Chicago woman Kandace Schipper, 29, who was missing for nearly two weeks while traveling abroad in Japan with 27-year-old man has been found safe, her family said
- Kandace Schipper, 29, fell out of contact with her family on June 4 as she traveled through Japan with a man they did not know well
- After being unable to reach either of them for a number of days a missing persons report was filed and the US Embassy in Japan was contacted
- On Wednesday, after ten days without contact, her family announced she had been located, alive – though they did not offer further detail
A woman who seemingly vanishes on a trip to Japan some 10 days ago has been located alive, according to her family.
Kandace Schipper, 29, of Chicago, jetted of to Japan on May 8 with a 27-year-old man, who no one in the family knew very well.
She had been sharing daily updates about her trip with her family, until the updates suddenly stopped on June 4.
Prior to the stoppage in communications, Schipper’s family and friends said they had no reason to believe anything was wrong.
After 10 grueling days, Schipper’s family announced Wednesday that she had been located.
Kandace Schipper, 29, fell out of contact her with family 10 days ago while traveling in Japan
Schipper was traveling with Luis Torres (right), 27, who the family did not know well
‘We’re relieved to share that we’ve obtained our beloved daughter, sister, and cousin Kandace Schipper’s location,’ began a statement from the family.
‘Thank you to everyone who helped us spread the word. We’re grateful for every email, call, and share and are now focused on bringing her home safely.
‘After going through this process, we’re overwhelmed by the kindness of so many strangers.
‘From Chicago to Tokyo, we were met with so much support and eagerness to help us find our loved one and have empathy for anyone seeking missing family members.
‘It’s a complicated process trying to find information and it wouldn’t have been possible for us without the generosity of so many.’
The family did not elaborate on where Schipper was found, if she was still with her traveling companion, or why there was a sudden drop off in communication.
A friend filed a missing persons report with the Chicago Police, who then contacted the US Embassy in Japan to try to locate Schipper.
But the Tokyo Metropolitan Police said they were unable to begin looking for Schipper until she missed her flight home.
Schipper’s sister, Nicole Willea added at the time: ‘I guess it’s [an] issue because technically, her flight home isn’t scheduled yet. So, until she misses her flight home, they won’t even start a report.’
Kandace Schipper, 29, was last in touch with her family on June 4, and had been traveling Tokyo in Japan since May 8 (pictured)
Her sister Nicole Willea (left) posted spread a missing person poster around the internet prior to her sister being found
Schipper’s family were put in touch with the US Embassy in Japan to attempt to find her
Her family had said she was traveling with a man named Luis Torres, who they were also unable to establish communication with after June 4.
The family tried contacting Torres’ family, who were also concerned, but that did not lead to a break in their case.
Prior to locating Schipper, the last definite piece of information the family had about her whereabouts was a June 5 credit card transaction at a burger restaurant in Shibuya City, Tokyo.
Schipper’s other sister, Chelsea Rambo, previously described her sibling as a ‘free spirit.’
‘She’s always been somebody who’s a free spirit and loves to travel. So when I heard she was going to Japan, I didn’t really think anything out of it,’ she said.
