ACTIVE SEARCH JAPAN - Patricia "Pattie" Wu-Murad, 60, US Citizen, on hiking trip Kumano Kodo Trail, didn't arr next stop Osaka, 10 Apr 2023

[Snoopster]

Excellent finds. Thank you for sharing them.

Where is the source that references this:
"Pattie was heading out on the 3rd leg (pink leg on the map) of the Kohechi trail on the day she went missing."

Thanks much!

I had posted it earlier in the thread. Daily Mail mentioned the name of the last guesthouse she stayed at (Mandokoro) and the one where she was due to arrive that evening (Taiyo-no-yu). I found Mandokoro in Miura-guchi (at the beginning of the 3rd leg) and Taiyo-no-yu in Tatsukawa, the town where the 3rd leg ends.

Retired Connecticut woman vanishes during hiking trip in Japan

I mentioned it in previous posts. Here is one post where I posted a link to the road on google maps. It's just a random spot I picked, about halfway between the end of the trail section and the town (Tatsukawa).

JAPAN - Patricia "Pattie" Wu-Murad, retired, USA Cit frm Storrs CT, on hiking trip Kumano Kodo Trail, didn't arr next stop Osaka, 10 Apr 2023

The name of the entire region is also called Tatsukawa and the Tatsukawa police are the lead on this case.

Here's a google maps link to Mandokoro guesthouse.
Minshuku Mandokoro

 

[neesaki]

This is the Kohechi trail as part of the network. From Koyasan to Kumano Hongu Taisha.

Along the trail, there is one peak, and there are three passes. The hike is done in 4 stages.

Kumano Kodo Maps｜Tanabe City Kumano Tourism Bureau

So was the point of entrance for Pattie’s hike to be at Koysan ? Does anyone know where the Mandokoro guesthouse is that she stayed in the night before she left for this walk? Specifically In relationship to this map. TIA
The legends box shows one for “accommodation”, but I don’t see any on the actual map.

 

[neesaki]

I was a bit disappointed all the sniffer dogs (on several days) didn't sniff anything at all.
It's not like the trail gets packed with the scent of others!

Her husband said they’re not positive she was ever on that trail. I’m beginning to think that could very well be the case.

 

[neesaki]

And just to be clear, Pattie was heading out on the 3rd leg (pink leg on the map) of the Kohechi trail on the day she went missing.

The first part of the trail is a climb up and then and even larger descent. The latter part of the leg is on a windy road that follows the river. Any accidental fall or medical problem would have likely happened on the trail section while any foul play would have likely happened on the road section. (e.g. did a vehicle accidentally hit her and then toss her over the side? Did she hurt herself along the trail and someone saw her hobbling along the road and offered her a ride?)

I still believe something happened to her on the trail portion, but you never know.

Here is the more detailed map/information page for the specific leg that Pattie went missing on (i.e. the Miura Pass leg). It is the 3rd of 4 legs of the Kohechi trail. You can see the trail portion (dotted line) and the road section (solid line). She would have been walking from left to right on this map.

View attachment 417658

Source: http://www2.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/pdf/Kumano-Kodo-Kohechi-Route-Maps-Miura-toge-Pass.pdf

So she had already hiked the first two legs of the trail? I didn’t realize that.

 

[ZaZara]

So was the point of entrance for Pattie’s hike to be at Koysan ? Does anyone know where the Mandokoro guesthouse is that she stayed in the night before she left for this walk? Specifically In relationship to this map. TIA
The legends box shows one for “accommodation”, but I don’t see any on the actual map.

The Minshuku Madokoro is located between the Miura-toge pass to the south and the Obako-toge pass to the north. If you look at the map with the overview of the Kohechi trail, that is between the second and third leg of the 4 day trek.

KUMANO TRAVEL | Community Reservation System

 

[Snoopster]

Regarding accommodations on the Kohechi trail, I found 2 small farmstays/guesthouses in Miuri-guchi, one of which is the one that Pattie stayed at. Here's a link to the Minshuku Mandokoro ("minshuku" means B&B):

KUMANO TRAVEL | Community Reservation System
It has 2 guestrooms with max capacity of 6 guests. It costs 8500 yen for the night, including homecooked supper and breakfast. 9100 yen includes box lunch as well. I read on a blog that this hamlet has a population of 15 people.



Totsukawa is a bigger town (population approximately 3,500) with more selection of guesthouses/hotels as well as restaurants. The kumano travel website lists 4 places to stay, one of which is Hotel Subaru, which I will mention in my next post. Pattie was booked to stay at Minshuku Taiyo-no-Yu, which is the cheapest accommodation of the 4 listed. (fyi...there are more than 4 places to stay in Totsukawa, but only 4 have detailed listings at the link) It has 11 rooms with max capacity of 28 guests. They specialize in deer and wild boar on their menu, provided by local hunters. Cost for room only is 5,000 yen, and 9800 yen including supper and breakfast. Credit cards are NOT accepted. It overlooks a dammed lake and is located between the trailhead and town.

KUMANO TRAVEL | Community Reservation System

 

[jakat]

I hope she is found safe and unharmed. Years ago my aunt babysat the Murad children. My aunt died many years ago so I think probably the Murad parents are deceased, too. I met them and their children a few times as my aunt babysat me, too. They are a very good family.

Prayers for Pattie that she is found safe.

 

[Snoopster]

Below is a map of Totsukawa town. If Pattie made it this far she would have been walking along the 'red' road coming in from the top left. At the first cluster of symbols is the Hotel Subaru, the largest hotel in the area and located right on the trail. This is very popular with the Kohechi trail hikers due to its location on the trail and its amenities. It has 27 rooms, a restaurant, lounge/bar, and gift shop. The centre of town is near the top right, in the boxed area.

Taiyo-no-Yo, where Pattie was booked, isn't marked on this map, but it is located about halfway between Hotel Subaru and the centre of town (right by #7 and #8 on the map).


Could Pattie have stopped off at Hotel Subaru for a refreshment or meal? Have police interviewed people at the hotel?

 

[Snoopster]

Just another thought....Pattie was staying at inexpensive guesthouses/B&Bs that typically only take cash. So she, and other hikers, would have to be carrying cash. Is there a possible robbery motive?

I wonder if the FBI found any useful location data in her husband's google account (that Pattie was apparently using).

 

[WingsOverTX]

So she had already hiked the first two legs of the trail? I didn’t realize that.

That is merely an educated guess by @Snoopster. I have not seen confirmation of that anywhere.Therefore, while it is very possible, without specific confirmation, there is room for doubt.
MOO

 

[Cedars]

I wonder if the FBI found any useful location data in her husband's google account (that Pattie was apparently using).

Sorry, I missed this, that the FBI were working on this. Is that what the family say?

 

[Cedars]

I was a bit disappointed all the sniffer dogs (on several days) didn't sniff anything at all.
It's not like the trail gets packed with the scent of others!

I would think there are/have been many others using the trail, not least all the police who spent 3 days searching it.

I know cases where sniffer dogs were brought in the very same day as a person went missing (say, their car was found abandoned by the side of the road), and the dogs don't find any scent/direction.

I think dogs are most useful when there is a trail of blood, or actual remains somewhere in the area. So they do help to eliminate those possibilities, IMO.

 

[Snoopster]

Sorry, I missed this, that the FBI were working on this. Is that what the family say?

Yes, on their G-F-M page in one of their updates.

 

[ZaZara]

So she had already hiked the first two legs of the trail? I didn’t realize that.

She had told her her husband that she would be going on a four day trek where she might not have network. Her husband last spoke to her on April 7. (There is a time lag of about 13 hours between Japan and Connecticut, in Japan it is later in the day, or perhaps already the next day, compared to US. Assuming here that April 7 is US tme.)

The Kohechi trail has four stages that can be done in 4 days.
The guesthouse where Pattie was last seen is located between the second stage and the third stage.
Pattie left the guesthouse on the morning of April 10.

Doing the math, she would have 2 days available to do stage one (April 8) and two (April 9) of the Kohechi trail and leave for the third leg on Monday morning.

Murphy Murad on the Help find Pattie & bring her home safe page, first update:

My family and I have gathered that she was following the Kohechi route of the Kumano Kodo trail, traveling north to south.

Pattie was last seen on April 10th checking out of the Mandokoro guesthouse at about 7am.

 

[neesaki]

She had told her her husband that she would be going on a four day trek where she might not have network. Her husband last spoke to her on April 7. (There is a time lag of about 13 hours between Japan and Connecticut, in Japan it is later in the day, or perhaps already the next day, compared to US. Assuming here that April 7 is US tme.)

The Kohechi trail has four stages that can be done in 4 days.
The guesthouse where Pattie was last seen is located between the second stage and the third stage.
Pattie left the guesthouse on the morning of April 10.

Doing the math, she would have 2 days available to do stage one (April 8) and two (April 9) of the Kohechi trail and leave for the third leg on Monday morning.

Murphy Murad on the Help find Pattie & bring her home safe page, first update:

My family and I have gathered that she was following the Kohechi route of the Kumano Kodo trail, traveling north to south.

Pattie was last seen on April 10th checking out of the Mandokoro guesthouse at about 7am.

I’m a little surprised she didn’t at least text him during that time. It sounds as though there was a signal at least part of the way. And text messages will sometimes go through if not immediately, at a later time.

Not only that…. IDK, something is nagging at me, something just seems off, IMO.

 

[Cedars]

I’m a little surprised she didn’t at least text him during that time. It sounds as though there was a signal at least part of the way. And text messages will sometimes go through if not immediately, at a later time.

They did text, the day before she went missing, according to NY Post.

“Kirk recalled last contacting his wife April 9, when she texted him a picture of her Easter meal.
“She said (she) was ahead of schedule, and she was going to go on a separate trek, so we might not be able to reach her,” he said.”

Husband of Connecticut mom missing in Japan says search intensifying, involves Japan, US law enforcement

Patricia “Pattie” Wu-Murad was last seen on the morning of April 10.

nypost.com

 

[KooshBall]

I'm worried she may never be found. As I mentioned in a previous comment, I admire her so much for taking on such adventures by herself. I so wish it had turned out different, with her returning home to her family and having wonderful pictures and stories to share.

 

[WingsOverTX]

I’m a little surprised she didn’t at least text him during that time. It sounds as though there was a signal at least part of the way. And text messages will sometimes go through if not immediately, at a later time.

Not only that…. IDK, something is nagging at me, something just seems off, IMO.

Yes. Something does seem very off. Mainly, how is it even conceivable she would change plans of any kind without being sure her obviously very devoted husband knows?

Perhaps she is actually hidden somewhere off the 11-mile trail between the two lodges. Looking at searchers rappelling down those hillsides gives me pause.

When traveling alone in a remote area, one needs to be more prepared than known info suggests about PM. That also greatly concerns me. How tragic if her legacy is a litany of what NOT to do, especially when tech exists to help if crime or misadventure occurs.

I sure hope they find out what happened to her. The not knowing must be devastating.

JMO

 

[Cedars]

Yes, on their G-F-M page in one of their updates.

Ok, I ended up reading a bit of their updates, and came across where they referenced giving permission for the CIA to check the google maps account...

I think it's wishful thinking to believe the CIA/FBI would get involved in such a case. It would great if they did, but I personally believe that will only happen when there is world peace, no more threats of terrorism, no spying by foreign governments, no buildup of nuclear arsenals, etc.
JMO

 

[jakat]

I also know Julie Murad-Caruso, Pattie's sister-in-law. Julie and I used to play together when my aunt babysat all of us. There were a few of us together.

This is a terrible thing to have happened. I pray her family finds her and she is found safe.