My son Austin Tice vanished before haunting terrorist video emerged… why I have no doubt he’s still alive after 14 years

AUSTIN Tice’s mother fears the “best chance” for her son to return home has been missed – but has never lost hope they will one day be reunited. American journalist Austin was kidnapped in Syria more than a decade ago while documenting the horrors of Bashar Al-Assad’s brutal crackdown. Austin Tice and his mother Debra Credit: SUPPLIED A video posted on YouTube on October 1, 2012 purportedly shows Austin Tice Credit: AFP It sparked ongoing torture for his family back in Houston, Texas, who have no idea where he is now. Different accounts have placed the US Marine Corps veteran alive in a cell, while others claimed he was killed many years ago. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! But for his mum Debra, her insistance that he is alive has remained unwavering – as has her tireless campaign to bring him home. Speaking to The Sun 14 years on from his disappearance, brave Debra told The Sun: “We have no reason to believe that he’s not alive now. “I’m very close with God, and I know other mothers whose loved ones have not come home, and they knew almost immediately. I have never, ever had that moment. “I have always believed that we will see him.” Austin was freelancing for The Washington Post and McClatchy when he entered Syria in May 2012 and travelled through rebel-held areas. He was just days away from leaving the war-torn country he vanished on August 13 while passing through a checkpoint near Darayya, southwestern suburb of capital Damascus. Most read in The Sun Austin Tice vanished on August 13, 2012 Debra has fought tirelessly to bring her son home Credit: SUPPLIED After seven weeks of silence, a sickening video emerged showing a visibly distressed Austin blindfolded and bound at the hands while being led by his armed captors. They could be heard shouting Allahu Akbar” before Austin was forced to recite an Islamic prayer in Arabic. It was the last time Austin was seen. Despite the video and other evidence suggesting he is alive, the Syrian government has consistently denied holding him, complicating efforts to secure his release. Debra believes the best chance the US government had at bringing her beloved son home was in the initial months after he was abducted. She said: “The thing that has made it more difficult is learning so much more about [how] bringing Austin home was easier earlier – and it was just ignored. “And to absolutely know that as the truth, that does make it worse. “He could have been home before Christmas in 2012.” Successive administrations in America have not been able to negotiate Austin’s release – but Debra stands firm in saying the government knew whereabouts, up until Assad’s fall from power. Assad’s tyrannical regime was dramatically toppled from power late in 2024, and thousands of its prisoners emerged into the light after years of being locked up. But Austin wasn’t among them. It served yet another blow to Austin’s family – and sparked even more questions about where he could be. Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell late in 2024 Credit: AFP Austin was reporting on the civil war for The Washington Post and McClatchy’s news agency Credit: AFP/Getty Images “The US government has known where Austin was every single day and the entire time of his detention,” Debra said. “But then, as of December 2024, we have no idea. “We have no idea where he is. Is he in Iran? Is he in Lebanon? Is he in Syria? Where is he in Syria? “It’s another pain to our family, another hit to us. “You’ve had 12 years to bring him home – and now it’s really hard. “[Not enough has been done] because he is not home. “I have seven children, that’s the number of completion. And we’re missing one. “He put his life on the line for our country. That should mean something.” Austin, the oldest of seven siblings, would have turned 45 on August 11. His youngest sister Abigail told how they keep the fledgling journalist present in their lives. Speaking fondly of her big brother, she said: “His birthday just passed, we went out to dinner and we talk about him all the time. “My kids know uncle Austin, he’s part of our daily lfie, daily conversation. The 14-year mystery of US veteran Austin Tice's kidnap in Syria by Joe Mannion, Foreign News Reporter AT the height of the Syrian civil war, US Marine Corps veteran and award-winning journalist Austin Tice was abducted just miles from the safety of the Lebanese border. Austin, then a law student, had spent the summer in the war-torn nation documenting the horrors of Bashar Al-Assad’s brutal crackdown. Now, 14 years later, the fate of the longest captive American journalist in history continues to puzzle investigators. He vanished three days after his birthday, on August 13, 2012. Austin had entered Syria in May and travelled through rebel-held areas, freelancing for The Washington Post and McClatchy. Chilling documents recovered after the fall of Assad’s regime reveal that he was being tracked all the way. By August, he was getting ready to leave the Syrian capital, Damascus, and travel to Lebanon. While passing through a checkpoint near Darayya, a southwestern suburb of the city, he vanished. A massive international effort to secure his release has followed in the years since, but has led to far more questions than answers. For years, the identities of Austin’s captors remained one of the central unanswered questions. The mysterious video released by his captors seems to suggest that they were Islamic militants, given the religious garb, mountainous geography, and repeated refrains of “Allahu Akbar”. But US intelligence came to believe that the video had been staged to throw them off the scent. Analysts noted that the captors wore clothing reminiscent of militants in Afghanistan rather than those operating in Syria at the time. READ MORE HERE “We don’t try to not talk about it, because he’s my kids’ uncle, my brother. “Mum has said that when Austin comes back, she’s going to give him a big hug, and then a big smack. “It’s hard to let yourself think about it happening. But it’s also hard to let yourself think about it not happening – because either way is kind of an emotional hole.” Debra and Abigail told The Sun they have made three requests they hope the government will take action on sooner rather than later. “We’re asking the director of national intelligence Jay Clayton to meet for you [Debra] to meet in person to share with him how important his role is to get Austin home,” Abigail said. “We want them to connect our family with Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing, which is like Israel’s equivalent for our special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. “We believe that Israel could really help, or they have a lot of information. “And then, in all the current conversations about Iran, we want Austin to be part of those conversations. We want them to bring him up. “I think unfortunately, a lot of it is left up to us, of trying to find new routes, trying to find new questions, trying to seek out people who might know something. “But I mean, my mom’s basically dedicated her whole life since he’s been missing to that, and I don’t see that stopping.” A State Department spokesperson told The Sun the US is “committed to clarifying the fate and whereabouts of Austin Tice”. They added: “This investigation is ongoing and we do not have further details to make public at this time. “We remain committed to seeking resolution for the families who have long deserved answers about their loved ones.” Comment now