Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
What ever happened to the missing 22-year-old American teacher in Germany?
Reading that Laura Dekker has been found safe and sound in St. Maartin made me think of Devon Hollahan, the American teacher living in Prague who disappeared after a Portugal and the Man concert in Frankfurt, Germany. When his friend's back was turned, Hollahan went missing.
I wrote about Hollahan in a post about the worst nightmares of parents whose children travel overseas. I've been busy these last few weeks, so I forgot about him until I read about Dekker.
Hollahan's story is not so splashy as Laura Dekker's. It might be because his family seems like most of us. They appear to be normal, regular people whose lives tend to flow through the days like anyone else's unless something bad happens on a slow news day. On a slow news day, normal people's stories can make the international news. Hollahan's bad news story was a fleeting blip on the media radar. A day or two after he was reported missing, he didn't show up again in a big news way.
Amanda Knox's story has had more press time than Hollahan's. She is the other person of note in my parent's worst nightmare post. But, when a person is found guilty of murdering her roommate which results in a 27 year jail sentence in Italy, it's no surprise that we'd hear more about Knox--at least until Tiger Woods's story eclipsed everyone's bad news.
What about Hollahan, though? That's who I want to know about--the guy who could be any one of us. After a search, I found this bit of news in The Huffington Post. Hollahan has not been found, but possibly the shoe found floating in The Main River in Frankfurt belongs to him.
It is thought that Hollahan was drunk and fell into the river. As a sad, devastating part of this tale, it's possible that he was seen alive at 4 a.m. lying on a sidewalk. Unfortunately, whoever was on the sidewalk, got up and ran away when someone said that an ambulance was coming.
Hollahan's body has not been found. His parents are still in their nightmare, and I wonder if Hollahan's body is found, will there be a news story about it? My thoughts go out to his family.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Volker Dec 22nd 2009 10:02AM
Jamie,
Unfortunately the worst seems to be confirmed. German daily newspaper BILD report on their online issue (http://www.bild.de/BILD/regional/frankfurt/aktuell/2009/12/22/banker-sohn-devon-hollahan/tot-im-rhein-gefunden.html ) that Devon has been found.
The police states that he washed ashore on the banks of the River Rhine in Koblenz a few days ago but they held back the information to confirm DNA first.
The river he supposed had fallen into (Main) leads into the Rhine. The distance on the river is about 80 miles.
My sympathies are with his family.
R.I.P. Devon.
Jamie Rhein Dec 22nd 2009 10:06AM
Volker, thanks so much for sending this along. How very, very sad.
His poor family. So sad.
Tomrekk Dec 22nd 2009 3:01PM
Devon Hollohan is dead. He was found in the river Main. Apparently he was heavily intoxicated and simply fell into the water. Sympathies to the family. That's probably the worst parents can experience.
But it must be allowed to ask: who pays for the police special task force, the search detachments, the helicopter infrared searches, the sniffer dogs, the lab tests etc. etc. that obviously some completely wasted American called into action. The German taxpayer?
lh May 18th 2010 12:18AM
I am Devon's mother. Don't believe everything you hear or read in the media. We hired a private investigator and there is a lot more to the story. A number of things point to fowl play. You are right about one thing.....this is a parent's worse nightmare. Fortunately, we are able to celebrate Devon and his memory everyday. I am blessed to be his mom for the rest of MY life.