Katharina Buczek
“I started to distribute leaflets about her in the community,” recalled her father, Joseph.
Then, in November 2021, he thought there might be a break in her case. Someone submitted a tip claiming to have spotted Sonie at a Boost Mobile store in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The sighting reportedly happened in early September 2021 at a store located on 3rd Avenue South.
Joseph traveled to Myrtle Beach and spent five days in the area. He began passing out flyers and reportedly spoke to four different people who identified Sonie, saying she was seen with two other individuals.
However, the sightings have never been confirmed by Myrtle Beach authorities.
“We, unfortunately, never had any evidence that she was actually in the city. As soon as we found out about it, we assigned an investigator as well as put out information and her photograph to officers working in the area where she was believed to have been seen,” stated Master Corporal Tom Vest of the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
“But we were never able to confirm any actual sighting or video of her being in our city.”
Still, Sonie’s loved ones continue searching for her. A friend even raised money to hire a private investigator in February 2021, Robin Martinelli. According to Martinelli, it remains unknown whether Sonie left on her own volition or not. Nonetheless, she thinks Sonie is still alive and possibly a victim of trafficking.
“We’re trying to go through every lead. She hasn’t been found, but she may be in a world that she can’t get out of,” Martinelli explained.
As for Sonie’s father, Joseph, he holds onto hope that someone knows something that could help bring his daughter home.
“There are several people who are thinking about her. We are very willing to accept her as she comes to us. No matter what conditions she may have found herself in. We still love her,” he said.
If you have any information regarding Sonie’s case, you are urged to contact the Myrtle Beach Police Department at (843) 918-1300.
