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Section 3

Finding David Sneddon

  David Disappeared Involuntarily
    Interview with George Bailey
    David's Values and Relevant Character Traits
    Conclusion about Character Traits

 


David Disappeared Involuntarily

Many of the obvious questions and fears we faced as we began our search were satisfactorily resolved (such as "Did David fall and hurt himself while hiking through the Gorge?" or "Did he become sick and unable to continue his trip?"). Numerous very credible sightings established that David had completed the hike and continued on to Shangri-La. In Shangri-La we visited hospitals and met with the Shangri-La police chief and his staff. The U.S. Embassy had also checked mental hospitals. We are satisfied that David is not in a hospital or police station in Shangri-La. We are also satisfied that if David had been hurt somewhere in Shangri-La (or if by chance he were able to take the bus for Quoatou/Lijiang and was hurt before picking up his backpack) that the friendly people of that region would have helped him to a hospital.

Although during our search we were able to answer many questions, new questions arose. As we discussed David's situation with government officials, the media, and friends back home, some wondered whether David chose to disappear voluntarily. Some conjectured, "Could he have met someone, perhaps a woman, who induced him to leave his former life?" "Did he choose to extend his visit in Asia, because he is young and is seeking adventure?" But those questions, only brought up further questions:

Interview with George Bailey

To help answer these questions we interviewed2 George Bailey, David's roommate in Beijing, who gave four reasons why he believes that David did not disappear voluntarily:

  1. On August 9 when David left George to travel alone from Guilin to Lijiang, the last words the two said were "See you later in Provo." George reports that every indication was that a few weeks later the two would meet up again at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah at the start of the new school year.

  2. David had planned out in meticulous detail his sightseeing trip in China. George does not believe that under any circumstance David would have abruptly abandoned his dream trip through China and gone underground. When George and David separated, David's trip was really just getting started.

  3. While in China, David pestered his professor of Chinese at BYU to make a grade change. George notes that David repeatedly e-mailed his professor of Chinese, Matt Christiansen, to change a grade with which David did not agree. Such interest in maintaining a grade point average (GPA) would not be of a concern to a young man who intended to go underground.

  4. Before George left the U.S. to travel to Beijing and become David's roommate, the two discussed David's plans to live in the BYU Spanish House during the coming school year. At David's request, George looked for Spanish language instructional materials that he could bring with him to China to help David prepare for living in the BYU Spanish House. His large backpack contained a Spanish primer. David also requested that his mother make arrangements for him to live in the Spanish House.

In addition to these reasons as to why David did not go underground, George discounts any notion that David would have found a Chinese or Asian woman and is hiding out with her somewhere in China. First, as George explained, this is entirely against the moral principles David believed from his youth, taught while serving as missionary in South Korea, and lived while a student at BYU. Second, George reported that although David did meet and was friendly with many Asian women, David did not show any romantic interest in women in China, including Asian women. All discussions the two had on the subject of dating or romance dealt only with David's desire to return to BYU and date women there.3

David enjoyed his time in China and sought to make the most of it, but clearly he had every intention to finish his sightseeing and return home. Indeed, in his last e-mail sent to his mother on August 11, 2004, David wrote:

"I won't go into detail since I plan on writing a much longer, detailed email to everyone [family] about this. . . . I am having a great time hear [sic] but nonetheless am excited to come home." 4

David's Values and Relevant Character Traits

Most importantly, disappearing voluntarily is completely inconsistent with David's core values of fidelity to God, family, and his established personal goals.

As a life-long member of the Church of Jesus Christ, David was taught and lives by a strict code of behavior: do not drink alcohol, take drugs, or have premarital sexual relations. Members of the Church also believe in obeying the [constitutional] laws of the land, telling the truth, and being honest in all their dealings with their fellow man. To be qualified to attend Brigham Young University, all students must follow this code of behavior, both during school semesters and during vacations from the university. David's mission in South Korea also demonstrates his commitment to his religion. Furthermore, George Bailey confirms that David continued to live according to his religious values while in China. It is difficult, even impossible, to believe that David would suddenly act against the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ, break Chinese law, change his lifestyle, and abandon his family.5

Examining David's relevant character traits also helps answer the question of whether David disappeared involuntarily or voluntarily. His parents and siblings agree that from a young age David Sneddon demonstrated unusual self-discipline that enabled him to achieve his personal goals, often only after great individual effort. For example, David worked his way through college, paying for his own tuition and his living expenses, supplemented by an occasional loan from his parents. When David changed his major to Chinese with a Korean minor, he did so with the goal of graduating on time in order to start a four-year professional program in law and business administration.

Over time with perseverance and daily effort, David achieved his goals. David's talent to work hard in a systematic fashion enabled him to develop skills and abilities well beyond his natural gifts. For example, as a teenager David worked outdoors in the heat and summer humidity of Lincoln, Nebraska as a maintenance person for city parks; after work he would also run five to six miles each afternoon to prepare for the fall cross country season at his high school. Though he had limited experience as a runner, David's hard work resulted in his being awarded the "Most Improved Runner" on his team.

Socially David had many friends, he was stable in his family relationships, and he was known for his good humor and likable personality. He had good relationships with his siblings and parents, particularly his younger sister Jenny and his father Roy. For example, David spent the summer of 2002 working with his father as they built a new home together, developing a closeness with his father that few of his siblings share.

Conclusion about Character Traits

Does the above description of David suggest an individual who would avoid responsibility, abandon his warm relationships with family and friends, and hide far away from home? We think not. Most compelling for us is our absolute conviction that, even in the unlikely event that David had changed his plans and decided not to return home, David would have done everything in his power to assure his family of his safety in order to avoid what he knew would be and was our response to his not contacting us—an all out search in China. We believe that it is reasonable to conclude that David disappeared against his own volition.

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1. See Appendix I: David's Educational Loan.

2. Interviews with G. Bailey on October 11, 2004 and October 19, 2004.

3. David Sneddon, with his missionary service and commitment to serving in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, would seek to marry for time and eternity in a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ. For David, seeking a suitable marriage partner is an issue of personal worthiness on the part of the couple to receive the saving ordinances of the temple. He would, therefore, seek to marry a woman of his same religion with similar faith and commitment.

4. E-mail sent to K. Sneddon on August 11th, 2004. See Appendix C: Sample e-mails from David Sneddon.

5. See the Appendix A: David Sneddon's Core Beliefs and Values.

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