What happened to Kandace Schipper in Japan? | Timeline

A 29-year-old American woman named Kandace Schipper, who went missing in Japan earlier this month, has finally been found. The saga around her disappearance left her family and friends anxiously searching for answers. As the investigation unfolded in Tokyo, a timeline of events helped authorities understand the situation better. Read to find out what happened to Kandace Schipper in Japan and the timeline. 

Timeline of Kandace Schipper missing in Japan

May 8 to June 4: Arrival in Tokyo and communication breakdown

Kandace Schipper and her travel companion arrived in Tokyo, Japan, on May 8. Initially, she maintained regular communication with her family and friends. She shared updates from her trip and photos of her exploring the city. However, all contact with Kandace Schipper ended abruptly on June 4, leading to grave concern. 

Kandace Schipper is missing in Japan. Luis Torres in the photo with her, is missing also. pic.twitter.com/clmpYZyaqX

— Science Bob McGwier (@BobMcGwier_N4HY) June 14, 2023

June 5: Last known location and Missing Persons report

On June 5, Kandace Schipper’s last notification of a credit card transaction came from a restaurant in Shibuya, Japan. Her sudden silence alarmed her family, who filed a missing persons report in Chicago. They reached out to the U.S. embassy in Japan for help, and as a result, local authorities in Tokyo were also alerted about the situation.

Image courtesy of Kandace Schipper’s family

However, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police could not file a missing person complaint for Kandace Schipper. This is because an international tourist must miss a scheduled flight to be considered ‘missing’ according to the law. 

June 9-13: Search efforts for Kandace Schipper

From June 9 to June 13, search efforts continued in an attempt to locate Kandace. It turns out that Kandace’s friend Luis Torres was also unreachable. Kandace’s family and friends took to social media to share pictures of her and details about her disappearance. 

Her friends made use of her Pinterest activity to try and understand where she might have gone. While they described Kandace as a free spirit, they still found it surprising that there was complete radio silence from her end for weeks. 

June 14-15: Kandace Schipper found safe

On June 14, Kandace Schipper’s family released a statement confirming that she had been found. They did not reveal what had happened to her or the exact circumstances of her discovery. Luis Torres’ whereabouts still remain a mystery. 

https://twitter.com/shelby_paul/status/1669175570318389248?s=20

However, they expressed their relief and gratitude for the support they received during the search. Kandace’s flight home from Tokyo is scheduled for June 29. Plans are in motion to bring her back safely.

Missing persons in the United States and Japan

The disappearance and discovery of Kandace Schipper serve as a stark reminder for missing people, especially travelers from the United States to Japan. 

The United States has the highest number of missing people globally, with over 500,000 reported missing in 2021. Out of these cases, 93,718 remained missing as of the beginning of 2022.

In Japan, around 85,000 missing persons reports were filed in 2018, with 84,753 complaints recorded. In 47 percent of the cases, missing individuals were found on the same day. Within a week, 79.8 percent of them were located.

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