Updates on the investigation into Maj. Jill Metzger’s disappearance in Bishkek have been few and far between. Newsday has a new story discussing the frustration of the Kyrgyz police investigating the case.
Kyrgyz officials said they are working closely with U.S. investigators, but voiced frustration that they are unable to pursue key points to help solve a crime committed on their territory. They said they would like to question Metzger again because their time with her was cut short, and her testimony was confusing and contradictory. Col. Oktyabr Urmanbetov, who is helping to lead the investigation, said American officials also have yet to respond to eight questions they were asked to pass on to Metzger last month.
According to Metzger’s own story which has already been widely reported, she was approached by a woman on the first floor of TsUM who gave her a note asking for help. She claims she left with the woman, and that the woman placed an object in her backpack which, according to another note, was a bomb. Metzger described her captors as European and said there was no apparent motive.
The police are investigating the case as a kidnapping because Metzger insists that she was abducted. They point out though that the security tapes from TsUM show that Metzger left the building alone, only talking briefly to a bald man who appeared to be waiting for her at the bottom of the escalator. They also say that vendors outside of the building have told them that Metzger bought hair dye from them.
The way the investigation is going, it looks doubtful that a definitive conclusion as to what happened will ever come out.
This post was written by...
Nathan Hamm – author of 2974 posts on Registan.net.
Nathan is the Founding Editor and Publisher of Registan.net, which he launched in 2003. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan 2000-2001 and received his MA in Central Asian Studies from the University of Washington in 2007. Since 2007, he has worked full-time as an analyst, consulting with private and government clients on Central Asian affairs, specializing in how socio-cultural and political factors shape risks and opportunities and how organizations can adjust their strategic and operational plans to account for these variables. Nathan is currently seeking research, analysis, and consulting opportunities. He can be contacted via Twitter or email.
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