Woman, 60, confirmed dead 2 years after she went missing during hike in Japan

More than two years after she was reported missing, Taiwanese-American woman Patricia Wu-Murad has been found dead.

Wu-Murad, 60, was last seen on Apr. 10, 2023, checking out of a guesthouse in Nara, Japan.

She was en route to hike the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route in the country’s southern Kansai region.

The hike was expected to take around seven to eight hours, but she never arrived at the inn she had booked in Osaka.

Her husband, Kirk Murad, a former coach of Singapore’s women’s basketball team, confirmed in a May 17 Facebook post that her remains had been found.

Remains discovered

The initial search effort for Wu-Murad involved 24 American search and rescue (SAR) professionals, local Japanese SAR teams, law enforcement agencies, officials from the U.S. Embassy in both Japan and Washington, D.C., the FBI, and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, according to the post.

In September 2024, more than a year after her disappearance, a fisherman discovered Wu-Murad’s backpack and one hiking shoe near a stream — closer to a different trail than where her family had initially believed she was hiking.

Japanese police searched the area for several days but found no additional evidence.

Then, on Apr. 27, 2025, a member of the original U.S. search team who had returned to Japan revisited the area near where the backpack was found.

During his hike, he discovered several of Wu-Murad’s personal belongings and what appeared to be a human femur.

The remains were handed over to local Japanese authorities, who confirmed they were human.

DNA testing was conducted, and on May 9, the family was informed that the remains matched Wu-Murad.

A measure of closure but heartbreaking

While the discovery brought a "measure of closure," Kirk Murad described the news as "heartbreaking," adding that many questions remain unanswered — particularly regarding the exact circumstances and cause of her death.

"We now begin the process of working through international protocols to bring her remains home," he wrote.

He also expressed deep gratitude to those who had supported the family throughout the ordeal.

“Pattie was an incredible woman whose love and friendship touched many lives. While we are devastated, we are also humbled by the global community that rallied to help find her. We will continue to honor her memory with love and gratitude in our hearts.”

Top photos from Help Find Pattie/Facebook