The Grenoble prosecutor’s office announced on Monday that it had opened an investigation into the “disturbing disappearance” of a 21-year-old American student who came to Isère to study French. The latter was to leave France on December 15, the prosecution reported in a message to the press, specifying that his disappearance had been reported by students on November 29.
Several American media claim that Ken DeLand, who studied French at the University of Grenoble-Alpes, has not given any sign of life to his relatives since November 27 via WhatsApp.
According to the prosecution, the student “seems to have left Grenoble voluntarily”. He would have told several people that he had arrived in France insufficiently prepared and had difficulty making friends. He was last seen “in a Decathlon store in Montélimar on December 3”, still according to the prosecution.
“We fear the worst”
A site called FindKenDeLand.com created by the parents of the student, was born to try to find a track. According to his father, the student’s phone had ceased all activity since November 30.
“We fear the worst and wish that he be located”, write his relatives on this site, specifying that the student, measuring approximately 1.82 m and weighing 86 kg, was last seen wearing a red jacket, a scarf, a gray beanie, blue jeans, a black backpack and sneakers.
According to the prosecution, which opened a line available to the public (06 21 86 67 94), the student had indicated before his disappearance “that he wanted to go to Marseille before returning to the United States”.