The family of a 21-year-old who disappeared after buying a one-way ticket to Japan – and leaving without telling anyone – has appealed to social media, admitting they are still searching for answers after 16 years.
Skye Budnick of Connecticut alarmed loved ones when she disappeared in April 2008, having taken little or nothing with her when she left.
Despite nearly two decades missing, his mother Susan and sister Megan “have run into bureaucratic obstacles that leave them with more questions than answers,” as described in a GoFundMe page to help the family find answers.
“We refuse to give up hope and remain determined to uncover the truth behind her disappearance,” Megan wrote.
Since I turned to social media, with Tik Tok, Instagram and even a podcast, titled Surviving Skye – Skye’s family has managed to publicize her mysterious case even though it has not been widely covered in the media.
Skye Budnick of Connecticut (pictured on her missing person poster) alarmed her loved ones when she disappeared in April 2008, as she had taken little to nothing with her when she left.
Megan’s videos, sharing updates on the latest developments, are now racking up millions of views, as online sleuths demand answers and put forward their own theories. And thanks to money raised online, she and her mother were also able to travel to Japan this week and send additional DNA samples.
Last week, ahead of her trip, Megan took to the fundraising page, which was set up to help cover the trip, to update her followers and talk about what the ordeal has been like for her family.
“We still don’t know what awaits us,” he admitted. ‘We are as prepared as we can be for these types of situations but the truth is that we are scared, anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted and above all prepared for anything.
‘I never imagined it would get to this point when I started talking about Skye’s disappearance on TikTok. It was during the pandemic and it seemed like we were all collectively in the dark as the world changed before our eyes.
‘When I spoke about the struggle of having a missing family member and the toll it had on my life, I found people who took the time to understand and who cared. I lived too many years feeling so alone.
“But now we are here, together, for Skye, as we move towards another unknown, but it is an unknown that can give us answers.”
speaking to WAFB9 Earlier this year, her mother revealed that Skye “didn’t tell anyone, not even her best friends,” that she was leaving.
“He took very little with him, very little, and he left,” Susan added. “And she took his car and dropped him off at the airport.”
Since taking to social media, with TikTok, Instagram and even a podcast, titled Surviving Skye, Skye’s family has managed to raise the profile of her mysterious case. In the photo, her sister Megan.
Thanks to money raised online, she and her mother were also able to travel to Japan this week and submit additional DNA samples (pictured).
Susan, who called Skye “shy” and “very quiet,” also expressed that she believes her daughter, who was studying Japanese in college, met someone online.
The mother also told the outlet that she and Meghan went to Japan themselves, where they filed police reports and handed out signs, but admitted they faced many obstacles, including the language barrier.
About his podcastMegan opened up about the first ten days after Skye went missing, saying that even though the first 48 hours of a missing person’s case were considered “crucial,” no one had realized she was gone for days afterward. of his flight to Japan.
Admitting that her memories of that period are clouded by trauma, her mother is understood to have thought Skye, who was 21 at the time, would be staying at a friend’s house on March 31, 2008.
Meanwhile, on April 1, Megan, who was 24 at the time but living at home, was working at a blood drive, but started feeling dizzy and sick during a shift.
While dealing with Megan’s ordeal, which put her in the hospital and having medical problems, the family worried about her and “lost track of time.” On April 4, it became clear that no one had heard from Skye for days.
In 2008, Meghan and Susan (pictured) went to Japan themselves, where they filed police reports and handed out posters, but admitted they faced many obstacles, including the language barrier.
Megan explained that her sister, who was “alienated in middle and high school” thanks to her interest in Japanese culture, finally “found people she could relate to in college,” which was a relief to her loved ones. Skye.
However, Megan also felt that Skye was “still kind of an outsider” to her “new” college friends.
He said this is part of the reason they wanted to leave Skye alone – to create connections and find friends – and not bother her with phone calls.
But it quickly became apparent that, when Susan called her daughter’s friends, Skye had told different people different stories about who was supposedly staying because of this.
To complicate matters, Skye didn’t have her own cell phone.
That same day, in an attempt to look for clues, Skye’s brother searched her computer, where Skye sometimes checked her emails, and was able to access her inbox. There, the family was surprised to discover a flight itinerary for April 1, which at the time was three days ago, showing that he had made plans to go to Japan.
They headed to the airport, where they discovered Skye’s car, which only contained some of her belongings.
Megan has said the family has faced obstacles in the investigation since then and is no closer to finding answers about her sister.
However, since starting social media campaigns, she has been encouraged to see more interest in the case.
in a recent podcast episode – which aired on the day Skye turned 37 – Megan said, in a message dedicated to her sister: ‘Today in 2024, you are 37 years old and yesterday I received some news.
‘That’s the most practical thing we can do in a long, long, long time.
‘Southington police, with the help of Interpol, were in communication with the Japanese government and they informed us that to present new DNA we had to go to Japan.
‘My mom and I have to physically go to Japan and I received this news right before your birthday. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.
Susan, who called Skye (in an old photo) “shy” and “very quiet,” also expressed that she believes her daughter, who was studying Japanese in college, met someone online.
“So, for your 37th birthday sometime in 2024, when I can figure out all the logistics, I think we will be able to do one of the last most actionable things we can do in your disappearance.
‘And we can check the databases in Japan, check any Jane Does, check any other cold case files they have access to and maybe get some answers.
“It’s the strangest birthday gift ever. I don’t think anyone has ever wanted that. But this is good news. This is really good news.”
In a recent Tik TokMegan, who has more than 179,500 followers and 3.2 million likes on the app, shared in a video: “It feels good to have come this far, to send the DNA… to know that it happened…
‘It was nice to experience the humanity and empathy of others that I felt I wasn’t getting from the beginning because the stress and trauma were blinding me.
‘This has been the craziest trip of my life…’