HOME / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

The search for Raymond Ashcroft: Birdwatching US tourist, 66, mysteriously disappears while exploring Mayan ruins

Raymond Vincent Ashcroft's wife suspects that he might have been abducted forcibly or duped into thinking someone would take him back to the hotel

TIKAL, GUATEMALA: An American tourist, Raymond Vincent Ashcroft, who was exploring ancient Mayan ruins tucked away in Guatemala's rainforest, mysteriously vanished without a trace on Friday, February 3. The incident occurred as Ashcroft, 66, and his wife, Van Phung, were exploring the renowned Tikal National Park with a ten-person bird-watching group.

Phung shared that the bird-watching group was led by two Eagle Eyes tour guides and she stated, "We started the morning of February 3 by walking the main path and a side path of the park in search of birds," according to PrensalLibre. She stated that around noon, the group was returning to the hotel for lunch when they noticed a crocodile at the side of the pond in front of the entrance to the hotel. They reportedly stopped to snap pictures and even discovered a tiger heron. She claimed that Ashcroft was walking towards the hotel, so she figured he had gone to the restroom or was just waiting for lunch. But when she got to the hotel lobby, she was shocked to find that he was missing.

READ MORE

Jose Gutierrez: Ohio man, 36, disappears while visiting fiancee in Mexico, family fears kidnapping

Where are Corey Allen and Yeon-Su-Kim? Arizona couple vanishes while kayaking in Mexico on Thanksgiving

'When I got to the lobby I didn't see him waiting for me'

Phung stated, "When I got to the lobby I didn't see him waiting for me, so I went to check the restrooms in the back of the restaurant. Not finding my husband, I went to our room No.31 to check if he was there, but he wasn't," according to PrensalLibre. 

Phung and Ashcroft, who have been married for 40 years, first met while working as pharmacists in the operating and intensive care units at a prominent cancer hospital in Houston, Texas. She informed the two guides in her group of her husband's disappearance at 12.30 pm on Friday, February 3.

The guards, two of the bird watchers, and a hotel guard then started a search. Phung claimed they got in touch with the US Embassy in Guatemala at 5 pm, who then contacted the Public Ministry. She and the other group members were questioned by the authorities as soon as they arrived on the scene.

Are there any health concerns with Raymond Vincent Ashcroft?

Phung revealed that Ashcroft, in addition to having memory issues, also has a condition that prevents him from remaining still for an extended period of time, except when Phung gets him to play a card game that she has downloaded on her phone.

Phung adds that although Ashcraft is restless and finds ways to move around, a problem with his left knee prevents him from walking far. She said, "His left knee prevents him from going far without sitting down every 500 or so steps. Since he walks slowly, it's strange that no one has seen him in less than 30 minutes since we last saw him around the pond in front of the hotel entrance," according to the outlet.

What is the current state of the investigation?

Interpol responded with a "yellow notice" to assist find missing vulnerable Ashcroft when Guatemalan officials contacted it. Yellow alerts are used to identify people who are unable to identify themselves or to assist in the search for missing people, frequently teens.

The search for Ashcroft is still active and Phung says that she considers it odd that her husband left the hotel where he was staying so quickly. She is starting to suspect that he might have been abducted forcibly or duped into thinking someone would take him back to the hotel.