dangerous.’ We didn’t think she went that way. Even after they found the backpack and the shoe, the police aren’t search and rescue people so they searched the area, but they didn’t find anything.”

Much more at link...

 

[slowpoke]

I am amazed they have found Pattie’s remains. As her husband said, it’s what they have guessed, with so much time passed—that she was deceased—but finding remains makes it so final now for them.

Their wonderful Pattie, who was a person who so loved life and living, is no more on this earth. I’m glad they have beautiful memories of her to carry with them.

Thank you to the posters for bringing this update, as I had not seen it. Pattie’s story really touched me for various reasons, and every now and again I’d think of her and wonder what went wrong on a trip she was so enjoying, and was an experienced pilgrimage hiker.