Laura, 43, a former high school science teacher with a master’s degree in biology, left her hometown in New Mexico for Hawai‘i, where she has lived off and on for nearly 20 years. Drawn to the natural beauty, biodiversity and aloha spirit of the islands, the avid surfer, hiker and outdoorswoman most recently worked as a self-employed tutor and was “living life to the fullest,” said Hā‘iku resident Me-Shell Mijangos, a close friend of Laura’s.
According to friends, on the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 21, Laura set out to “spend the night under the stars” at one of her favorite spots—a remote area near Pauwela Point, which overlooks the west edge of Kuiaha Bay.
That evening, she sent a cell phone text message to a friend around 8:17 p.m., exclaiming, “I saw another owl! Just down the way from the birthing pools. Meeting all of the locals.” That was the last time anyone heard from Laura Vogel.
The next morning, after failing to arrive for a scheduled tutoring session, her worried friends reported her missing. Upon searching the area, Laura’s van, a 1991 blue Ford Aerostar, was discovered abandoned, near a homeless encampment with her keys and wallet—a wallet that had gone unnoticed until the vehicle had been processed and returned to the family—sitting inside.
In the days that followed, police, friends, family and concerned community members searched day and night for clues to her whereabouts. Soon, teams of hunting dogs, professional divers and a fleet of drone airplanes provided by Texas Equusearch, a search and recovery organization, were dispatched to assist the police investigation.
There were some who initially suspected that Laura may have slipped and fell, but friends and family assure that Laura, who Tim said “is very strong and fit… she can out-run, out-jump and out-surf just about anyone,” would not have fallen.
The case took a sharp turn when investigators, while looking through Laura’s cell phone records, discovered two calls that had been placed minutes after she sent her last text message—to a phone number that was not listed in her phone book. While police were able to locate and question the registered owner of the number, they could not disclose if the individual was connected in any way to Laura’s disappearance.
In February, police called off the search for Laura, saying there was no evidence of foul play. “Right now, there’s nothing that we have come across that would indicate something suspicious,” said MPD Criminal Investigation Division Lt. Jakubczak, in a statement. “By no means is the case closed. But the active search in that area has been suspended until any new developments come up.”
But three months later, there are no significant developments in the case. And no one could be more disappointed—or deeply frustrated—than Laura’s family. “Someone knows something,” said Tim. “We just want answers. We are begging anyone who knows something to please, please, please come forward.”
On a segment of CNN’s Issues With Jane Velez Mitchell, which aired on Tuesday, May 18, Tim, who lives in Florida, expressed his frustrations on live television: “Despite repeated attempts to get in touch with the police, we have not had any communication with them in the last four weeks.”
As they desperately wait for answers thousands of miles away, this makes the Vogel family feel even more helpless. “That’s what is so frustrating… is that there’s some critical pieces to this investigation, and we just don’t know what is happening with those critical pieces, if they are being pursued at all,” said Tim.
Tim said he decided to tell his story to CNN to rekindle interest in the case, and did not intend to depict Maui as a dangerous place. “This could happen anywhere, and it does not reflect Maui or its people,” he said. “We have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity of such a wonderful, loving group of people.”
The family has two objectives: to bring Laura home and “to make sure this never happens to anyone again.”
Sleep does not come easily for Tim Vogel. When it does, he often wakes, his heart pounding, hoping that his sister’s disappearance was just a terrible nightmare. “It has been extremely difficult for our family,” he said, “especially for my mom and dad.”
The family is offering a $10,000 reward for any information that will help find Laura.
Laura is described as approximately 5-foot, 8-inches tall and 140 pounds, with blond hair and blue eyes. On the day of her disappearance, she was said to have been wearing dark gray sweatpants and a blue T-shirt.
Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact the Maui Police Department at 244-6400 (and refer to case number 10-14126); the MPD Criminal Investigation Division at 244-6425; Maui Crime Stoppers at 242-6966; the private tip line at 1 (888) 524-0218; or email findlauravogel@gmail.com. To learn more about Laura Vogel or to make a donation to support search efforts, visit www.findlauravogel.blogspot.com.
