(wind rustling) (crow cawing) - [Mindy] There's weird things that go on in The Superstitions to the point where the hair on the back
of your neck stands up. As you're walking through these trails and these washes you literally feel like there's someone or
something watching you. - [Reporter] Well, it's
now been four months since a Phoenix man went missing from Weavers Needle Vista
over in Tonto National Forest. - [Mindy] You're talking a
pretty healthy 25 year old with no food, no water, no nothing. I mean, he just pretty much
vanished without a trace. (tense music) - [Narrator] What is up, EWU Crew! On August 12th, 2020, 25
year old Khayman Welch who went by the nickname
Khay accompanied his uncle to complete some AC work
in Tortilla Flats, Arizona. After a long day of arduous labor, they decided to stop by a nearby landmark called Weavers Needle,
a popular nature spot and the superstition mountains
in Tonto National Forest east of Phoenix. Khay had wanted to get a
look at the beautiful view of the setting sun over
this scenic backdrop. The two pulled into
the visitor parking lot and walked out to the viewpoint. After a while, Khay told his uncle that he wanted to get a
better view of the sunset and walked off into the distance. Presumably scoping out
an ideal vantage point. He went southeast from the parking area, heading down the trail
towards Weavers Needle. His uncles started back to the car but when he turned around, Khay had completely vanished from sight. Khay's uncle waited and waited for the young man to return just as the last of the sun's
raised dipped lower into the sky before leaving
the wilderness, dark and quiet. But still his nephew didn't return. Khayman Welch was gone.
(anxious music) He was last seen standing
by this park sign at around 7:15 p.m. - [Mindy] After sunset,
his uncle got worried because he hadn't come back yet. So that's when he notified authorities and their search ensued that night. And I guess they had tracking dogs out and they lost scent pretty nearby. - [Narrator] We were alerted to this case on January 11th of 2021
when a woman named Mindy reached out to us saying, "Now five months since he's vanished "without a single trace. "We and other volunteers
still searching for him "have spent countless
hours, hiking hundreds "of miles and the area he was last seen. "Not a single clue as
to what happened to him. "Everyone we talked to is clueless "that there's anyone missing in the area." Mindy lives in Arizona, and
is an experienced hiker. One who frequently goes out of her way to help search for people
who go missing in the area. She's been putting extra
effort into this case because Khay's mother lives in Wyoming and therefore can't
visit the area as much. Mindy explained to us how she got involved in the search for Khay. - [Mindy] So basically on August 13th, my family and I were on
our way to the lake nearby, where he went missing
and we noticed there was, you know, it looked like a
search party was out there. There was a helicopter in there and several sheriffs around the area. So when I got home I actually looked to see what was going on
'cause we often volunteer for search and rescue parties and came across his disappearance. And initially due to the heat, you know at that time of year, it
was 115 117 for weeks, so they did not want
any volunteers out there because they were a little fearful that something would happen
to one of the volunteers. So basically they were
using their search party, which was of course a lot smaller than having volunteers out there. And then they were using drones
and things of that nature. People on horseback from other areas, pretty much did a pretty extensive search, what looks like to be
approximately a mile, mile and a half around the
actual little rest area that Khay and his uncle had stopped at. At no time did we see birds of
prey in the air or circling. I mean, he just pretty much
vanished without a trace. - [Narrator] Mindy shared
this overhead route of the path Khay took on the 12th. From Tortilla Flats all the
way to Weavers Needle Vista after video footage confirmed the journey Khay and his uncle took that day. Khay's mother, Rhiannon also
spoke with us one-on-one and told us a bit about her son. - [Rhiannon] Growing up, he
was always really social, very energetic, very happy. He's just overall a loving guy. Like I don't know a single person that doesn't have a good
thing to say about him. He is a tattoo artist, loves
tattoos and everything. His heart is big. He's very, very, very loved. - [Narrator] Rhiannon emphasize that Khay is a good man with a perfect record and has never gotten into trouble, had straight A's in high school and didn't struggle with mental health until the months just
proceeding his disappearance. She created a Facebook Page
not long after he went missing titled Bring Khayman Home. There she posted, "He's
not just some punk kid "covered in tattoos as
I'm sure many assume "based off his looks. "He is my son, a brother, a grandson, "a nephew, a cousin and
a damn good friend." Apparently people had been assuming that this photo used to show what Khay looked like was a mugshot. When in reality it was just
his driver's license picture. Sadly, Rhiannon said at the time of Khay's disappearance he was struggling with severe depression and wasn't in a good
mental state whatsoever. Unfortunately he did not have insurance, making it harder to access assistance but he was seeking psychological help directly prior to his disappearance. Rhiannon explained. "He really loves his tattoo
family down in Arizona. "He said, he'd found his new home. "His anxiety was pretty high, but that's "because he tends to underestimate
himself way too much." But shortly before his disappearance, Khay had taken a hiatus from
his passion for tattooing. We ask Rhiannon how he
got into the AC business with his uncle. - [Rhiannon] That was
actually a new thing. He was taking a break from tattooing just because he was having some
really major social anxiety. It kind of came out of nowhere. He had a little bit of it
here in Casper, Wyoming but when he moved Arizona it just seemed to kind of escalate a little bit. And we're not really sure why, but I think the onset of the pandemic and then other things going
on in our family world that were kind of stressing him out. And over time, he just seemed to kind of fall into a really dark depression. But he was fighting it well, he was setting up appointments. A lot of things were lined out to kind of get him in the right place. But it seemed pretty sudden
that he started battling as he called, a crippling social anxiety. So he couldn't focus on his
art the way he wanted to. Regularly through a lot of
this, I had my own issues, I was kind of going
through with medical stuff and a lot of personal things on my end. And so we were kind of
leaning on each other as rocks to kind of
get through everything. And it seems like he was
really pulling through and doing well. Up until the last couple of days, right before he went missing that was when he really
seemed to be defeated. And like he was really having
a hard time being chatty and open, he just kind of
shut down a little bit. I'd say around August 10th, about two days before he went missing our conversations kind of shifted a little bit. - [Narrator] We did attempt
to reach out to Khay's uncle for an interview through Rhiannon but unfortunately did
not receive a response. We can only wonder what Khay was thinking or what his behavior was
like in those last few hours before he went missing. Rhiannon explained through
this Facebook update how Khay wasn't using his
phone before he disappeared because it had been acting up. Because of this, Khay did
not have his phone with him when he walked off. - [Rhiannon] She wasn't a phone talker, texting wasn't really his thing, it was usually messaging. So I know a lot of people have been like, "Well, why wouldn't he have his phone?" But you have to know Khay to understand, he's not your typical 25, 26 year old. He really liked kind
of diving into his art and focusing on stuff like that and not chatting on his phone all day, so. - [Narrator] Strangely,
she also wrote about how some of Khay's search history showed that he had researched that area and she asserts he knew
how dangerous it would be to wander off because he's
camped in the desert previously. Sadly Rhiannon says that
the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 really worsened
Khay's mental state. And the final texts he sent her are heartbreaking to read. As he mentioned, suffering
from crippling social anxiety and explains, "I just feel
like everyone's telling me "to be positive and it's making it worse." On the morning that he went missing, he texted his mother saying,
"I'm not doing well." - [Rhiannon] That was the
very last message that I got. And I had tried calling or some reach outs that he didn't respond to. But that message he sent me
was very early in the morning and he went to work with his uncle later that morning. So the message was like
at 1:30 a.m., two a.m., super late and then he was at work with his uncle the next day. He had been working,
so it wasn't too weird for him to not reply right away. And this job with his uncle
was a very spontaneous thing, it wasn't planned. His uncle Brian had
asked his dad, Brandon, if he wanted to go work with him that day, just kind of looking for
a sidekick for the day and Brandon declined and Khay was like, "Sure let's go for it." And so he kind of on a
whim jumped in and went, he has that spontaneous side. And so yeah, he opted to go that day. So that's another factor
that's kind of confusing is he didn't know that he would, he had no premeditated plans of going to the location they were at. There was no chat with
anybody aside from family that he was even gonna be up in the Superstition Mountain area. - [Narrator] These details
have led some to assume that Khay may have planned
to go missing that day and possibly that he
wanted to end his life. Detectives eventually gained access to Khay's Facebook
account, but weren't able to find any conclusive
evidence that would help to immediately find him. But there were some
telling internet searches discovered on his computer
that gave an insight into his state of mind. - [Rhiannon] We looked through his laptop before we gave it to the detectives and found some searches
that he was looking into. He wasn't looking into
like how to commit suicide but he was looking into ways to help cope with thoughts of suicide. And he had appointments lined up so he was actively doing the work which it takes a lot
of strength to do that. I think that's something that more people, men specifically have a hard time kind of really getting in
tune with their emotions, not all, but you know some men
have a hard time with that. His entire family backed him
on that and supported him. Just really believed, it
takes a lot of courage to say, you know what, I'm not doing well. And I wanna see if I can get some help. - [Narrator] But to Rhiannon,
things just aren't adding up. - [Rhiannon] I don't think
he would go this long without talking to family. Especially his mom. At the time I just had surgery. I was struggling and he was my rock. I don't think he would've
intentionally left. - [Narrator] She asserts
that he wouldn't have made it very far in the dark
and he wasn't prepared for a hike in any way as
he didn't have any food or water provisions with him. But before we delve
into any more theories, let's take a look at the
timeline of the search and rescue efforts, starting
from the heart wrenching moment that Rhiannon learned of
her son's disappearance. - [Rhiannon] Yeah, I got the
very, very late phone call. I'd say midnight, one, I think
is when I got the phone call. And at that time we weren't
sure how serious it was because again, it had
only been a couple hours. But the next morning it
really started hitting, like I was stressed out all night, but I was like, "Okay, you
know, it's not unlike Khay "for him to do his own thing." So I'll just see if hopefully
some good news comes through. By early morning, I
could feel it in my heart like something wasn't right. And like, they still hadn't
found him, this is overnight. This is a big deal and so I
spoke with the Welch family and yeah, I wasn't sure when to leave or what to do or what. But we initially just
instantly knew we were gonna be heading down there, it
was just a matter of when. And I asked them, I'm like,
"Do you feel like it's time "for me to be there?" And they said, "Yes." - [Narrator] The rollercoaster
ride that was the search for Khay can best be seen
through the Bring Khayman Home Facebook Page chronology. August 19th, the page reads, "We are entering day seven. "We have had search and rescue teams out "as often as they possibly
can be, every single day. "These forces include
men, horseback, dogs, "drones, helicopters, infrared cameras. "We are exhausting our
resources in this search." - [Mindy] It's a lot of terrain and where we're pretty
much at times on hands and knees under cactus
and rattlesnakes (laughs) and tarantulas and you name it. - [Narrator] It should
be noted that this area of Arizona reaches high temperatures of up to 115 degrees
Fahrenheit, 43 degrees Celsius which is what was reported
on the day Khay went missing. Exposure to the elements
would be a real risk factor as well as heat stroke. But investigators are stumped
because Khay should've been somewhere along the
Weaver Needle Vista trail, a public and commonly used
6.4 kilometer hike loop that sees frequent traffic. - [Mindy] When we started, we knew that the sheriff's department were kind of in a tight search area. So we actually started further away, we went about three miles because it was getting dark, it would've been completely
pitch black out there, there was really no moonlight
out there that night. If he had lost his way, there
were several vantage points that he could've walked
up and you clearly see the city lights of Apache Junction. And then apart from that, even
about a mile and a half in, I can still hear traffic from that roadway from the State Route 88. That's what's just mind boggling because yeah, you can get
turned around over there, but especially at night, it
would be virtually impossible to not be able to find your way back. - [Narrator] The Facebook Page detailed that search and rescue had been looking for Khay since 5:00 a.m.,
pushing new territory and pushing their own limits because to their
frustration the temperature was heading record-breaking highs which left little room
for being out on foot. Things were looking bleak and the next urgent message
on the Facebook thread read, "Everyone, send your good energy. "Today is critical." The search continued, but
only came up with dead ends. Soon law enforcement started to consider other possible outcomes. Authorities, rechecked
footage over and over while the search and rescue
crew retrace their steps. Even dealing with a frightening
lightning fire at one point. (thunder rumbling) - [Mindy] On the 20th, we
had a storm come through during monsoon and lightning
actually sparked a fire in The Superstitions that put a little bit of a damper on continuing
searching for the department. And to my knowledge,
they searched clear up until they couldn't anymore
because of the threat of the fire in that area. - [Narrator] Meanwhile, family members and those close to Khay were interviewed, just in case and cleared of suspicion. Donors started pitching in
resources to help the cause. Rhiannon, Mindy and others posted flyers to local convenience
stores, food missions, homeless camps and on
countless online pages in a bid to get the word out. On August 22nd, Rhiannon
returned to the Facebook Page with a shocking update. But surprisingly it wasn't
about Khayman's disappearance. She instead came to say that the father of Khay's little half-brother
Khaleb had passed away. - [Rhiannon] Khaleb is nine
years younger than Khay. Jason Smith, which is Khaleb's
father passed away nine days after Khay went missing. Jay really wanted to be there. It turned out to be
that his cause of death was natural causes but
he had been through a lot and he'd been through
multiple back surgeries and was on a lot of medications that were not doing him any good. So yeah, about that was mind blowing, happening nine days after. That was just like I
thought I was literally in a dream just trying to wake up and just completely shocking. - [Narrator] As the
devastating blows continued to come, Rihanna lamented,
"My son has lost his father "and his older brother is missing "all within just over a week. "This horrible nightmare continues." In the face of all this tragedy, Rhiannon finally discovered
one sliver of hope, writing, "We found a message on his phone "where Khay was implying he felt bad "for going a few days not replying "to his mom's message. "As he was talking to
one of his best friends. "A few days. "Here we are 12 days later. "Nothing. "He would never go this
long without talking "to the people he loved the most." The development does raise the question, would Khayman ever
purposefully go missing, knowing that his family
would be worried sick with no explanation? Perhaps this element does lend
some credence to the theory that this was all a tragic accident. And it serves as just one more
reason to keep on looking. But after two weeks went
by without a trace of Khay, search and rescue back down. The case was then moved over to a missing persons investigation. And the helpers from out of town reluctantly said their goodbyes. Rhiannon shared her overwhelming emotions, writing, "The idea of
hope to be shut down again "by a whole day of hard
work, yielding no results, "it wears on one's body, mind and soul." Around this same time, huge fires would strike in The Superstitions, closing off Lost Dutchman
State Park completely. This greatly hindered any
continuing search attempts. And although Rhiannon felt
utterly confused and helpless, she held strong to the
fact that zero trace, no body and not even any
clothes had been found. It meant that Khay could
still be alive out there. As week four came and went, Rhiannon said, "We're trying to stay positive "but it's harder to do each day." People started sharing
their stories of Khay, celebrating the positive
aspects of his life in an attempt to raise spirits. Rhiannon herself shared a tattoo that Khay had given her on mother's day. One high school friend
remembered drinking coffee and blasting death metal
at seven in the morning before classes started with Khay. While another friend shared
some metal music clips that Khay had been
making in his free time, saying, "In usual Khay
style, he didn't think much "of his work, but I loved it." Others spoke about how
good of a friend Khay was. How he was a good listener, a deep thinker and someone who always went
out of his way to help others. Even calling him a big teddy bear. One man said, "One of my
favorite things about Khay "is how intimidating of a man he is. "But when you get to
know him he is so kind "and so full of life." Another individual said
Khay pulled them out of many pits of depression. After reminiscing, Rhiannon
got back to business, soon sharing a video of the
Superstition Mountain range, saying, "There is a cactus every few feet "so you won't make it far off trails. "This doesn't show how truly
rugged this whole area is. "It was 115 degrees on
this day and pure hell. "I still don't believe he's in there." On September 16th police
sent Rhiannon a message, letting her know that they
spent the day flying a drone over the search area,
covering a thousand acres in a grid search pattern. They gathered about 4,000 photos and promised to look through
them for anything unusual. However, it seems nothing
useful has come of it. All of these stunted efforts
have left Khay's loved ones wondering where in the world could he be? And what happened to him? Still Mindy and Rhiannon
pushed ahead determined to never give up. And soon Mindy came forward
with an intriguing new theory of her own, explaining,
"We came across pictures "of a mountain that
resembles Weavers Needle "and that mountain is Battleship Mountain. "We feel it may be a
possibility that Khay mistook "another rock formation that
resembled pictures he saw "of Weavers Needle and
proceeded to that route. "We are thinking he may have proceeded "to an area a bit deeper
than originally expected, "slash searched. "This direction of travel would've led him "into the Hackberry Spring area "and even possibly further northeast "into the La Barge Battleship area. "We are unsure if there was water flowing "in the Hackberry area on
the day he disappeared." Could Khay have mistaken this landmark for Weavers Needle and
gotten terribly lost going in the wrong direction? Rhiannon wasn't sure
if Khay would've tried to make the ambitious
trek to Weavers Needle in the first place. - [Rhiannon] But we were up there. We watched the sunset which
that was my first question was, the sunset is the opposite
direction of Weavers Needle. So if you wanted to get a
better view of the sunset, why would he go towards
Wavers Needle in general? Like I just kind of
thinking back to all of it, if he just wanted a
good view of the sunset there's a big difference between that and then, hey, I'm gonna go hit that spot, way in the distance
that's seven miles away. - [Narrator] Other theories pitched by worried followers
included the possibility that Khay made it back to the 88 and then hitchhiked from there. Theories like this remind
us how important it is to spread Khay's story and
image all around the country. If he's somewhere out
there after all the months that have already passed,
he could be anywhere. After fruitless months
went by with no luck, on December 10th, Rhiannon posted a photo of the eerie enshrouded mountains saying, "I think Mindy and I are starting "to believe the sups and entire area, "have a mind and personality of their own. "Since there is always
some bizarre, sh going on. "We couldn't list all of the weirdness "that's happened if we tried. "They don't call these
The Superstition Mountains "for no reason." - [Mindy] And the more people
that I speak to about this, tell me there's weird things that go on in The Superstitions. And I mean, during our search,
we've found abandoned camps where you could tell that
people are living out there. As you're walking through these trails and these washes you literally
feel like there's someone or something watching
you to the point where the hair on the back
of your neck stands up. And I've hiked these mountains for years and so has my husband with me, but it is just now the more I hear about, you know I guess there's
been drugs found out there during searches, there's
been, in the previous years when people go missing out there. But the people are always found. And there's usually some
type of evidence somewhere. I even actually thought about
setting up a trail camera because only at that spot,
people keep taking down the missing poster. And I don't know whether it's people that, the do-gooders that are just wanting to clean up or whatever, thinking is, Oh, it's an old poster, it needs to come down, not realizing he's still missing. But on the other trailheads,
nobody touches them. They're the same posters
that we initially put up. So I'm curious, if maybe we
recognize somebody taking that down, or it's just, it's so weird. And like I said, the
police kind of seem like they've got the, ah, he'll turn up. Somebody will find them eventually. - [Narrator] Researching
The Superstition Mountains, we hoped to gain some insight into how others disappeared or were found. And the information
online tells a dark story. President emeritus of the
Superstition Mountain Museum, George Johnston says that
more hikers disappear in The Superstitions than
any other mountain range. But still Khay wasn't hiking. His excursion should have
only taken a few moments at the very most. Either way, it is reported that an average of four to five hikers disappear or die in the area every year. In fact, only three days
after Khay went missing another hiker, George Wesley disappeared in Telegraph Pass on the
other side of Phoenix. Wesley's body was found
the next day a mile away from the main trail. Experts site sheer
drop-offs, deep canyons, extreme temperature fluctuations and even dangerous wildlife as possible explanations
for this troubling trend. (suspenseful music) Many people also believe in the lore of a lost mine in the area called Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. Not only as the illusive treasure
trove of legend suspected to be within the
Superstition Mountain area, but many versions of the
story include Weavers Needle as a vital landmark for
explorers to locate the mine. Over the years many adventurers
have embarked on quests to locate the mysterious mine. Some don't make it back alive. Still, with its status as
arguably the most famous lost mine in American history,
this dangerous outcome doesn't stop new enthusiasts
from making the trip. And one estimate claims
that 9,000 people annually have gone in search of
the mine since 1892. The mine is named after a German immigrant who allegedly discovered
the mine in the 1800s but kept its exact location a secret. In 1931, the legend gained notoriety when amateur explorer Adolph
Ruth vanished while searching for the Lost Dutchman Mine. Disturbingly, Ruth's skull
was found six months later with two bullet holes straight through it. When the tale made national news, the strange story only
serve to spark more interest in aspiring treasure hunters. It was reported that
Ruth's son had learned about the mine from a man he
saved from a jail sentence. And when the son passed
antique maps onto his father, Ruth set out determined
to locate the gold mine despite being 66 years old
and needing a cane to walk. Although locals warned him
of the treacherous terrain and unbearable heat, the
stubborn Ruth pushed on. After his skull and later
his remains were found, so were his belongings. But the maps were missing. No bullets were missing from his pistol, leading to the belief
that he was murdered. Ruth's checkbook contained
a message claiming that he had discovered the mine and he even wrote detailed directions before ending the note
with Veni, Vidi, Vici. I came, I saw, I conquered A slew of other deaths have
occurred in the area as well. In the 1940s the remains
of a prospector searching for the mine were discovered. Though the body was missing a head. A 1945 book contained an
account from the author claiming that he had
a run in with a sniper while seeking out the landmark. In 2009, a 35 year old man disappeared in Tonto National Forest and when his car and campsite were located it came out that he had been obsessed with finding the Lost Dutchman's Mine for years. His body was found in 2012,
wedged between a crevice. In 2010, yet another
three hikers went missing in the Superstition Mountains. For one of them, it was his
second time needing rescue. Just a week later, though,
the search was called off and the men were presumed to
have died from heat exposure. In 2011, three sets of
remains were uncovered, theorized to belong to those
unfortunate adventurers. In addition to this Lost Dutchman lore, other factors play a key
role in these disappearances. The Arizona Republic
reported that Maricopa County is responsible for a
disproportionate amount of search and rescue efforts. In 2012, a hiker named
Kenny Clark was found dead after five days off the trail and with an empty water pack. While we can't say for sure that Khay's disappearance stems from these particular factors, understanding the strange history of missing persons in the area is certainly intriguing. Mindy did look into the
dangerous mine shafts nearby, but to no avail. - [Mindy] The thing is,
is out in that area, during our search we have now found four vertical mine shafts. One that was 30 feet deep and in the dark could be very easy to
trip over barbed wire and land in there. But we've searched it with cameras and there was nothing in there, except for some boards. There's three other ones. One that's not that deep
but he would have had to hike up on a hill and that'd
be pretty hard to fall in. And like I said, we searched that one. But just because we
found and searched four of them now, now our
concern is, are we missing, there might be more. Or with the fact that we've
had a drought recently did possibly a void open up because there's less groundwater. And he might've been
walking and fallen in that. Or, you know, we have
fissures here in Arizona you know, sink, holes that open up and stuff like that,
that are about 12 miles or so away from where he went missing. So there's that possibility,
which would probably make sense because we haven't found
a shred of clothing. We haven't found, you know,
like he's wearing leather boots. So you would think even
if animals had attacked at some point those boots
would still be there. - [Narrator] One detail that Rhiannon said often gets up in this case
is that people claim Khay was an experienced outdoorsman. - [Rhiannon] That is incorrect. And that has really hurt
this case, I believe because a lot of people assumed, well, if he's experienced,
he knows what he's doing. He is one that could walk 10
miles in the Arizona heat, no problem, but he wasn't a hiker. He didn't go hiking every weekend or he may have done some mild camping and minor things like
that like with his dad in a camper, but it wasn't a passion. It wasn't like something he (chuckles) found joy in, necessarily. He loves nature, but
definitely not like outdoors, like hiking up, especially
the Superstition Mountains, those are insane mountains. That's out of character for him. - [Narrator] It is unclear
why so many news outlets have been reporting this incorrect detail. But Rhiannon wanted to clear it up. As it further shows how unprecedented his actions were that day. Mindy told us how much of
an anomaly this case is in her eyes. - [Mindy] Well, this is
actually the longest one. Like usually, the ones
that we have assisted on, they're found relatively quickly. Either alive and well or deceased. But they're found very quickly. And this one it's like first
I was kind of disappointed with the media attention that he got, or lack thereof. There was one little blurb about him being lost in The Superstitions. And people just kind of chalked it up to basically he was stupid
for being out there. It's 117. Because the way that they portrayed it was he was a missing hiker
and an avid outdoorsman. So naturally to those who actually go out and do this often for hobby and pleasure, they would think, Oh, well, you know, how experienced could he
be, if he went out hiking in 117 degrees with no food or water. But he was not hiking. He just went like to get
a better view according to what his uncle stated. I mean, he's physically fit. He's not like super athletic or anything but you're talking to a
pretty healthy 25 year old, wearing black pants,
black boots, black shirt and a black hat with no
food, no water, no nothing. - [Narrator] In the end, the investigation is virtually no further
at the five month mark than it was on day one. And that's the hardest part of all. Rhiannon once said, "Khay
has touched so many people "and all who know him know
he's a special as they get." She addressed a note to him on her Bring Khayman Home Facebook Page saying, "Khay, if you're running
away from the world, "I totally understand. "I know you're struggling. "And it was absolutely
heartbreaking to see "that you were watching videos on YouTube "regarding taking your own life "and wanting help so desperately. "Your feelings are valid,
but that isn't the answer. "There are options and we
will do whatever it takes "to get through this. "Please just come home." Both Rhiannon and Mindy
shared their disappointment with how insensitive people can be to the serious nature of this case. - [Mindy] The amount of
people on social media that are just downright cruel. It's another challenge. Like the family doesn't really
wanna share much anymore because as soon as they do they get, "Oh, the cats ate him." Or, "Oh, the Apaches grilled him." Just cruel, cruel. I mean, I can't even, some of the stuff that they say it's not enough
that their child is missing. - [Rhiannon] It's been brutal 'cause some people they
don't watch the article or read anything and
they just make comments. But you know, family does watch this. And as a mother that has a son missing, it's hard to see some of
the ignorant statements that people will say. And yeah, I got a lot
of people backing too, so not to like. Yeah, he has so much love it. I hope people can just be understanding that the things just a
very bizarre situation and we're trying to cope
with it as best as possible. - [Narrator] Authorities told Rhiannon that everyone who has ever
gone missing in the area has eventually even found, alive or dead. And that the longest
anyone has ever been lost in the Superstition
Mountains up to this point was seven months. As of January, 2021, Khay's
been gone for five months. (anxious music) Rhiannon is now looking
into the possibilities of enlisting help from
HRD dogs and handlers, underground underwater sonar operators and private investigators. - [Rhiannon] I've written
down 13 possible situations that could've happened. And I can't cross one off at this point. Like we can't mark a single thing. And I'm being open-minded and
even thinking outside the box because in a situation
like this, when your son is missing you kind of
start to like wonder a lot. You start to believe, you know anything is possible at this point. If he did somehow find a way to escape, he's very smart, I'm
sure if that was really what he set his mind to, he could do that but knowing that he
had plans that evening, plans the next day, appointments set up, nothing in his conversations
with people indicated that he wanted to just disappear. Other comments that he made, like I would go into some therapy, but some of the programs
he was looking into would require like 30 days of inpatient or just extreme help to kind
of get them on the right track. And he said, I don't think I could be away from my family for 30 days. So unless there was some
major trigger of some sort that we can't figure out that
really made him wanna go. It's just, yeah, we really have no idea. - [Narrator] Khayman is a white male in his mid 20s, who is six feet tall, 200 pounds and has brown
hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a
black Ghostbusters T-shirt, black jeans and army style boots. He has full sleeve tattoos
on both of his arms and short buzz cut hair. Khayman was last seen August
12th, 2020 at around 7:15 p.m. at Weavers Needle Vista
Viewpoint near State Route 88 and milepost 203.5 in the
Tonto National Forest. If you have any information or leads that could help bring Khayman home please contact the Maricopa
County Sheriff's Office at 602-876-8477. - [Rhiannon] Yes, if
anybody has any information about anything at all. Even if it's just a hunch, obviously one that maybe has some
realistic ideas behind it, please contact, reach out,
if you know of anybody that might know something. And also if people are out
hiking in those mountains if they find anything
that could be linked, we would really appreciate a reach out and also that nothing be touched so that they can
investigate more if need be. But from what I'm hearing, there's tons of hikers out there and no trace, so. (melancholy music) - [Narrator] If there's anything
to take away from this case it is the importance of
acknowledging mental health issues. Especially during the rough
times of the pandemic, it is vital to check on
those we love and make sure that they are doing okay and
getting the help they may need.
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I don’t know how to edit my description but anywho this gentleman has been missing for a long time, I’m just trying to share it as far as possible in case of any sightings anywhere. Thank you.