A fisherman in Japan discovered a backpack last week belonging to Pattie Wu-Murad, a missing hiker from Connecticut who has not been seen for over a year.
According to the Hartford Courant, during their investigation, police also located a shoe belonging to Wu-Murad, along with a towel she had bought from Amazon and a pouch containing nail clippers. The items were discovered near a guesthouse where she was last seen in April 2023.
Authorities informed her husband, Kirk Murad, of the discovery, although nothing further was found.
“Initially I felt very, very sad, a lot the same emotions as when we went out there, then back to frustration because nothing happened in the last week,” Murad said.
“We’re trying to figure out if we should send another search party. That would be the next step. We have to figure out the cost and who’s available.”
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Wu-Murad, of Storrs, vanished while supposedly hiking along the Kohechi route of the Kumano Kodo trail in Japan on April 10. 2023. 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 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 last year. “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.
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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.
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.
Murad told The Hartford Courant that his son hiked the same challenging trail when the family traveled to Japan to search for Wu-Murad. His daughter and a search and rescue team also combed the area during their efforts.
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]
