ICC Note
A missionary to Mali, previously thought dead, may still be alive, but in captivity. Jerry Krause, a pilot and missionary to the West African country of Mali, disappeared July 7, 2013 during a refueling stop on a flight from South Africa. His last transmission came from the small island of Sao Tome. He was believed to have crashed when the South African authorities could not find him for two months. The family has recently stated, however, that South African authorities have changed their thoughts on his disappearance with new evidence. They even removed their report on his plane crash when they found this new evidence. The family is now calling on President Trump to find him and bring him back home.
2017-09-28 Mali (Newsweek) In April 2013, a U.S. missionary named Jerry Krause went missing after setting out on a flight from South Africa to the West African country of Mali.
After two months without contact from the missionary, South African authorities determined that Krause had crashed and died, a conclusion his family seemed bound to accept.
But four years after his disappearance, the Krause family say they have received new information that suggests Krause is alive somewhere in Africa. And they are appealing to President Trump and his administration to bring the U.S. citizen home.
Krause’s family claimed in a recent Facebook post that the Minnesota native had been seen alive and that U.S. officials are aware of his location.
Jessica Krause, the missionary’s youngest daughter, who is based in Indianapolis, told Minnesota television station WCCO that her family had been told by sources within the Pentagon and Department of Defense that they required presidential approval in order to initiate any rescue operation. The family are now running a public campaign to put pressure on the administration to find and bring Krause back.
“We’re ready. We’re tired. It’s just been a long time,” said Jessica Krause, according to WCCO.
Krause had worked in Mali with his wife Gina since 1996, first as a pilot for Mission Aviation Fellowship, a religious group that flies aid to people in need, and then as the director of a for-profit aviation company.
On April 7, 2013, Krause took off for a flight from South Africa back to Mali. His last communication with the control tower came from São Tomé, a tiny island off the West African coast where he had stopped to refuel.
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