Relatives of a Connecticut woman who vanished in Japan last month say they now believe she might have been a crime victim.
According to The Messenger, Patricia “Pattie” Wu-Murad, of Storrs, vanished while supposedly hiking along the Kohechi route of the Kumano Kodo trail in Japan on April 10. She ate breakfast at Tsuji’s, a two-room inn in Osaka, then went hiking along an 11.2-mile path.
For weeks, police, family members, and search crews have scoured the remote area. Search and rescue (SAR) teams have searched into crevices and water and deployed helicopters and drones in their effort to find her.
“She seemed to be full of energy,” Innkeeper Shigeaki Tsuji, who was the last to see Pattie, told The Messenger. “This case is a strange one from the start. I don’t understand why someone with so much experience would get lost on such a simple trail.”
“I am worried about whether she got lost at the start. And I’m more worried that maybe someone drove by and abducted her. All of us in the village are worried about her. We are all waiting for her return.”
Family members added that since retiring in 2020, Pattie, an experienced traveler, hiked for months in France, Spain, Egypt, and Jordan. Pattie’s sister-in-law, Julie Murad-Caruso, described Pattie as an “experienced hiker” who also trekked across trails in North America, CT Insider reports.
A GoFundMe page, set up to help with funds for the search, indicated that camera footage captured three people on the trail near Wu-Murad’s guesthouse at around 8 a.m. on April 10. All three people claimed that they did not see Wu-Murad on the trail.
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Family members also wrote that a female hiker said she encountered a man near the trails on April 20 who asked for help with practicing his English skills. So far, police have not confirmed whether the man has been found or questioned.
“We have received information from a solo female hiker that a man near one of the Kumano Kodo trails asked if she would go home with him to help him practice his English. This incident occured on April 20th, 10 days after Pattie’s disappearance,” the page read.
The Gojo Police Station, along with local police and Nara Prefecture state police, are currently investigating the disappearance.
The investigation remains ongoing, but so far, no new information has been provided. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Family Handout]
