Austin Taylor Bice -SDU student missing in Spain

Comment

Comment by Michele Bodah on March 7, 2011 at 10:44pm

Mike has a client that is retired from the state department and is still heavily involved with the department. Mike e-mailed him and asked if he could contact a buddy in the state department who could help with some information. he said he is in India for 7 weeks assessing US Emabssy security.  ( He said he would CHECK IT OUT) for me. Maybe he will be able to help! I will let you know when he gets back to him and what he was able to find out.

Comment by Sharon E. Avila on March 7, 2011 at 10:27pm

I concur with respect to the cell phone Mike.  Given that HALO is being brought in, it is starting to sound more like they believe he was abducted and they probably know where he is being held.

My knowledge on Halo Corporation is limited but from what I've read they are an elite operation that specializes in the rescue of kidnapped victims.  I am hopeful that they are succesful in bringing Austin home.

 

THANK YOU JULIE for the articles.  I know you are super busy and appreciate the time you took to pull these!!!!!  :-)

Comment by Julie R. Jones on March 7, 2011 at 10:22pm

On the Nancy Grace Show, a short blurb (30 second) was just presented on Austin being missing.

Comment by Michael J Bodah on March 7, 2011 at 10:20pm

A family member last Saturday told CNN that contrary to earlier reports, Bice was not refused entry to the discotheque by doormen and was not drunk, although "he had a few beers." Instead, he just decided to go home.

Found this in a CNN report.

"We always told him, never be by yourself. Always be with somebody. And I think the problem was he got a little bit overconfident and decided that he wanted to go it alone, go back to the house by himself and that was the problem," said Juan Gabriel Paredes, a family member who came to Madrid from Wichita, Kansas, to help Bice's father in the search.

Hence "drunk" and/or "drug" issue not issue.

Comment by Michael J Bodah on March 7, 2011 at 10:06pm

His cell phone is working.  Certainly they have technology to locate the cell phone.

Comment by Julie R. Jones on March 7, 2011 at 9:52pm

In looking at the article below (http://www.670kboi.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=118&itemid=29641304), it looks like the family is employing some help, although I do not know what they have for resources but I am going to check on line.

Comment by Julie R. Jones on March 7, 2011 at 9:49pm

Search Intensifies for College Student Missing in Spain

http://www.670kboi.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=118&itemid=29641304

ABC News(MADRID) -- The family of missing college student Austin Bice is vowing to stay in Spain until the student, missing for more than a week in Madrid, is found.

"We just need to keep going and have all of those people look for him so we can get him home," Pam Bice, the mother of Austin Bice, said.

Larry Bice, the father of Austin Bice, has joined friends and Spanish investigators in the search effort, dotting Madrid with thousands of pictures of the college senior.

The family is even bringing in agents from Halo, a California company that specializes in search and rescue operations that often involve kidnappings.  Authorities said, however, that there are no indications that Bice has been kidnapped.  The Halo agents are expected to arrive in Spain Monday.

The 22-year-old student's cell phone signal is still active, but his voicemail is full and there's been no activity on his credit cards.

Austin Bice's closest friends say that they are sure there is something or someone preventing the college senior from contacting his family.

"This is completely out of character for him...and he always would let someone know where he's going, especially in a foreign country," Bice's friend Connor Fabiano said.

Bice, an international business major at San Diego State University, went to Madrid in mid-January to spend the semester studying there.  He was last seen outside of a fast food restaurant on Feb. 26, a 20-minute walk from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid where he was studying.

Bice, a fluent Spanish speaker, posted on his blog that he planned to attend a concert the night he disappeared.  Friends say that Bice left them outside of the nightclub that was hosting the concert to walk to his host family's home.  Initial reports said that Bice was denied entrance into the club because he was too drunk.  Friends and family have strongly denied that claim.

Comment by Julie R. Jones on March 7, 2011 at 9:44pm

 

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/07/v-print/3454656/student-a-former-g...

Student, a former Granite Bay resident, missing in Spain for 8 days

mweiser@sacbee.com

Published Monday, Mar. 07, 2011
A San Diego college student who has been missing in Spain for more than a week was raised in Granite Bay.

Austin Taylor Bice, 22, was studying international business at San Diego State University when he began a semester abroad in Madrid on Jan. 15.

Bice has not been seen since Feb. 26. His disappearance has been the subject of worldwide media attention.

His hometown is Carlsbad, where his parents, Larry and Pamela, still live.

"This has devastated my family more than I can express," Pamela Bice said in a phone interview with The Bee. "But we're going to get him back and we'll get back to normal."

Larry Bice arrived in Madrid on Thursday to help search for his son.

The family lived in Granite Bay, where Bice attended Greenhills Elementary School, until 1999. He was active in youth sports, including tennis and baseball.

He also appeared in Mervyn's department store ads as a boy.

He later attended Torrey Pines High School, where he played on the football team. He earned a football scholarship to San Diego State, and played on the college team his freshman year.

A friend, Maria Garcia, told the Associated Press that Bice and friends were drinking at an apartment before going to a Madrid nightclub the night he disappeared.

Media reports differ on what happened next.

Some say a doorman at the club suggested Bice rest before going inside because he looked ill. Other reports say Bice was refused admission because he was intoxicated.

In either case, Bice began walking the three miles back to the apartment he shared with his host family, and has not been seen since.

Pamela Bice said her son was not a drinker, and possibly fell and became disoriented. She said the Madrid police believe he may have been drugged.

"Something happened where he got hurt," she said. "We believe he is alive, thank God, and the police believe that, too. We believe he is just not thinking clearly. So we're trying to find him."

Bice speaks fluent Spanish. He was scheduled to return home in June, with one semester of college left to obtain his degree.

Comment by Julie R. Jones on March 7, 2011 at 9:17pm

Haven't heard anything back.  I did leave a messge of the info. that I wanted / needed.  I'd like to see any articles that are written on the case even though we know that what the media relates and what is really going on / happening are two different things.  But at least we'd have some idea of what (if anything) is happening with the search.

Comment by Sharon E. Avila on March 7, 2011 at 9:05pm

Would someone be willing to do a little research this evening on updated news reports?  Julie, did you have any success with your phone call?  I would like to speak with his family if possible to see what we can assist them with.  Does anyone have any suggestions based on what we know thus far?  Thanks everyone for joining this group and for your help!!! 

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