Katharina Buczek
In early 2014, Reny Jose was finishing up his last semester as a mechanical engineering student at Rice University in Houston, Texas.
So, for spring break, the 21-year-old decided to take a trip to Florida with 22 other students from his school.
“March 1, my son called me and said, ‘Mom, I’m going to Panama City with 22 kids. Just for spring vacation.’ And as a mother, you know, ‘go and enjoy,’ that’s all I can say,” recalled his mother, Sherly Jose.
Only three days later, on March 4, 2014, tragedy struck when Sherly received a phone call from one of Reny’s friends and learned that her son had gone missing.
Upon receiving word of his disappearance, Reny’s mom and his father, Jose George, immediately traveled to Panama City Beach, waiting for investigators to finish looking for their son. Sadly, the search continues to this day, over 10 years later.
Reny and his friends had rented a home for one week, located on the 21000 block of Front Beach Road. He was supposedly last seen at 6:30 p.m. on March 3, walking east on Front Beach Road.
His friends reported him missing at 11:30 a.m. the following day, March 4, and investigators subsequently found some of his clothing in a trash can outside the rental home. Inside his bedroom, Reny’s laptop, wallet, and suitcase were left behind.
The garments reportedly led authorities to think that Reny may have gone swimming in the Gulf.
So, the search for him was widespread, encompassing the Gulf waters as well as the surrounding area with the assistance of ground searchers and helicopters. Witnesses were also interviewed, but no sign of Reny was ever uncovered.
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