Help Us Find Ryan Chicovsky

Five years

2011-03-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

Ryan disappeared from the village of Xiengkok, Laos sometime during the evening of March 13, 2006. It has been five years, yet we still continue to search for Ryan and for the answers as to why and how he disappeared. We wish that someone in the village would come forth with the information we have been seeking.

Again, and as always, we thank all who have helped us,

Ryan’s family and friends

Update, March 13, 2010

2010-03-17T10:59:00.001-07:00

As of today, March 13, 2010 Ryan has been missing from the village of Xiengkok in northern Laos for four years. We continue to actively search for Ryan and are deeply grateful to all those who support and assist us. We desperately want to find him. Thank you so very much to everyone, Ryan’s family.

FBI Site Correction Needed

2007-09-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

The FBI listing of Ryan's "missing" date is incorrect. It should be March, 2006, not March, 2007.

FBI Missing Person Website

2007-09-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

Ryan has been placed on the FBI Missing Person website. There are two ways to enter this site:
www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/chicovsky_rb.htm or
www.myspace.com/missingkidsusa

Ryan's family are still involved in ongoing investigations to find Ryan.

Important update

2007-06-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

As of today, June 13, Ryan's family has not seen him in two years.

This photo of Ryan was taken by his mother in Seattle as he left for Western Washington's summer session in Bejing and Kunming, China.

In addition, the US Embassy in Laos has updated Ryan's flyer to include information and "Large Reward" in four languages. It can be found here and on the embassy website, as listed on the left.

The FBI has included Ryan on their "Missing Person" data base and he soon will be on the "Missing Person website."

Since Ryan will now be seen by potentially many more people we have included additional photos of him.

Ryan resting at The Tiger Leaping Gorge in China, 2005.

Ryan by Lao rice paddies, March 2006.

Ryan hiking, March 2006.

Ryan fooling around, Xiengkok, March 2006.

Vendor in Xiengkok market, Black Thai Lu hilltribe, March 2006.

Ryan trying on clothes being sold by the vendor.
This is the last photo taken of Ryan; it is from March 13, 2006.

All these photos were taken with Ryan's camera, which we recovered. Please remember that Ryan may look very different now; he may have longer hair and a beard and he may be very thin.

We, Ryan's family, would be very grateful of any assistance in locating him. We love him very much and miss him terribly. Thank you.

Latest official family statement, Klipsun article

2007-05-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

On May 3, 2007, Ryan's 26th birthday, his family would like you to read this excellent article published in Western Washington University's Klipsun Magazine.

Missing in Laos
By Ciara O'Rourke

As David and Judy Frane Chicovsky packed to meet their son in Hong Kong, their first reunion since Western alumnus Ryan Chicovsky left for China 10 months earlier, they received a telephone call from the U.S. Embassy in Laos. Their son was missing. All of his belongings were still at his Xiengkok guesthouse in northwestern Laos, but he hadn't returned to it in two weeks.
Horrified, they left their home on Lopez Island and flew to the U.S. ambassador's home in Laos to retrace Ryan's last steps.

David and Judy learned through interviews conducted by a U.S. embassy team of investigators in Xiengkok that Ryan had planned to travel down the Mekong River with two other travelers on March 14, 2006.
On the evening of March 13, 2006, the guesthouse owner watched Ryan leave his room with his camera. When his travel companions knocked on Ryan's door the next morning, he still hadn't returned.
On April 7, 2006, members of the Akha tribe, an ethnic minority that lives in stilted bamboo houses surrounding Xiengkok, stumbled across Ryan's camera, room key and Western volleyball jersey 4 kilometers north of the village. Ryan was wearing the jersey the night he left the Khem Kong Guesthouse.
Despite weeks of heavy rain, the camera wasn't waterlogged, the room key hadn't rusted, and his shirt was clean.
The Akha regularly comb the Mekong riverbank and surrounding Xiengkok area for shells and treasures, but didn't find Ryan's belongings until April 7, 2006, leading the Chicovskys and authorities to believe someone recently had planted the missing possessions on the shore.

When the guesthouse owner first realized Ryan had left all of his belongings in his room, she waited until March 15 to report Ryan's disappearance to local police in case Ryan had abandoned his possessions to trek around the surrounding hills for a few days.
On March 17, the local police notified the provincial police, who traveled to Xiengkok to collect Ryan's belongings. They returned to the Luang Namtha province on March 24. On March 29, they notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The U.S. Embassy called the Chicovsky family on March 31 - three days before they were supposed to leave for Hong Kong.
"It was horrible and shocking," Judy says. "It was just so hard to believe."
Nearly 10 months have passed since the Chicovskys learned of their son's disappearance, and Ryan is still missing. They haven't seen him in a year and seven months - since before he left to study abroad in China with Western Chinese associate professor Janet Xing.
As a political science major, Ryan had not studied Chinese, but had enrolled in an introductory course as an elective during his senior year. After a year of classes, he secured a job teaching English in China, where the Modern and Classical Languages Department allowed him to travel abroad after only one year of study, Xing says.
Ryan was almost fluent in Chinese by the end of the eight-week program, she says.
"Ryan was so good," Xing says. "He was so smart. He did so well. He was one of our best students in the last few years."
At his sister Tasha's graduation dinner on June 10, 2005, Ryan broke the news to his family that he had found a job and would start working after his study abroad program finished.
"He told us at dinner," Judy says. "He said, 'I got a job teaching English and I'll be staying in China when classes are over.' We thought it was wonderful."
Ryan's friend and former roommate, Western alumnus Kris O'Hare, says it was one of "Cheeks' " - Ryan's friends' nickname for him - dreams to visit rural Asia.
"He wanted to see people at their barest and get back to the basics," O'Hare says.
When O'Hare learned Ryan hadn't returned to his room on March 13, he made the same assumption as the guesthouse owner - that Ryan had decided to travel around Laos by himself for a few days. When the U.S. Embassy issued a missing person report, O'Hare realized it might be more serious, he says. But Ryan's friends are still hopeful.
"He takes risks, but they're always calculated," O'Hare says. "He doesn't get in over his head."
The Chicovskys have traveled to Laos five times since March, the most recent trip in December 2006. But even when they're at home, they continue to search for their son and brother.
They've offered a $5,000 reward in Laos for information leading to Ryan's whereabouts. They've printed fliers to distribute overseas. Judy e-mails the U.S. Embassy frequently and spends several hours corresponding with anyone trying to help her find her son.
"There are people all over the world trying to help," she says. "We think he'd be amazed by what we have to tell him. All the people who are looking for him."
Kurt Jacobs and Richard Ttu, Ryan's friends from his home on Lopez Island, created a blog to communicate news concerning Ryan's disappearance to his friends and the community. The blog, "Help Us Find Ryan Chicovksy," also allows friends to contact the family.
Western senior Brian Hames, who traveled to China with Ryan and Xing, posted a message to the Chicovskys on May 3, 2006:
"To the Chicovsky Family,
I studied with Ryan in Kunming, China this last summer. Those of us who studied with him know him as "Sun" (Sun is his Chinese name, pronounced "swin"). I was devastated to hear of his disappearance and my thoughts and prayers are with you. I have told our Chinese professors about the situation and we are doing all that we can to help in any way. I truly admire Sun's passion for travel and knowledge. These past few days, I have been reflecting on all the great times we had together in China. Sun is a great person and I hope and pray for his safe return to his family and friends,
Sun, zhu ni sheng ri kuai le,
Gao Bo-hong."
"Zhu ni sheng ri kuai le" means "Happy birthday."
May 3, 2006, was Ryan's 25th birthday.
In Laos, Xiengkok residents are dismayed by the attention Ryan's disappearance is receiving, Judy says.
"It's the most significant disappearance that they say they can remember," she says.
The U.S. Embassy told the Chicovskys Laos' provincial police didn't know how to respond to Ryan's disappearance because it's such an unusual crime in the province.
Besides its inexperience, the police force also lacks supplies. Most officers traveled by foot because the force owns only one truck for the entire province. The Chicovskys paid for the force's food, gas and lodging when they traveled to Xiengkok to look for Ryan.
Even though his family and friends still haven't heard from Ryan, they refuse to give up their search.
"You'd never count him out until you knew for sure," O'Hare says. "He's just one of those guys."
Using the photographs they recovered from Ryan's camera's memory card, the entire family - David, Judy, Tasha and Ryan's brother Keenan - has been able to visit some of the villages Ryan captured before his disappearance. David and Judy have interviewed local residents in the photographs, many of whom are reluctant to talk.
"They have said they don't know anything, but it's hard to believe," Judy says. "Someone knows something."
Others, such as the girls Tasha and Judy met in the Hmong village, remember Ryan fondly.
"Some of the little girls said they remember Ryan because he went to their school and gave them pencils," Tasha says. "They were pretty excited."
As Judy sifts through a stack of photographs she stops at one of Ryan attending a market that takes place on the full moon, leading up to the Buddhist New Year. She visited the fair, buzzing with activity, on one of her trips to Laos.
The next picture Ryan took of himself, a wide smile on his face, his head wrapped in his Western volleyball shirt.
"When we traveled to Laos we realized why he went there," Judy says. "It's a beautiful country and the people are wonderful. The air is clear and there's practically no industry. Ryan wanted to experience Southeast Asia as it might have been 40-50 years ago."
From Lopez Island to Laos, Ryan's family and friends echo the same message. Help us find our missing son. Help us find our missing brother. Help us find our missing friend.
Help us find Ryan Chicovsky.

October 3 Update

2006-10-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dear friends:
The Chicovsky Family is grateful for your continued support. They are very actively searching for Ryan at this time. They will let you know about developments as soon as it is possible to do so.

Reposting the most current photo

2006-07-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

At the family's request, we are reposting this photo of Ryan.

Update from Steve Horn

2006-06-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

I neglected to include the email address for the Lao embassy, so that people can email their letters before sending them by US mail. For those who don't have the time to send both ways, either alone is still helpful.
Thanks, Steve.

Here is the Lao embassy in DC email:
laoemb@verizon.net
Be sure to include a short subject line heading

Can you help again? Really soon?

2006-06-10T00:05:00.000-07:00

We just received this letter from Steve Horn. Please read and do what you can.

I talked with Chico about composing a sample letter that people can use as a guide for urging the Lao Embassy in Washington DC to assist the family in their search for Ryan. It always helps to personalize and vary the actual letters a little. He has approved this draft, and suggested emailing them and following up with a hard copy by mail. This is a critical time for the Lao government to help David and Judy, now that they are returning to Laos. It is important that the letters do not criticize the government's handling of things, that the request is in a positive light. Here is the sample text…

Many thanks, Steve Horn

His Excellency Phanthong Phommahaxay
Lao Embassy to the USA
2222 S. Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008

Dear Ambassador Phommahaxay:

We write you now requesting your urgent assistance to David and Judy Chicovsky, who are returning to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in search of their son, Ryan.

Ryan has been missing since mid-March. In the two-and-a-half months since then, there have been no clear answers about his disappearance, despite many people’s efforts to help, and the family’s continual search for more information.

Please help in this humanitarian effort to reunite a family who are trying so hard to find their son in your country.

We are deeply grateful for all co-operation and support you can provide the Chicovskys, who are cherished and long-time members of our community.

Respectfully,

Update

2006-06-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

The Chicovsky family has returned to Laos. They continue to search for any sign of their son Ryan, who has been missing since last April. If you have any knowledge that might be helpful to their search, please contact us. We monitor email on an hourly basis during the day.

In the U.S., you can communicate with his sister Tasha at tashacorrina@hotmail.com,
with Kurt Jacobs at kjacobs@lopez.k12.wa.us,
or with Richard Têtu at rtetu@lopez.k12.wa.us, 360-468-3214, or 360.468.2219

Contacting NGOs

2006-05-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

Judy Frane, Ryan's mother, was hoping some of the readers could contact NGOs just as she has done already.

She sent letters to 22 NGOs in six northern provinces of Laos. It was fairly simple, although time-consuming because the Lao NGOs have a consortium and it is pretty organized. But in other surrounding countries, it is not. If people who know of NGOs in Burma, Southern China, and Northern Vietnam could possibly write to them, using something like the letter below, it would be of great help. Try to personalize each one, with the directors name, address, etc.

On March 13, 2006 our son Ryan Chicovsky disappeared from the town of Xiengkok in northwestern Laos. All of his belongings, including his passport and his money were left in the room of his guesthouse. His camera was discovered 23 days later with his shirt and his room key.

We have been searching very hard for Ryan and we understand that your organization has people in the areas we believe he might be. We would so greatly appreciate your asking these people to help look for Ryan. A "missing person" flyer with his photo and more information can be found on the website: vientiane.usembassy.gov; his hair may be a little longer now.

Thank you so much for considering our request.

Sincerely,

Judy and David Chicovsky

Where are the updates?

2006-05-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

In case you wondered why there haven't been updates for a while...

I have been asked by a state-side representative of the family to wait on posting any other news at this time. Good cooperation has been received from officials and I understand that it is the belief of the family that some efforts should be allowed to take their courses.

If I get official news that I am asked to post, I will do so as soon as I can. I follow the wishes of the Chicovsky family.

Addresses from Sue Dumond/Heather Arps

2006-05-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends and Family,
The following are links and phone numbers to write and call expressing concern about Ryan, along with a sample letter that you could use to write to the Laotian Government...

Please pass this on far and wide to friends, to the media, whatever...

Many of us wrote to our representatives initially when we heard of Ryan's disappearance. They called back, wrote and were very responsive. I think we need to write them again. Be polite and persistent!

I appreciate your time, concern and positive thoughts. Thanks,
Sue Dumond

Sample Letter to Laotian Government:
Dear ____
I want to express my concern about Ryan Chicovsky an American citizen who went missing and was last seen in Xieng Kok, Laos, while traveling on March 13. I understand the Chicovsky family has had the full cooperation of the US Embassy and Ambassador Patricia Haslach in their search for their son Ryan. With the help of the embassy and a private investigation team they have made several visits to Xieng Kok. Unfortunately, they still have no clue as to the whereabouts of their son Ryan. We respectfully request the full cooperation of the Laotian Government in this manner. Please do everything within your governments power to find him. We want to find Ryan and reunite him with his family. He was drawn to Laos because of the natural beauty of the area and people. Thank you.

1.)
National Assembly of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
His Excellency Mr. Samane VIGNAKET
President of the National Assembly
info_na@na.gov.la
(email from Nat'l Assembly site. Seems to be a general email but worth sending to. Address to: His Excellency Mr. Samane Vignaket)

2.)
President of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
Khamtay Siphandone
(no direct email to Mr. Siphandone but still address to: Mr. Khamtay Siphandone)
laoemb@verizon.net

3.)
Address in Washington DC to LAO Embassy:
LAO EMBASSY TO THE USA
2222 S Street NW
Washington DC 20008
PHONE: Tel. (202) 332-6416 Fax: (202) 332-4923
( I called and left a message on the machine. This is the Laos representation in our country and is definitely worth a call campaign)

4.)
Laos Embassy in Thailand
sabaidee@bkklaoembassy.com

5.)
Laos Human Rights in the U.S.
laohumrights@earthlink.net
Dr. Vang Pobzeb/Lao Human Rights Council, Inc.
P.O. Box 1606
Eau Claire, WI 54702
Phone (715)831-8355
Fax (715)831-856

6.)
Our Vice President
vice_president@whitehouse.gov
(Our president seems to have a broken link to his direct email. Hmmmm.....)

7.) Amnesty International
www.amnestyusa.org
Telephone
+1 212 807 8400
Fax number
+1 212 463 9193\1 212 627 1451
Address
5 Penn Plaza - 14th floor
New York
NY 10001
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
E-mail
admin-us@aiusa.org

8.)
U.S. embassy in Vietane, Laos
Our represenative is: Patricia M. Haslach
Judy's letter indicates that Ms. Haslach has been excellent help. You might write and thank her for her efforts.

Webmaster
U.S. Embassy, Vientane, Laos
Public Affairs Section

Tel: (856-21) 267089
Fax: (856-21) 267160
Email: khammanhpx@state.gov
Web Site: http://laos.usembassy.gov

9.)
conslao@state.gov (the consulate in Laos)

10.)
Our Washington State Representatives

Rick Larsen in Everett Toll-free: (800) 562-1385
Rick.Larsen@mail.house.gov

Patty Murray in Seattle Phone: (206) 553-5545
or email: http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm

Maria Cantwell Phone: 1-888-648-7328
or email: http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/

Posted May 3 on thorntree.lonelyplanet.com

2006-05-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

Missing person, Ryan Chicovsky

We are still looking for our son Ryan Chicovsky, missing from his guesthouse in Xieng Kok, Laos on March 13. We have been in Laos since the beginning of April. His disappearance was not reported by the police to the US Embassy until March 31. Someone has reported that they might have seen him close to the Vietam border town of Dien Bien Phu looking for food and money 2 weeks ago. This is not impossible. His photo, taken last year can be seen on the US Embassy, Laos website. If you have any information, please post a reply or email CONSLAO@state.gov. Thank you, his parents

Contacting The Lao Embassy in the U.S.

2006-05-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Some readers believe that contacting the Lao Embassy in the U.S. might bring about some movement in the case, especially if enough people do so. Won't you take the time to write a note? From the embassy's website, we were offered the following contact information:

The Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic 2222 S. Street, N. W. Washington, D.C. 20008
Tel: (202) 332-6416 Fax: (202) 332-4923
His Excellency Phanthong Phommahaxay Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the United States of America
For comment(s) and contact(s), please e-mail to laoemb@verizon.net

How to contact us

2006-04-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

If you have any information, no matter how insignificant or trivial it may appear to you, the Chicovsky family would appreciate to hear from you.

You may contact the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane, Laos at 856-21-267-000 or 856-20-551-1740, email: CONSLAO@state.gov
In the U.S., you can communicate with his sister Tasha at tashacorrina@hotmail.com,
with Kurt Jacobs at kjacobs@lopez.k12.wa.us,
or with Richard Têtu at rtetu@lopez.k12.wa.us, 360-468-3214, or 360.468.2219

U.S. Consulate posting in Vientiane, Laos

2006-04-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

This is the link to the U.S. Consulate's posting about Ryan.

http://vientiane.usembassy.gov/uploads/images/zfXe3sb7k6Z6gbyYZC7NvA/missingupdate.pdf

Current photos

2006-04-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

First post and basic information

2006-04-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Here are the basic details about our missing son, brother, and friend.

MISSING PERSON NAME: CHICOVSKY, Ryan Braden DPOB: 3-May-1981, Mt. Vernon, WA Male, Blue Eyes, Brown Hair, Height 180cm Last known location: Khem Khong Guesthouse, Ban Xiengkok (Village), Meuang Long (District), Luangnamtha Province, Laos IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: U.S. Embassy, Vientiane, Laos, Tel. 856-21-267-000 or 856-20-551-1740; e-mail: CONSLAO@state.gov