Paul Overby
American author (born 1942, disappeared 2014)
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Paul Edwin Overby Jr. (born November 27, 1942)[1] is an American author who disappeared on his way to Waziristan, in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, to interview Sirajuddin Haqqani.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][excessive citations] Overby's wife, Jane Larson, revealed it happened on May 17, 2014. Journalists agreed not to publish his identity until January 2017, when she agreed to make his identity public.[9]
Waziristan, Pakistan
Paul Overby | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 27, 1942 Illinois, United States |
| Disappeared | May 17, 2014 (aged 71) Waziristan, Pakistan |
| Status | Missing for 12 years and 1 day |
| Occupation | Author |
| Known for | Disappeared mysteriously in Waziristan |
Biography
Overby lived in Portland, Oregon in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time he contributed to The Oregonian on topics including Zanzibar and Afghanistan.[10][11] He also briefly lived in Zanzibar in that time.[10]
According to Overby, he first traveled to Afghanistan in 1988 to document the mujahideen fighting in the Soviet–Afghan War. He further claimed to have fought alongside them.[9] In 1993, Overby published a book on the Soviet–Afghan War, Holy Blood: An Inside View of the Afghan War.[12]
In 2002, he and his wife moved from New York City to a colonial-era house in Goshen, Massachusetts.[13] Writing for CNN in 2017, Peter Bergen described Overby as being from Western Massachusetts.[9]
Disappearance
Larson had believed Overby had been kidnapped by the Taliban.[5] However, on February 28, 2017, the Taliban released a statement denying that they had kidnapped Overby.[14]
Reporters Without Borders called for his release, on January 27, 2017.[15] On March 19, 2019, journalist David Rohde, a former hostage who had escaped captivity several years before Overby's disappearance, described Overby as still being in captivity.[16]
Later events
On May 8, 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his rescue.[7] In addition, the US government's counterterrorism Rewards for Justice Program offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his location.[17] In May 2026, the United States government issued a statement renewing its call for Overby's return.[18]