Mystery of US journalist who vanished in Syria 13 years ago is finally ‘solved’ in most tragic way
The mysterious disappearance of an American journalist who went missing in war-torn Syria 13 years ago appears to have finally been ‘solved’.
Former Marine Austin Tice, then aged 31, was kidnapped while reporting in the Middle Eastern country on August 13, 2012.
His family never lost hope and have been striving to secure his safe return, even as previous administrations failed to retrieve him.
Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad consistently dodged questions about Tice’s whereabouts, but as his brutal regime fell, clues about the journalist’s fate were revealed.
Bassam Al-Hassan – a general close to Assad – told CNN that Tice was killed in 2013.
CNN’s investigative team tracked down Al-Hassan in September and confronted him during a 20 minute conversation.
‘Of course, Austin is dead. Austin is dead,’ he said on video, captured by hidden cameras worn by the investigative team.
However, Hassan failed a lie detector test and it remains unclear if he is telling the truth.
Austin Tice (pictured) in Cairo in March 2012, the US journalist has been missing for 13 years
The last footage of Tice was in 2012, a shaky video showed him blindfolded and reciting a prayer in Arabic
Debra and Marc Tice with a photo of their son, Austin
The former general said the kill order came from Assad.
CNN also reported that several sources connected directly with his capture said there were ‘holes’ in his story.
The outlet’s sources testimonies implicate that Tice was killed but there is no definitive proof.
Tice was 31 when he was abducted in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Assad, who was ousted by rebels after 24 years in power.
He was a former marine and aspiring journalist, who was passionate and ‘restless’ about helping people.
He traveled to the war zone county because he wanted to bring awareness to the on-going conflict in Syria.
‘There was no talking him out of this,’ Tice’s family friend told CNN.
‘He wanted to tell their story. Because he felt like nobody else was there.’
Tice was relentless and freelanced for several well-known publications, including McClatchy, The Washington Post and CBS News.
His past editors told CNN that he was a ‘natural’ and ‘didn’t struggle to write a news story at all.’
The US journalist was convinced the corrupt Syrian regime was going to fall, and needed to see it for himself.
Tice posted his last tweet on August 12, and days later, he was captured.
Tice was 31 when he was abducted in August 2012 while reporting in Damascus on the uprising against Assad
Debra Tice, the mother of missing journalist Austin Tice, has been relentless in her search and advocacy for her son
Syrian rebel fighters shoot during target practice in Daraya on August 4, 2012
The last footage of Tice was in 2012, a shaky video showed him blindfolded and reciting a prayer in Arabic, surrounded by jihadi militants that the US later concluded was staged by Assad loyal forces.
Assad’s regime collapsed 12 years later, in December 2024, but many questions about his whether Tice is alive or not remain unanswered.
Tice’s mother, Debra, has been relentless in her search and advocacy for her missing son.
She wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin – along with several other global leaders- who gave the former Syrian ruler sanctuary after he fled.
Putin released a public response at his end-of-the-year conference, saying he would talk to Assad about her son’s location.
Little information has surfaced, but this remarkable development could point to answers for Tice’s family.
‘Austin Tice is alive. We look forward to seeing him walk free,’ the Tice said to CNN in a statement.
