Missing Fuller Student Has Been Found

Fuller has announced that missing student, Laureen Awino Noelle Otwala, has been found.

She is currently in care with authorities in Central California. Her family in Kenya has been notified and is making plans for next steps.

Local authorities in Central California recognized that she was a reported missing person and contacted the Pasadena Police Department, who in turn informed Fuller Campus Safety. Campus Safety, in collaboration with the Dean of Student’s office, assisted in confirming Laureen’s identity.

The City of Hanford Police Department was alerted to Otwala being a possible missing person and she was transported to a local care facility in Hanford. During a routine status check on Otwala’s case, the Pasadena Police Department was notified and they in turn informed Fuller Campus Safety there was a woman who matched her description under care in Hanford. Campus Safety assisted in the confirmation of Otwala due to name discrepancies.

“We rejoice that Laureen is safe,” said Steve Yamaguchi, Dean of Students at Fuller. “We are so grateful for every student and staff, every friend and family member who has persisted together in the search and hope to find her. Thanks be to God.”

The past fifteen months have been very difficult for so many especially during those times when there were no concrete sightings of Laureen. Her family and Fuller classmates reported her missing at the beginning of August in 2015 when they had not heard from or seen her in classes since the middle of July. Fuller filed a missing persons report with the Pasadena Police Department on August 10, 2015 and official alerts were circulated around Pasadena. Fuller students, staff, and faculty conducted searches around Los Angeles and Pasadena in an attempt to locate her. Missing persons signs were posted in surrounding cities to raise awareness of her disappearance and the media was alerted. Multiple attempts were made to either call or leave e-mails for Laureen with information on file, but all attempts remained unanswered. The news of her being found in Hanford this week is a great relief and an answer to many prayers.

“We are thankful and grateful to God that Laureen has been safely found by Hanford authorities,” said Gary Mejia, Director of Campus Safety at Fuller.

Fuller Seminary, the largest multi-denominational seminary in the world, provides professional, graduate-level education through its schools of theology, psychology, and intercultural studies. With its main campus near Old Town Pasadena, and several regional campuses and online programs, Fuller serves 4,000 students from 90 countries and 110 denominations, offering five programs fully in the Korean language and four in

Spanish. The seminary’s 43,000 living alumni, the largest alumni base of any seminary, serve throughout the world as ministers, nonprofit organization and corporate leaders, therapists, counselors, teachers, and in many other vocations of service and leadership. For more information: www.fuller.edu