Family speaks out as search continues for missing CT woman in Japan
By Hector Molina, Zoe Strothers
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STORRS, Connecticut (WFSB) — A desperate search is underway for a mother from Storrs who vanished while hiking in Japan.
Patricia Wu-Murad, who went by Pattie, has now been missing for 10 days.
Her husband, and her children are now in Japan enduring a difficult search and says he’s desperate to bring his wife home.
“It’s as if she fell off the face of the earth, it’s a very frustrating experience trying to find somebody here,” said Kirk Murad, Pattie’s husband.
She was last seen on April 9th when she checked into a hostel along the Kumano Kudo trail in Japan where she was planning to hike.
“We can see she registered there, they actually took a picture of her there, we saw she took a picture there with one of the owners, so that is definitely factual but we don’t even know if she went on the trail,” Kirk said.
Kirk says Pattie is an experienced hiker who has explored several trails in Jordan, Egypt, Spain, and other places across the world.
“She knows how to pack for them, how to prep for them. She’s meticulous, her whole career, she’s been a planner and it’s mind-boggling to everyone here that we can’t find her,” Kirk explained.
Since arriving in Japan, Murad says he and his son have searched the nearly 12-mile trail themselves, and have had twice-daily meetings with the U.S. embassy, a representative from Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s office, and family back home.
Investigators are leaving all possibilities open.
“There may be some foul play, but everything right now is conjecture,” Kirk said.
While others have joined the search that’s now going on for over a week, Kirk says he is not willing to give up anytime soon and has this message for his wife.
“We won’t give up no way, we all love you, don’t give up,” Kirk said.
Wu-Murad’s family started a Go Fund Me to help cover travel to Japan and a private search team.
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