WHERE ON EARTH CAN AUGUST REIGER BE?
Father's Day, June 16, 2013, an American family of four vacationing in Ecuador takes a jungle hike together on the scenic but hilly trails overlooking the tourist town of Banos. Two brothers suddenly race up ahead ... but only one of them returns. What happened to the other? Was he kidnapped? Did he fall? Is he a runaway? Or was he murdered?
Fulbright scholar, class valedictorian and Oklahoma resident, August Reiger, 18, vanished in thin air on June 16th while exploring Ecuador's picturesque countryside with his mother, father and younger brother, Laithe. 
At one point in the trek the two boys had dashed ahead of their parents, yet, minutes later, only the youngest son rendezvoused with them again.
"He was sitting there waiting," explains Mr. Reiger, "but he hadn't seen his brother."
The steep and winding path the Reiger family took, while secluded, is a popular tourist attraction in this region, and the small town where they were staying, dependably crime free.
In fact, although U.S. and Ecuadoran officials are jointly investigating August Reiger's strange disappearance as an abduction, and even offering a reward to his potential kidnappers, the reality is there's never been an abduction in this area.
Moreover, no ransom note has been delivered...
Adding to the mystery, some locals have since been claiming they might've spotted the youth riding in the back of a pickup truck, apparently headed for the Amazon rainforest.
But others think that's a bit farfetched. They're speculating that Reiger is probably at the bottom of a ravine somewhere, his body hidden from search parties by dense foliage.
What do you think? Is this brilliant young man still among the living? And, if so, where?
[Updated on 7/2/13 from July 1st to include photo of Laithe Reiger]
I know this kid. August is not just intelligent, he is amazingly resourceful, wickedly clever and will be a handful to any captors since he's 20 times smarter than the average Joe. He's alive. Searchers have combed the mountain; he'd have been found by now if injured or dead. He's been kidnapped, and he will be returned when his captors get what they want: money or an exchange for an imprisoned drug buddy.
ReplyDeleteThis disappearance matches cases in North America that are described in a series of books, "Missing 411." A group of retired police officers studied over 600 cases where people vanished in rural areas, many times it was the last person in a line of hikers. The research (www.canammissing.com) found a specific set of criteria that was found in each of the cases, one being that tracking dogs could not find a scent. This case is too close in criteria to ignore.
Delete"Now more than two months later, little else has come out about the teen, but the search and rescue effort has persisted. Ecuador's elite group of kidnapping-focused investigators, UNASE, continues their campaign for August, and has reported "some credible sightings" along the way.
DeleteCristi Reiger, August's aunt, said Monday the country's law enforcement has done some incredible work in their search, going door-to-door and village-to-village to find him. Cristi also said August's own savviness, particularly his fluency in Spanish and understanding of Latin American culture, will only help to ensure his return.
Cristi said she and the rest of the Reiger family are in regular contact with UNASE and officials from the Ecuadorian government and even received support from President Barack Obama, who called August a missing patriot in June. Still, Cristi said news has been slow surrounding her nephew's status, as investigators continue to treat the case as highly sensitive.
"It's kind of a waiting game right now. The feeling is just that it's a matter of time," Cristi said. "That's our great hope." KJRH Tulsa
I dont think He was smart enough , If he was , he probably would've known that anyone who dissapears in Ecuador , will never be found . The Restrepo brothers are still missing after 30 years .He was kidnapped , killed , cut into pieces and thrown into a river , or given as dog meat to street dogs.The well-deserved fate to any " gringo " who dares to challenge Ecuadorians .
DeleteAnonymous who commented on Feb 22, 2016, could you please contact me on krisotchi@gmail.com, I have Qs I'd like to discuss with you. Thank you!
DeleteIt's my conspiracy theory that Snowden had him captured because he needed someone proficient in English AND Spanish. He didn't feel he could trust the locals so he kidnapped am innocent young man.
ReplyDeleteSheesh, can't believe I didn't think of this myself -- you're hired!
DeleteE.R.
He's alive I think. The dogs have been trained to look for both live scent and cadaver scent. They didn't find either, so he's not around banos anymore. He did not fall to his death he wasn't murdered on site wasn't buried there. The dogs would have located him. So he's somewhere else.And you're wrong people have gone missing over the years there in Banos.there are other published accounts.
ReplyDeleteI did not make mention of the dogs' failure to find the young man's trail because it wasn't clear if these canines were trained for live scents, cadavers, or, more commonly in that part of the world, narcotics.
DeleteTheir specialty would make a difference in the outcome, naturally, although it's also notable that they seemingly didn't detect fresh tracks of anyone else in the vicinity either.
Allegedly no one heard Reiger scream; no one heard thrashing in the underbrush, etc...
My theory then, if the youth isn't in (pre-staged) hiding and cleverly covered his tracks, that he died quickly on the trail. Either from being shoved over a precipice or tripping.
Horsing around with his kid brother may be to blame for the stumble, or coming into sudden contact with a viper, inadvertently touching a poisonous frog -- who knows, if indeed it was accidental.
But abruptly leaving the ground like that would be the most logical explanation for why August Reiger's scent suddenly disappeared.
As to the unlikelihood of an abduction, kidnappers in this part of the world mainly snatch businessmen because "that's where the money is" and those abductions aren't usually spontaneous.
Many involved in this current search are nevertheless suggesting Reiger's was committed as a crime of opportunity, but, if so, then why wasn't the young brother chosen instead?
It would've been 1000 times easier to grab the smaller of the two boys who, also alone on the footpath, was equally as vulnerable if not more so.
August's younger brother was behind him on the trail, not with him, so he might not have been spotted by the perpetrators. When his parents arrived at a rendezvous spot, Laithe was there waiting, but no August. I think someone, especially Laithe, would have heard something if August had fallen or if he were pushed off the mountain. August is not the sort of person to stage a disappearance and put his parents through this anguish. He is a happy, brilliant, well-balanced young man, who loves his family. He is a very kind individual and beloved by his many friends.
DeleteTypically, the search dogs used in this part of the world are hunting dogs, not trained live-scent or cadaver dogs with well-trained handlers.
DeleteI believe that the housekeepers are involved. They looked the family up on the internet and found out that there was a wealthy family visisting. They notified the group that they were taking a hike, and the abduction took place. The family will eventually get a randsom request.
DeleteThere HAVE been abductions in this area previously. Her name was Jenny Pope, a nurse and mother.
ReplyDeleteI hope that this bright young man is safe and sound in a hammock in the Amazon, not injured or worse.
British tourist Jenny Pope was backpacking Ecuador alone in 2006. The "feisty" 50-year-old was the victim of a robbery gone amok, not a kidnapping such as authorities now insist is the case with Reiger, for some reason.
DeletePresumed slain, Pope's then-29-year-old killer worked at the hotel she was staying. He saw a lone woman traveler as an opportunity he couldn't resist and clearly physically coerced the victim -- at that location -- to give him access to her bank account which he promptly drained.
He then robbed Pope of her valuable possessions as well, slew her, and dumped her body someplace. Those items and a significant amount of cash were later found in his home which he shared with his wife.
Not sure if her body was ever found.
And it never will
Delete@Anonymous July 2nd - Quote: "August's younger brother... Laithe was there waiting, but no August. I think someone, especially Laithe, would have heard something if August had fallen or if he were pushed off the mountain." [End quote]
ReplyDeleteOh, absolutely. For sure Laithe would've heard sounds like that -- hey, check out the link attached to my name on this specific comment and, coincidentally, it'll take you to a sullen-faced boy by the name of Laithe Reiger...
Kid's profile says stuff like "studied being awesome at Harvard class of 1910" and also "quantum physics" -- That's August Reiger's little brother Laithe's fake account, right?
If so, the boy seems inordinately preoccupied with academics, considering he's not quite 12 yet ... were these two brothers competitive? You say you know them; do they get along?
E.R.
That's adolescent bravado. That's Laithe being silly like most middle schoolers. I would never describe Laithe as being sullen or "inordinately preoccupied with academics." He is sweet, kind and as intellectually astute as his brother. They both attend a school noted for academic rigor, and they both excel. That's the extent of his preoccupation. You'd have to know them to realize just how sweet-that's the adjective many people use to describe them--they are. People just love them. Never noticed any competition between them. And yes, they do get along very well. I know Laithe looks up to and is proud of August. Tread lightly, E.R. I love them both. This has been devastating for all concerned.
DeleteI don't think anyone should tread lightly on any possibilities being thrown out. No one is saying that Laithe did anything but to dismiss any possibility due to sentimental feeling is irresponsible.
DeleteWord. LE should talk to the boy again see if his story changes.
DeleteI don't see how it would be possible for August's younger brother to do him harm in 5 minutes (if that is what you are suggesting). The parents said they were 5-10 minutes behind the boys. And how in the world would a 12 year old expertly make someone disappear? No, I don't think that's it. At age 12, kids put all kinds of stuff on profiles (facebook) wanting to sound cool or whatever. Also, what 12 year old prepubescent kid isn't sullen? I think the question about the canines is very good--I hadn't thought about the kind of specialized training dogs must have in their specific area. Would be good to know if these dogs were cadaver trained or just what their specifications are. I wonder if it is too late to send those kinds of dogs up that trail. A friend, who is familiar with that area, has suggested perhaps a big cat attacked him. They are stealth deluxe and can quietly, expertly drag their prey for many miles. Just a thought..would like to know what others think. One last thing....My father, myself and 6 siblings, nieces, nephews and great nieces/nephews all have gone to Classen---it is an incredibly tight knit community that has been educating the same families for many generations. We are all devastated. It is a very helpless feeling but we are watching and praying and doing our part to support the family in any way we can. Please, please let August come home.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he has actually *disappeared*. I agree with Jeff above that even a bloodhound can't compare to a highly trained K-9.
ReplyDeleteInvestigators should fly in an assorted crew of police dogs from the States to re-search all the embankments and cliffs which August might have passed by, if in fact he continued up the trail.
By now, though, if there was a corpse in those hills ...
Regardless, K-9s would still be able to find out what became of him. For instance, those trained to locate cadavers can be taken out onto boats and pinpoint bodies sometimes dozens of feet below them.
I also agree with your stealthy predator theory: Big cats, boas, and, yes, boys, can all be pretty efficient killers, and, if they strike swiftly enough -- by surprise -- there might not be screams or much of a struggle either.
Still, if a large animal (or reptile) did do the job, then there would've been some blood (and/or other fluids) on the ground to trace, and most of the dogs would've been spooked by their scents, too. Some whining and (wisely) refusing to follow any further.
E.R.
First of all, Laithe is 15. Get your facts straight, man. Second of all, Laithe is not behind this, I can tell you that for sure. I know laithe too well, and I have known the Reigers for years. Why are you trying to convince us all that August is dead? Instead of trying to create some mystery (which I know is the focus of your blog) have a heart, and be a little optimistic. I don't think you understand how hard this is, having no closure, having no answers. August is coming home soon. He is coming home.
DeleteThanks for your thoughts. So, what do you think is the hold up on getting K9 dogs to that scene? Is it money? Regulations? What?
ReplyDelete"Big cats, boas, and, yes, boys, can all be pretty efficient killers," Good grief, will you let it go! Laithe did not kill his brother! He's tiny. This whole discussion is obscene. If you wanted to run me off, you've succeeded.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you, here in America the last person to see a missing and/or murdered person will usually wind up becoming the prime suspect and as such subjected to protracted interrogation/s.
DeleteThat's true even when they themselves reported the crime to police and, regrettably, this "we-know-you-did-it so-you-might-as-well-confess" treatment now also extends to children.
That's because, time and time again, kids have shocked the world with totally atrocious killings.
Two biggees first: Pride of dog and pride of place.
ReplyDeleteAnybody even so much as implied that MY multi-talented mutt wasn't up to snuff somehow, I know I'd get pretty adamant. (to say the least.)
And more important than who's got the bestest, smartest dogs on the planet is that local officials might fear they have a violent criminal element in their midst which tourists necessarily will need to be made aware of. Insisting an abduction for ransom occurred is better than suggesting yet another tourist got murdered while visiting their fair town.
Anyway, if those major sociological obstacles above could be hurdled, then there would be a physical issue to address as well, because authorities would probably have to issue a waiver of quarantine for all the animals to set foot on their land...
So, weeks maybe months we might be talking here?
THERE HAS BEEN AN ABDUCTION IN THAT TOWN BEFORE!!
DeleteHe was pushed i think. was jungle cat food or what ever eats freshkill in that contry.
ReplyDeleteIt is not true that there has not been an abduction there before.
ReplyDeleteYou're referencing British tourist Jenny Pope, but hers was not an abduction per se, it was a hotel robbery gone awry resulting in murder and then a body-dump. (See my above comment on July 2nd, where I spotlighted that 2006 case.)
ReplyDeleteBTW: Thanks for the great discussion everybody --
E.R.
E. R., any new news? Can't find any updates on the net. Do you think police are holding info close to the vest or do you think they just have no idea what happened? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteLaithe is one of my best friends. He would NEVER ever do something to put his older brother in harms way. Both boys are very smart and intuitive. Laithe looks up to August. Laithe was with his mother and father and August took the lead then disappeared. Laithe and August were not racing up ahead together. Some of these comments sound as if Laithe being considered as a suspect in this disappearance. I love both of these boys. I hope August is found safe.
ReplyDeleteI think we all hope and pray August is found SAFE. We're just throwing out any/all possibilities because that's what you do when you're trying to figure out a mystery. I hope to God that boy is found safe and sound. I can't imagine what his family is going through.
DeleteDid you ever think that maybe he just snapped? That he got sick and tired of it, the stress, the competition (and all I have heard about his how smart his is and how he got a full ride to college and so forth) well maybe he got sick and tired of it and just left. It sounded like he really loved the place, maybe it was an unplanned opportunity to just run away from it all? Stranger things have happened.
DeleteI can tell you from experience these high performing students are often under a great deal of stress, and often others are not aware of this. He loved the area. Maybe he wanted to get away for a while. Although friends and family think this is preposterous, it would be the best ending to hope for.
ReplyDeleteI worked at a school that Classen was modeled after and yes indeed, these highly intelligent, high achievers can be under enormous pressure. Maybe he did snap, but, I think it unlikely because he knew there was no way to survive alone. But, if he had a psychotic break or something along those lines, then who knows? I would think that it might have been easier to find him if that had happened due to it being a highly disorganized event.
ReplyDeleteI was in Banos in Oct.1979 and was warned by the indiginous people that a girl had recently dissappeared. They said exactly the same thing they are saying about August-we don't know if she fell or was kidnapped. More than one local woman warned me as I was climbing the trail up to the Crucifix, the same trail August went missing on. They turned their eyes toward me and not their heads as they passed (so as not to be seen?) and said "Cuidado!Cuidado!". I wasn't sure what they meant and walked near one of them thinking it was safer. Later as I was walking toward Diablo Falls a local man came out to tell my male friend who walked ahead about the missing girl. My guess and instinct is that some indigenous person in that town knows something-knows someones brother or cousin or someone else who knows about these things, even if it is a big cat which I doubt. I am also surprised no one has mentioned that hundreds of local men are kidnapped each year to work on the coca plantations. they are usually not tourists but if someone in their hotel heard how intelligent August was and that the hike was planned it might have been a plan by an opportunist with a connection of that kind. Nan
ReplyDeleteVery insightful information. What of the missing girl in 1979? Did that case ever get solved? I agree that the local indigenous community probably knows what happened to August if he was kidnapped. If he was not kidnapped and did not have an accident (and is still on the mountain)then he must have walked out on his own. The guy in the back of the truck heading to the Amazon theory must be seriously evaluated.
DeleteI do not know what happened regarding the girl missing in 1979.No internet then.She was not from the US.I think we were told she was Scandanavian but I would not swear to that now.As I recall her backpack was found which struck me as curious.There was certainly not as much interest in the case as there is with August.
DeleteJUst for record, in Ecuador there´s no Coca plantations, and Baños its one of the safest cities for tourists
DeleteEponymous Rox, your comments are obviously based on experience with other mysterious cases. Thanks for your insights. Five to ten minutes isn't much time for something to happen, yet it did, supposedly silently and with no nearby trails of body fluids or scents, either from August or other unidentified people. Those two clues seem almost contradictory. If it was a silent disappearance, then some evidence of how it happened should have remained (fresh scent or footprints from a lightning-fast abduction, body fluid trail from an instant animal attack, or August's own scent trail and broken vegetation or footprints had he wandered off the path). Some noise would have been nearly guaranteed in the case of a fall, though depending on ambient noise, any sounds he made could have blended in over a distance of a few minutes' walking time from his to his next nearest family member's location. My best guess, just from the limited information printed here, is that forensic evidence has been missed. Securing it weeks later could be difficult. The family and local officials are doing what they can, and this may be a case where we do not have the luxury of asking for evidence that is no longer obtainable outside of a few hours or days after the disappearance. Carefully consider these character references in previous comments. Similar statements have been repeated so often around the web and in news media that they are certainly not lightly spoken by the dozens of people who have affirmed their knowledge of the Reiger brothers as "sweet" people. I know several students from Classen, though I do not know the Reigers. It is an excellent school that nurtures well-behaved, intelligent students, and it has been ranked among the top 100 public high schools in the United States. That is what makes the case so mysterious. When pieces of the evidence conflict, then we must go back and figure out what part of the investigation yielded false information. Hopes and prayers go to the Reiger family that August will be found alive soon.
ReplyDeleteCain and Able factor due to severe sibling rivalry issue? This wouldn't be the first time
ReplyDeleteLast time I dealt with a case like this, it was the younger brother that was the killer. The mother was the catalyst due to the constant
ReplyDelete"Why can't you be more like your brother------"
Chupacabra maybe?
ReplyDeleteI kind of agree with Anonymous July 9, 2013 at 4:06 AM
ReplyDeleteDid you ever think that maybe he just snapped? That he got sick and tired of it, the stress,
STRESS; self imposed or not can do very strange things! I do hope he is okay!
It is possible August was kidnapped, and is still being held. The more time that passes the more desperate the family become. The kidnappers will know a larger ransom is more likely to be paid after a length of time in which his family are fearing him dead. Knowing him still to be alive, they would be willing to pay any amount. Another theory is maybe kidnappers were tipped off as to his academic achievements and have him imprisoned and working for whatever their ends are.
ReplyDeleteAugust Reiger was a known drug user and dealer around Classen. I think it was a drug deal gone bad.
ReplyDeleteYou're a liar.
DeleteWell, all is not meeting the eye here, that's for certain. Somebody's def lying about something but I can't tell who (yet) or what they're trying to conceal.
DeleteHowever, it somewhat reminds me of the true-life case featured in the movie 'Midnight Express' which involved a young American male getting nabbed in brutal Turkey for hashish smuggling.
For that reason, and based on the Ecuadoran authorities' utterly bald assertions that Reiger's "been kidnapped" despite any supporting evidence of the same or even a ransom letter, I'd strongly suggest the family visit the infamous Ecuadoran prisons ASAP.
I'd also inquire as to whether anyone searched the nearby waters where he disappeared. Of course, with whitewater rapids galore near Banos and aquatic constrictors like the Anaconda lurking in those a bit more placid, it's perfectly understandable why they wouldn't have bothered.
But ... dead or alive the youth's got to be somewhere in that vicinity, doesn't he?
Thanks everyone for this great dialog, by the way. Makes my work feel worthwhile, frankly --
E.R.
Sharp insight, E.R.! Will someone please post to the Find August Reiger page (also known as Bring August Home) on Facebook and ask if the prisons and the waters were checked? Thanks. I have only a business Facebook account which is not appropriate to use for such a post, but that is where friends and family are collaborating.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly, E.R., that the "credible" sightings offer some hope to the family but may not be reliable. This reminds me of the Grimes sisters who officially disappeared on December 28, 1956, but whom numerous witnesses claimed to have seen at various locations or heard on the phone up until their bodies were found about three weeks later. The sightings of the sisters after the day of their disappearance were never confirmed as authentic.
If these sightings of August are genuine, why has nothing more come of them? A huge publicity campaign has gone throughout the country to alert people to help. Surely one of those sightings, if real, would have led authorities to a warm trail of clues if not a rescue. The lies you suspect, E.R., may be coming from people fabricating claims of seeing August. High-profile cases bring out falsehood, like the more than 200 false confessions to the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby in 1932.
Family, friends, and Ecuadorian officials who have helped the Reigers may feel offended by the suggestion to check the prisons, but is it possible that August is being held prisoner by a rogue group that is not communicating with the central government? Nothing should be overlooked. I do think the top officials working the case would never have propagated missing posters throughout Ecuador if they knew they risked being embarrassed by August showing up in their own custody.
As to whether drug dealing had any part, it would be unwise to assume that unless there were more proof. August had nothing with him when he left for the hike -- no money, no phone, nothing of value. The family was scheduled to leave Ecuador the next day. A hike up a trail with family members is not a logical activity during which to schedule a rendezvous with anyone else. Had drugs been exchanged prior to the hike, they would have been among August's possessions back at the hotel, and no report whatsoever of this exists.
The mountain vicinity was combed after August's disappearance, and no birds of prey were seen in the area to indicate a carcass. If he ended up in the water, then something major had to have happened to get him there. Family who knew him well insist he was not the kind of young man who would wander off and not tell anyone, certainly not as far as the next nearest body of water relative to the trail.
E.R., thanks for your work. You have brought new thoughts to the discussion. I wish someone would set up a website dedicated to August that listed every single point of evidence that is safe to reveal. With many minds working together, it is possible that something new could be discovered from all the known evidence. As it is, the public knows only the basics.
Here's something of interest:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.news9.com/story/23177723/missing-okc-teens-parents-return-second-disappearance-reported-in-ecuador
This article is more recent, published September 6, 2013, and includes the last photo taken of August a few hours before he disappeared along with new information:
ReplyDeletehttp://latinalista.com/2013/09/the-question-baffling-two-countries-what-happened-to-august-reiger
Interesting:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/sons-disappearance-keeps-drawling-parents-to-ecuador-kl669ef-163297276.html
On October 15, 2013, one day shy of four months after August Reiger's disappearance, his cousins who maintain the Facebook page "Find August Reiger" posted that the search in Ecuador and surrounding areas in other countries continues in full force and that progress is being made. No details were given as to what constitutes "progress," but they did say that it looks like August will return home within just a few weeks. One commenter posted that it sounds like a ransom situation. Perhaps no details are being given to safeguard the process, or perhaps these leads are still false ones. The wait continues.
ReplyDeleteMan I sure hope you are right Anonomyous 10/18. Seems to me though that a search "in full force" in Ecuador and surrounding areas and countries does not really indicate a confirmed kidnap/ransom situation. Regardless, I hope the guy is found safe and sound.
ReplyDeleteAny new news on August?
ReplyDeletei have read accounts in Ecuador n.ewspapers that his family waited overnight to contact authorities 24hours is a long time if true non of this makes sense
ReplyDeleteAny new updates?!
ReplyDeleteAny new updates on this case?
ReplyDeleteMy conclusion here is what I think most likely happened... (Will attempt to post first part after this). I think that August indeed did hike ahead of Laith and was scoped and stalked by a human predator, either cartel or indigenous tribe. I think a primitive person had eyes on him and struck when the moment presented. For what reason? None whatsoever per se, other than to murder a white American, admittedly a white-passing American, provoking to a mindless primitive person. How was this done? I think he was bagged and knifed, meaning someone out of the forest above the trail was concealed almost completely, confirmed he was alone for a short time, and jumped either in front of or behind August with a bag to cover and muffle his head as they just as quickly slit his throat once he was pulled up off the trail. What happened next is hardest and most needless to really figure out, but it would have been easy for an indigenous man, uncivilized if you will, to simply wait for night to fall as happens every night, and flee, even with the body of August, once everyone has gone to bed and authority presence is unlikely. By this time even if this savage who needs not even take the trail wanted to, August would have bled out entirely, even, bothered as I am to admit, dismembered and concealed in many pieces. This is all conjecture, and from this point what is gathered from the spirit of August from those of us at home should already know what to do with, rather than following the trail of the savage (literally) in our minds - but what I have said so far, being speculation and conjecture, I now firmly believe to saddly and truthfully be the fate of the amazing and great August, who I dream about often and miss daily. I both want to know the truth and want to have August in my heart forever, even though knowing the truth and dwelling on it is sad to me, it is avoided by most perhaps. From this point, I think August's body was cannibalized by the savage partly and also by the other tribe members knowingly, perhaps even sold as animal meat to these sketchy restaurants, questionable businesses, this alarming town we know nothing about. This is a supposition I am less likely to ponder on for long... as at this point, as I say, he is dead, but in terms of investigation, if dead and gone well how was he "gone" or "disappeared?" This is how, I think. Damned if I waste time trying to figure out the type of person in that area - but I think it may be possible to confirm somehow that there are higher than expected levels of cannibalism going on in Ecuador. I think there are savage, hostile, unknown forces at play in the world as a whole and with this mystery specifically. One thing that isn't a mystery however is that the Latino world is unkind and savage to one another and especially to us Westerners. All I practically emphasize right now is extreme discretion at home in America. Close and tighten our borders, protect our families and fellow Americans, don't go to South America, by God to discover the Hell August did. If this is related to similar cases in nature, my only hope is that we can fight back still, keep our land if forbidden ourselves from theirs, and if such fates present themselves further, we must bear arms and fight back against the savage.
ReplyDeleteI was in August's grade at Classen. I think it much likelier now than I did then that those last seen with him had something to do with it. Notice in one interview how the dad, Chris, was asked "so you are hoping he was kidnapped?" And the dad says, "well, yes, I guess so." Essentially meaning, he would rather August have been kidnapped and alive than dead. But why? Also, those last seen with him in this case were immediately given the green light, whereas in a normal case, should be the first suspected in a missing person case. It is likely that Laith, who I even had a class with, pushed August, told the dad, and was helped into innocent status, essentially. Also, everyone saying that his body would be found is obvious fairly ignorant of typical jungle or forest terrain, although admirable for being hopeful and at least motivated to discover something, anything. However, it is ten times easier to bypass actual human remains in a forest, I think, than people assume, especially if only some blood remains due to an animal carrying away the carcass quite literally solely to dispose of and consume itself. If you were told to locate a puddle of blood on the SIDE of a mountain, underneath massive foliage and steep terrain, do YOU think you could find such a thing yourself? I highly doubt it - now imagine being an officer in Equador with untrained, incompetent K9s, perhaps even mislead while repeling the mountain by Chris Reiger himself: "We didn't hike that far, officers - I think this is far enough." Now again, this is farfetched and honestly not quite what I consider the most likely thing that happened to August, but I do find it necessary in any case to investigate Laith especially, Chris, and even Ronda more. More than the zero eyes that were turned to this family. If I didn't know August, let alone know him to a quite non-negligable extent, in a similar case, I would immediately and confidently conclude that the brother pushed him, perhaps not caring whether he was found or not, but him not being found despite still lying there or somewhere else dead can now be assumed for a few good reasons. Essentially Laith may have unfortunately gotten very lucky in committing the murder of his brother. Whether it is likely as not that a panther has since carried him away, I cannot safely or surely know myself. If anything remains, it is now just bones, though. These are things that can be assumed, as I say; I know it is easy as a peer to be shocked at the family seemingly so nice and stable even being considered a second, but, again, our laws must proceed in a certain fashion if we wish to accomplish and know and fix anything at all. If this is a common concern, solving this case, and another thing we have in common is knowing August, why not? Why not assume the worst, both for reality sake and legal sake? It is clearly (to me) no question that those last seen with him should be investigated more. Even now, nearly a decade later.
ReplyDeletePART 2
ReplyDeleteNow that is one of two things about my opinion that has changed about this over time. After it happened, I immediately assumed August, knowing him, voluntarily left to study shamanism or do peyote or what have you, perhaps even just see more of the world or learn more about culture and tribal life. However, the second aspect on top of familicide that now seems likely to me is, yes, legitimate kidnapping. This is actually probably what actually happened. And people love to retort with the "safety" of Baños... baffling... insensitive and ignorant to think this place is safe. If so, hey, why don't you go look for him and see what happens? Is there a reason you haven't done this yourself? Have you even asked yourself this before? I would hope someone like me would assume sex trafficking or savage murder if YOU went missing in South America. Also, if you look on Google Maps, you will notice alarming and inexplicable "restaurants" either along this trail or on nearby trails or nearby trails. Hmm, this is something I found out recently.and who exactly eats at these shoddy restaurants for them to stay in business? There is no explanation. If you can assume Baños is such a harmless place, you bet your bottom dollar that these cartel traffickers also know this and knew this long before you did. Concerning dynamic, is it not? So tourists can feel safe in, if any place in Ecuador they say, it's Baños! I'm surprised quite honestly that people who knew August and wanted this case solved are so insistent that this place they have never been is surely so safe from kidnapping... Oklahoma isn't even safe from kidnapping, let alone an unknown South American hotspot is for a WESTERNER! So now, no matter what you can claim to think, you can't deny that he was either kidnapped, murdered (even by his brother), left voluntarily, or was attacked by an animal belonging to a species apparently unseen at all by the very people searching for him - IN ANY ONE OF THESE CASES SENSELESSLY, INEXPLICABLY, AND MEANINGLESSLY! Right? And again, this is merely what can be assumed and stated truthfully with common sense alone, but being someone who knew August, we naturally want to attach some meaning behind anything that happened to him, and further, think that the best thing happened to him. But I want to argue that this is not productive to solving the case and ensuring that similar cases happening are solved. I also want to point out the... peculiar... look on the face of August in his last known photograph. He seems to be telling us something isn't right, something he can't himself even know is... just not right. Not right at all. Quite frankly, knowing his usual appearance and manner, he looks scared actually. It seems like he saw something or heard something disturbing that he is intelligent and perceptive enough to pick up on and worry about that any person would not, including his family. Something along the lines of "Did you guys hear that?" "Hear what?" Only perhaps the question was never verbally raised, hence this haunting and strange look he gives the camera.
PARTS 1 AND 3 POSTED BEFORE 2