Missing Connecticut Hiker's Backpack Found in Japan

Patricia "Pattie" Wu-Murad, a Connecticut woman who went missing on April 10, 2023, during a solo hike on Japan's Kumano Kodo trail, has had some of her belongings discovered nearly a year and a half later. A fisherman found her backpack and a shoe in a stream near Totsukawa village, northeast of the Mandokoro guesthouse, where she was last seen. The backpack contained her email and family address written on a Ziploc bag, raising further questions about her disappearance. Despite extensive searches by local authorities and volunteers, her family remains in anguish, as the discovery deepens the mystery surrounding her fate. Her husband, Kirk Murad, expressed mixed emotions of sadness and frustration, noting that the findings provide more questions than answers. The family continues to seek support through a GoFundMe page, which has raised significant funds for ongoing search efforts.