News

A Return From A Trip Round the World Turns Tragic

by Nichi Hodgson

It's a sad story, that's for sure. The husband of Leanne Bearden, a 33-year-old Texan woman who completed a round-the-world trip then vanished after going out for a walk, has said that her friends and family will never stop looking for her. Josh Bearden made an emotional plea on Fox News, urging her not to be scared, and reiterating that he loved her and would continue to look for her until she was found.

Leanne Bearden disappeared on January 17 after she left a relative’s home in Garden Ridge, Texas, to go for a walk. She left without her cell phone, and there has been no activity on her credit cards since that date. She had recently returned to the U.S. after a completing a two-year trek around the world, starting in Seoul and ending in Peru with her husband Josh. She had written extensively about her trip in this blog.

Since her disappearance, Bearden's family and friends have been searching each day for her, even utilizing helicopters and a bloodhound. Along with the Texas Rangers and Texas Search and Rescue organization, a non-profit rescue operation, local and state police also joined the hunt, only to abandon it after their weekend search came to nothing. Greg Pyles, CEO of Texas Search and Rescue organization, said: "We deployed 145 people and we covered with our partners 23 square miles. We did not find any evidence of Leanne."

Josh Bearden then turned to Fox and Friends to appeal to viewers to come forward with information. He told viewers: “If you see Leanne, let somebody know. Call the police. If you live in the area…could you do me a favor and check out your property and see if there is anything unusual out there?”

Authorities are not considering Josh Bearden as a suspect in her disappearance.

“While we are very concerned for Ms Bearden’s welfare, there is no indication at this time that this is criminal in nature,” the Garden Ridge Police Department said in a statement.

Anyone with information about Leanne Bearden’s whereabouts is urged to call the Garden Ridge Police Department at 210-651-6441 or the Heidi Search Center at 210-650-0428.