Up and Vanished / Status Untraced – Aubrey Sacco Case

Chapter 1: Somewhere In the Clouds
Released: September 12, 2025 • Host: Payne Lindsey & Liam Luxon (Status Untraced)

Overview

This episode marks the beginning of a new arc in the “Up and Vanished” universe, focusing on the 2010 disappearance of 23-year-old Aubrey Sacco in Nepal. Guided by guest host Liam Luxon, the team sets out not only to piece together the timeline of Aubrey’s vanishing but to explore the emotional toll, international complexities, and family heartbreak involved in long-cold missing person cases. Through interviews with Aubrey’s parents and a review of the original investigation, the episode weaves themes of wanderlust, vulnerability for solo travelers (especially women), and the relentless search for answers amid uncertainty.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Risk, Adventure, and Gendered Safety

• Lana’s Story (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (03:08-06:43): Episode opens with Lana recounting a near-abduction while traveling solo in Brazil, illustrating the risks faced by women travelers.
  • "[Someone] told me if something happens like that in Rio, what I should do is throw myself on the ground and kick with my strongest muscle, which is my legs." (D, 04:06)
• Theme Introduced: The dangers and vulnerabilities of women traveling alone, and the psychological aftermath.
• Transition to Aubrey Sacco: Not every story ends with survival; many, like Aubrey’s, end in mystery and silence.

Who Was Aubrey Sacco?

• Background (15:47-16:57):
  • Aubrey described by her father Paul as deeply independent, spirited, and transformative for those around her.
  • "It's almost like she wasn't ours. She was from another place." (Paul Sacco, 15:59)
  • Family recalls her early solo international travels and drive to make an impact, especially among the disadvantaged.
  • "We used to say that we could drop her out of an airplane in New York City and come back five years later and she would be the mayor." (E, 16:47)

Aubrey’s Journey Leading Up to Disappearance

• Sri Lanka Internship & Spiritual Quest (18:04-21:17):
  • Aubrey travels for a yoga-teaching internship, helps a rural Indian school, then sets her sights on Nepal’s Langtang National Park, inspired by both wanderlust and a sense of purpose.
  • Repeated use of the Lonely Planet guide, which gave the impression that the trek was “doable alone.”
• Decision to Trek Alone:
  • Cautioned by parents but reassured by travel guides and the park's perceived safety.
  • "It's a national park. It's patrolled by the military. You know, it's safe. And we didn't know a thing about Nepal... The Lonely Planet was just stupid." (E, 26:59)

The Disappearance – Timeline Reconstructed

• Last Contact and Communication (24:30-27:43):
  • Aubrey calls home before entering Langtang. Her last words with her father are “I love you.”
  • Sets out alone on April 20, 2010, for a 10-day trek.
• Early Signs of Trouble
  • Family grows concerned after missed check-ins; contacts teahouses, struggles with lack of guest records (28:07-28:56).
  • Ongoing Maoist demonstrations and national unrest delay response.

The Search Effort & Investigation

• Family’s Immediate Action
  • Contacts the U.S. Embassy, makes connections with Nepali contacts and NGOs, begins a ground search roughly 10 days after Aubrey’s expected return (31:54-33:07).
  • Letter from Aubrey arrives post-disappearance, intensifies hope and despair.
  • "I miss you and I think of you every time I look at the clouds." (Letter from Aubrey, recounted by A/E, 31:20)
• Tracing Aubrey’s Steps
  • Piecemeal confirmations from villagers, guides; last reliably seen at Lama Hotel, April 22.
  • Observations by locals:
    • "She was eating pizza and drinking a Coke." (E, 35:09)
    • Disagreement with young men at Lama Hotel over whether it was safe to proceed that evening, Aubrey reportedly insisting: "Don't lie to me. I know." (A/E, 36:08-36:12)
  • No signature found at later military checkpoint.

Uncertainty, Misinformation, and Cultural Gaps

• Varied, unreliable witness reports from villagers.
• Challenges navigating Nepali bureaucracy, language, and remote mountain culture.
• The Maoist demonstrations further complicate movements and communication in-country.

The Three Men & Shifting Stories

• Initial openness from suspects shifts to reticence as pressure increases.
  • "The mood had shifted...something was different." (C, 40:19)
  • Paul begins to believe: "Holy shit, they did something wrong and they're covering." (E, 40:19)
• Investigation includes interviews, polygraphs for key figures, and focus tightens on the trio last seen with Aubrey.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Solo Female Travel:
  • “For women, traveling solo can mean being seen not as bold, but as vulnerable—a target.” (C, 05:13)
• On Grief and Parental Reflection:
  • "It's almost like she wasn't ours. She was from another place." (Paul Sacco, 15:59)
  • "My very last words to her were I love you. And I'm sure she said the same thing to me. Not a lot of parents ever get to say that." (E, 24:30)
• On Searching for Aubrey:
  • "There was lead after lead after lead of really confusing information...much of the information was not reliable." (E, 33:14)
  • "She used those words. She was like, 'Don't lie to me. I know.' And not many people say that." (A/E, 36:12)
• On the Investigation:
  • "These three men have no real ties to Aubrey...But now with Paul here, a father, not just a stranger asking questions, something was different." (C, 40:19)

Segment Timeline

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:08–06:43| Lana’s near-kidnapping in Brazil & themes of risk, solo female travelers | | 08:31–11:19| Liam's backstory, connection to prior cases (Justin Alexander) | | 15:47–17:14| Interview with Aubrey’s parents, family memories | | 18:04–22:01| Aubrey’s travels and decision to trek in Nepal | | 24:30–27:43| Final contact from Aubrey, missing persons begins | | 28:07–31:34| Search process: teahouses, political unrest, arrival of hopeful letter | | 31:54–35:03| On-ground search: first witnesses, timeline reconstructed | | 36:08–37:32| Last reliable sighting, disagreement with three men at Lama Hotel | | 37:32–40:19| Paul’s solo investigation, suspect interviews, shifting stories | | 40:19–End | Family’s growing suspicion and unresolved hope |

Final Thoughts

This first chapter meticulously lays the emotional and factual groundwork for the Aubrey Sacco investigation. It explores the tension between wanderlust and risk, and the human cost of unanswered mysteries. Through poignant family interviews, a journalistic re-examination of the known facts, and cultural insights into Nepal, “Somewhere In the Clouds” vividly illustrates why Aubrey’s story matters and why, for the Sacco family, the search for answers can never end.

Key Contact:
If you have tips or information, email statusuntracedmail.com or call 507-407-2833.

For further episodes, search for “Status Untraced” from Tenderfoot TV.