College is full of wonderful opportunities and experiences. Many students choose to study abroad and live like a local while attending university. A senior at St. John Fisher University decided to do just that in France.
American student Ken DeLand Jr. was studying at the Université Grenoble Alpes when he went missing. His family is speaking out about this scary ongoing situation and seeking answers. They remain hopeful that DeLand Jr. will be found and brought back home safely.
"He would reach out to me almost daily, sometimes every other day," Ken’s father, Kenneth DeLand Sr., told ABC News. DeLand Jr. last contacted his family via WhatsApp on November 27, 2022. He told them "he had left his host family's residence and boarded the train headed for Valence, France."
The GPS on his phone pinged on November 30, 2022. On December 3, 2022, he was spotted on a surveillance camera making an $8.40 purchase at a store in Montélimar. He was wearing a red jacket and a gray knit cap. This was the last time he was seen.
"It's not characteristic of Kenny to not reach out to us and let us know what's going on," DeLand Sr. said on Good Morning America. A website to help bring DeLand Jr. home says, “We fear the worst and want him to be located.” Authorities in France and America are working together to do just that.
To learn more about the ongoing situation and hear more from the young man’s family, watch this video.
