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Paul Edwin Overby Jr. (born November 27, 1942) is an American author who disappeared on his way to Waziristan, in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, to interview Sirajuddin Haqqani. 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.

Disappearance

Larson had believed Overby had been kidnapped by the Taliban. However, on February 28, 2017, the Taliban released a statement denying that they had kidnapped Overby.

Reporters Without Borders called for his release, on January 27, 2017. On March 19, 2019, journalist David Rodhe, a former hostage himself, noted in The New Yorker, that Overby was one of the Americans still in captivity.

Later events

On May 8, 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his rescue. In addition, the US government's counterterrorism Rewards for Justice Program offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his location.

Publications

In 1993, Overby published a book on the Soviet–Afghan War, Holy Blood: An Inside View of the Afghan War.

See also

• List of kidnappings
• List of people who disappeared

References

1. "Paul Edwin Overby, Jr". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
2. Yusufzai, Rahimullah (2017-01-03). "American author Overby untraceable two years after he went missing". The News International. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
3. "'Secret' U.S. Hostage Held by Taliban Identified as Paul Overby". Daily Beast. 2017-01-05. Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
4. Goldman, Adam (2017-01-04). "Wife of American Man Missing in Afghanistan Says He Was Abducted". The New York Times. Washington DC. p. A7. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
5. ^ Zahid, Noor (2017-02-28). "Afghan Taliban Statement Puts American Author's Whereabouts in Question". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
6. Gilbert, David (2017-01-12). "Proof of Life". Vice News. Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
7. ^ "$1 Million Reward Offered for Information Leading to the Return of Kevin King and Paul Edwin Overby, Jr". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2018-06-18. Archived from the original on 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
8. "Most Wanted Kidnappings/Missing Persons: Paul Edwin Overby, Jr". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
9. Bergen, Peter (2017-01-05). "Family reveals American vanished in Afghanistan two years ago". CNN. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
10. "Remarks by spokesman of Islamic Emirate answering family of US citizen Paul Overby". Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. 2017-02-28. Archived from the original on 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2019-03-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
11. "Call for release of US writer missing in North Waziristan". Dawn. 2017-01-27. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
12. Rodhe, David (2019-03-19). "An Exaggerated Trump Achievement Worthy of Applause". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
13. "Kidnapping of Paul Edwin Overby, Jr. (Khost Province, Afghanistan | May 2014) | Reward: Up to $5 Million". Rewards for Justice Program. Archived from the original on 2024-09-15. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
14. Overby, Paul (1993). Holy blood: an inside view of the Afghan War. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishing. ISBN 0-275-94622-3. Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2019-03-27.

• 1942 births
• 2010s missing person cases
• American male writers
• Kidnapped American people
• Missing people
• Missing person cases in Pakistan