I agree. I do not understand why not just tell your family hey I'm headin to Texas see you on the flip side..

That doesnt grab as much attention..

I agree - what a disgusting thing to do. She would be X'd off my list for good - family or not.

the girl looks middle eastern or indian and could have been escaping a controlling family.

That was my thought exactly - there must be others that feel that way. She is 26, so she should be able to go anywhere she desires, but those families will control you until you take your last breath.

In the scenario that HATR_HURTER mentioned, there is a book that I would recommend to Rajwinder, if I was able to communicate with her. It's called "How to Disappear" by Frank Ahearn. The author is an expert in tracking down people who try to disappear or skip town, and decided to write a book on how to disappear correctly (ie so that people like him won't be able to track you down).

@IAMPGA-1347858

...but to take a stab at her family like she did was a very infantile thing to do.

That assumes the family didn't deserve it. Sounds to me like she may have been trying to escape a bad situation.

I agree with Hatr and others on this thread. I believe she may have fled in fear. Fear can make a person do crazy things. It's called survival.

Escaping an extream backwards religious family is NOT an infantile thing to do. Now get in the closet and on your knees and pray for guidence. Oh by the way :) we picked out your husband.

My daughter and her son left 3 1/2 months ago. No word. Please if you are thinking of doing this PLEASE don't. I spend every day and night trying to figure out what I could have done that was so awful. I thought we were close and everything was fine. Church people took her away to someplace safe. I wait for word.

Perhaps it was meant to be metaphorical, but the sister didn't understand.

We have no context for the message, so to make judgments at this point is, well, infantile.

I don't know very much about the Indian culture, but it does sound like she was trying to get away from something, whether it was an arranged marriage or physical/emotional/verbal abuse. It could be a very good thing that she got away, though.

I was thinking the same thing Some Guy.

In this type of culture if you defy your parents or know that you wil not compy with what they want to you to do with your life it doesn't seem a stretch to say you are "dead" to your famial relationships.

Two words - arranged marriage.

I too am glad this strange woman was found alive. But I wonder if anybody will be the better for her existing on this planet.

She should be made to pay the public money loss and fined; like the balloon-boy case.

Maybe the auto-correct on her phone really sucks and the message sent wasn't supposed to be as menacing as it was.Text message in itself is weirdly phrased which would lead me to believe that A) it was typed in wrong or auto corrected or b) I read on an nbc Facebook post that someone typed in the numerical equivalent for 'smiling' and it comes up in Google as either an Indian cell phone number or a cellphone company...which could mean it didn't necessarily come from her (could be an online text service) or it was meant to go to that number and not her family

I'm sure the reasons for leaving were substantial enough for her to do so and seeing that she is 26 years old we shouldn't really be questioning her.

@ Tes177936 I was also thinking about the balloon boy case but this story is a little different in that it was her family that reported her missing and not her sending messages or calling to say that she needs help.

Have you all forgotten about the cases in the news about young women who tried to flee from their families only to be tracked down and murdered by them? There are many families from other countries living here, who have held on to their beliefs about their daughters and how those daughters are supposed to live their lives! I hope this young woman will not be one of them!

the person who left this comment is dead

is that you... rajwinder...you holler'n wolf again...

But that would depend on how much love you received from your loved ones. May be we should be feeling sorry for her and the family may be the blame. Just love the not news that comes out of the media. Seems like the saying when reporting used to be some thing about "just the facts"; rarely do we receive only the facts from the media anymore. Headlines are written for shock, the stories are slanted based on the reporters personal agenda and rarely are all of the facts presented in a straight forward matter.

Absolutely!!! TAke everything you read or hear with a grain of salt and look for verification from numerous sources before you believe anything the media presents these days. They don't car about truth..All they care about is the sound "cha Ching" as the dough hits the cash register shelves!!!

Well there was the first Article that about this. I can't find MSNBC first article but she was extremely religious the other MSNBC article stated she went to Indian and become more religious but from what I gathered the NYPD felt that she had joined a cult and just up and left. This family is worried sick and I think what this woman did was wrong and caused a rift with her family. I doubt that the family was controlling, it feels like the sisters were super close and if I was her I start apologizing. ()

Maybe she should have text "The girl with this phone is having a nervous breakdown"

Too bad mental illness is a crime in most places in the US. For most mentally ill either the street or jail is where they usually end up.

She's of Indian origin - couple of miles off middle east.

she also fled an arranged marriage,mr tea party moron.you have the last part of your title right.

Did you say she is an Indian? The kind with a dot or the kind that scalp people?

Indian people still have a tradition of arranged marraiges. I work with a lot of people from India, and yeah, they still have issues with a rigid traditional culture though it's not as bad for women as in the middle east.

Tea Partiers are Morons.....

Mr. Genius, I've got two bits of info for you.

1. The girl is of Indian origin.

2. India is not in the middle east, infact it is very far away from it.

Sometimes it scares me how ignorant and ill-informed we Americans are about the rest of the world

Mr, thinks you're a genius, I've got two bits of info for you

1. India is right on the border of Pakistan which puts it right on the border of the Mid East, hardly what anyone would consider "very far away"

2. India has a long tradition of pre-arranged marriages which makes the OP's point completely valid

Sometimes it scares me how ignorant and ill-informed we Americans are about the rest of the world and how easily some people can con themselves into believing that fact doesn't apply to themselves.

So, how much are they paying you down there at the seven eleven?

Funny. We're scientists, and we're researching the genetics of type 2 diabetes in African American populations.

Stereotypes aren't absolute truths.

Mr BAckcountry164

Learn your Geography Afghanistan,Pakistan,India,Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are called South East Asia not Middle East. Middle East is from Iraq to Egypt.

One thing you said is correct that Indian Sub continent has a long tradition of Arranged marriage but our Divorce rate is also far less than here. So you can conclude which is better.

Now you should learn Geography and facts about other places before commenting on the people of those places.

Mark Taft;

I believe it has become "casino or IT".

Mr. BackCountry....I have one bit for you.

1. India is right on the border of Pakistan which puts it right on the border of the Mid East, hardly what anyone would consider "very far away"

Pakistan is not usually considered part of the Middle East (even if some references say so). Pakistan, and Afghanistan are typically considered to be Asian and not Middle Eastern. Just because the dominant religious is Islam does not ake it a Middle East country. Might want to check before you use examples. If you don't believe me I've included the below for your reference..

@ Backcountry164:

Your post is hilarious. I'm not sure if the post was referring to actual physical proximity to Pakistan; a little clarity of language would have been nice. However, "Tea Partiers are Morons..." was simply trying to clarify (accurately) in response to the OP that India is not even remotely, culturally speaking, a middle-eastern country. Thus, the OP's post is not "completely valid" as you laughably suggest. Additionally, "Tea Partiers are Morons..." made no reference to the existing prevalence of arranged marriages among some segments of the population in India.

Simply put, India IS very different from the middle east, and although Pakistan shares a boarder with India, there is a noteworthy cultural divide between the two countries, and an even greater cultural divide between India and the middle-east generally. Earth to Mr./Ms. "I'm confident in my misinformed state just because I enjoy feeling right even when I'm a joke." You basically prove "tea partiers are morons..."'s very simple point. It follows that you're clearly the moron of this bunch.

Nice photo of Mount Rushmore, btw, you little football bat.

@Nadeem...Just because your divorce rate is lower doesn't make the couple any happier. I wonder what the statics are for wives who are beaten or killed because they try to leave the marriage. Or do they even try, out of fear?

We're scientists

Please, everyone and their mom is a scientist. Give your official title and level of education if you want to impress someone.

@Hoaders I like your Post YOu are right. but as per the cultures India and Pakistan has same culture. I will tell South India has a different Culture than compare to North and Central India which is almost same as Pakistan.

@wiseone-6051514 I agree with you that some couples might not be happy in arranged marriage but that does not mean that that women get killed if they try to leave the marriage. I am always of the opinion there are pros and cons in both arranged and love marriages. And it should be the individual decision that what will he or she prefers.

I've noticed several statements in this that seem inaccurate. First, India does indeed have a border with Pakistan, but that does not make it middle easterm. Pakistan is in Asia just like India. As a matter of fact, Pakistan used to be a part of India until the Hindus carved out a piece of their own country to give to the Muslims and told them go away. Also, since most of the Indians that the general public sees on their jobs are owners of convenience stores and motels, the public stereotypes them. My stereotype of someone from Indian is a bit different and probably just as inaccurate. I find Indians to be extremely intelligent resourceful people that excel in both medical and engineering professions. (Of course,having been married to an engineer from India it would be expected I would see them that way.) I find Hindus to be nothing like their Muslim neighbors, especially among the educated. Most of India lived under British rule for so many years, it doesn't take a lot to "americanize" them. You should read some of the history of India. It is a fascinating country with a colorful history.

You should read some of the history of India. It is a fascinating country with a colorful history.

And a lot of really, really poor people.

There are poor in every country. India is a self-help society. That means no hand outs. I bet if people had to live within their means in this country, you'd see a lot fewer pricey subdivisions and new cars. We borrow against our futures to pay for things we don't need. It will catch up to us someday.

@Texas Lady-1937322 Your knowledge of India is very less. India has 16% Muslim population which is the third largest Muslim population in the world. As for Honour killing it is there but very less and for your knowledge it is more common in Hindus than in Muslims. Why I say that because in Hindus there is cast system and if u marry outside the cast than you can be in trouble.

But KEEP in MIND that Honour killing in India, Pakistan and elsewhere is as rear as the Mother killing there kids in America are rare but both things still happens and that is wrong. But only thing is you hear about it more in NEWS.

Also try to meet any educated Muslim and tell me what is the difference between them and the Hindus you met. You won't find any except that they are of different faith.

There are poor in every country.

Aren't there nearly as many poor people in India as there are total people in the whole of the United States?

I do believe that I did point out in one of my posts that India does have a muslim population. I also pointed out as well, that 'honor killings' happen in many cultures and countries. Just because we don't call it an honor killing when a hillbilly from West Virginia kills his wife because he thinks she cheating, doesn't make it any different. If it annoys you that I try to defend Hindus against the ignorance that is prevalent in this country regarding other cultures, I'll stop. And I never meant to bad mouth Muslims when I said they are very different from the Hindus I've met. I meant exactly what I said. They are 'different' in many ways, religiously and culturally. I was only saying that to lump the two into one category is inaccurate.

Sad, but Hindus do indeed practice honor killings.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1991195,00.html

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/article3590997.ece

Saying hindus indeed practice honor killing is like saying whites indeed practice pedophilia....

Such instances are few and far between. It is not right to generalize about 800 million hindus by citing a few hundred or even a few thousand incidents ...

My response was meant for Texas Lady, in that she said in earlier postings that honor killings were never practiced among Hindus. I apologize for not choosing my words more carefully. I tried to be succinct in my response, yet failed to accurately make my statement. I see where my words could be read very broadly. I included links to articles regarding this issue, one from Time Magazine and another from The Hindu Newspaper. I did not mean to imply that all Hindus practice honor killings, but that it does happen enough to where the government of India as well as civil rights advocacy groups within India, to their tremendous credit, are trying very hard to prevent and prosecute the perpetrators of such crimes. Even one honor killing, regardless of culture, religion, or place is too many.

Who really gives a tinkers damn if Indian is considered Asian or middle eastern. THat is NOT even the point of the article at all!!!! Get over freaking bickering about it already!!! None of us knows this girl or any of her family members. We have very little information to go on. Assumptions are being made left and right, she's mentally ill, she's an ungrateful horrible child, etc.. etc. etc. Well, ever heard of but for the grace of GOd go I???? What a bunch of judgers!!! Get over yourselves..sheesh!!!

@TroySF

Mr. BackCountry....I have one bit for you.

Pakistan is not usually considered part of the Middle East (even if some references say so). Pakistan, and Afghanistan are typically considered to be Asian and not Middle Eastern. Just because the dominant religious is Islam does not ake it a Middle East country. Might want to check before you use examples. If you don't believe me I've included the below for your reference..

Not usually considered by whom exactly? And you say it's more Asia than Mid East? So what is the rest of the Mid East? An 8th continent? No. Part of Europe? No. Africa maybe? Again nope. Oh that's right, it's ALL a part of Asia. So much for checking before you use examples.

Dear Backcountry:

The Middle East is a term that refers to all or part of Northern Africa and part of Western Asia. India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are on the subcontinent aka South Asia. They are not part of the Middle East culturally, ethnically, or geographically.

Egypt, a large and powerful country in the Middle East, is mostly in Africa but includes part of the Sinai Desert which is partially in Southwest Asia. Turkey, on the other hand, is mostly in Asia, but is partly in Europe. If you go to Istanbul, its largest city, you can ride a ferry and travel from Europe to Asia in just a few minutes without leaving the city limits. Turkey shares borders with many countries, including Greece, Iran and Iraq.

Stating, as you did, that "it's ALL a part of Asia" is a tremendous display of ignorance on your part. The good news is that accurate maps are free online, so even if you don't have access to a globe you have the opportunity to fill some major gaps in your general knowledge of world geography.

Until you have a chance to learn a bit more, it's probably not a good idea for you to correct other people or attempt to instruct others.

Hope this helps! :)

This article wasn't very informative. I was wondering the same thing

I like the way the article says"...phone transmitted a disturbing text.." as if it did it all on it's own

ckon,

I love your humor :-)

I feel you but the girl did nothing to deceive police. Lack of communication should not translate to her reimbursement.

why? she wasn't the one who asked them to search? she is an adult and doesn't HAVE to tell anyone her whereabouts.

Cops got nothing to do anyway. Better than writing parking tickets and eating donuts! Keeps them on their toes.

Put her in the slammer for a couple months.

mark, i hope you're not an american cause that idea is so blatantly anti american.

Nothing illegal against disappearing if you are a legal adult. Honestly she should have told her folks to call off the search but she did nothing illegal.

You are a doctor? OMG .. Im going to double up on my vitamins:(

Mr Socalled Doctor .. you do realise she is over the age of majority. She asked no one to find her. Tell you what .. we here .. will report you missing in all 50 states ... then you can pay for the search for you. May I ask .. where did you get your degree?

Put her in the slammer for what? She did nothing wrong. While everyone is assuming she is the one who sent the message, no one knows for sure whether she did or not.

She's an adult. She's entitled to be wherever she wants to be.

If she was selling her belongings that sounds to me like she was trying to make a new start for herself. Maybe she was getting out of a bad relationship. There's no details that specify either way.

I'm just glad she's safe.

The way I read it she stated it as "you no longer have a daughter named (her name). Treat me as though I do not exist." I have an uncle that used to be very racist as far as marriage went. When one of his daughters married a black man he told her that she was no longer his daughter, that she was dead to him. Even years later, after she had divorced, if she tried contacting her was say that he had no daughter by that name. Her mom and sisters did hide the fact that she had moved back to town and she did later make up with her father but unfortunatly, their getting back together was not long as she died of a fast growing cancer. He met his grandkids at her funeral and has invited them to come see him many times enjoying their company and getting to know them and his great grandkids. He regrets the way he treated her every day.

Blame the parents already? Why would she sell off everything if she just wanted to get out of arranged marriage?

and we have a winner! did you guess or do your homework

Hey Chipper. do you think she may have sold off everything so she could maybe get some money of her own?

or cause moving it all out at once might have tipped someone off that she was leaving, or that she may just not have the ability to take it with her, or a hundred other scenarios.

Chipper and fhill which one were you two the Groom or the Pimp? Have a nice Day. Now you can go back to bashing Political Parties.

really dik head banker i was taking about you getting it right flippin moron what does politics have to do with my comment. aint no fixin stupid

I wonder about an arranged marriage. She would have sold her stuff; A: For the money, and B: It's a lot easier to move without hauling a lot of excess stuff you can replace later.

fhill

You said "and we have a winner! did you guess or do your homework"

I responded. If you noticed, I directed my message appropriately.

i will ask one more time what does it have to do with poltics

Hey...fhill

exactly.

@redramrabbit

Selfish and immature woman. Who knows what the family dynamics were in that household -- but unless she felt her life was threatened by them,

So you've decided that she is selfish and immature even though you acknowledge she may have had a valid excuse to do what she did?

Wow, so many people making such awful comments about this young woman, when you have no idea what her situation was. East Indian families often treat their daughters horrendously, they suffer emotional and physical abuse, in addition to being threatened with death if they don't comply. When I worked at a law firm, there was file after file about the abuse these women suffered at the hands of family members. It was truly sickening.

If this was an abused wife fleeing a violent home would you be referring to her as an ungrateful ingrate? Would you say, she should be thrown in jail for leaving a husband that was threatening to kill her? I doubt it. Why should this young woman be treated with such hatred - for all we know her family was horrifically abusive and she was trying to escape. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon scenario.

As for leaving a note and saying, "I'm going my own way, don't contact me". Yeah right. I have seen these families track their daughters down all the way back to India, just so they can kill them for leaving and disobeying. This woman most likely deserves compassion and not hatred.

If this was an abused wife fleeing a violent home would you be referring to her as an ungrateful ingrate? Would you say, she should be thrown in jail for leaving a husband that was threatening to kill her?

The more I listen to the far right in this country, the more I think they would say exactly that. Many would pharisaically proclaim that it was her "Christian" duty to stand by her man, especially if there were children involved. Remember one of the central tenets of the Southern Baptist Statement of Faith and Mission: "The wife shall submit herself graciously to the spirit leadership of her husband." Unfortunately, the idea that a woman is literally nothing more than her father or husband's property transcends culture, ethnicity, and even religion...

To : Allison,

You are wrong. India is diverse and vast. There are dozens of religions, and hundreds of languages. You see folks from all economic backgrounds. Some live like they did hundreds of years ago. Others are on the cutting edge of the 21st century. However, 99.999% of Indians value their children. And hindus really do value their daughters. Among all my relatives and my husband's relatives, the girls are princesses. I mean, private school, dance lessons, pretty clothes, etc.

And does India still have the caste systems were the poorest are considered vile worthless garbage??? Those princesses who are getting private schools and pretty dresses are alot wealthier than most of the population of India I'd bet!!!!!

Well since 1920 to now the Caste system in India has changed dramatically. In fact there is no such thing as "Untouchables" only in smaller older villages in India do they follow the "old ways" but they do have laws which abolishes the "untouchables" and so on() If one does research and learns about a culturally history and what they have done in Modern times it can be fun and it'll help you understand a people you barely know. Those honor killings well they are world-wide and majority are Muslim (Historically where Judaic religions came from there were tribes that practiced honor killing, but early Christians stopped that. But it was practiced by early Jews(No longer, unless in extreme sects) and still practiced by Muslims (Extreme sects) ( Were the most peaceful from Jesus to before Romans converted.) but in other cultures too. () Not so much India but they do occur. I'm not trying to argue, just trying to shed some light and let you guys educate yourselves.

Actually, I traveled in India in the early 2000s and the caste system was alive and well in the large cities as well as the small. We arrived in a major city early off the train and went to the hotel. We woke up someone, and they went to get the manager. We waited a good 20 minutes at the door before he showed up. Turns out, the person who answered the door was too low of caste to wake him up directly. In fact, I think they went through several awakenings before someone could speak to him directly. And I know Untouchables exist in Varanasi, one of the most important cities in India. Being Americans, we wondered what would happen to an untouchable if they just moved to another section of the country and claimed a higher caste, but were told if no one could vouch for them they would be declared untouchable automatically.

This probably has nothing to do with this case in particular, but let's not kid ourselves. The law against untouchables is meaningless. And while honor killings are currently common among Muslims, don't forget the epidemic of bride burning, which seems to be a peculiar Indian tradition, along with aborting so many female babies (poor families can't afford 1000s in dowry only to have their daughters burned for it) that men in some areas can't possibly find wives.

As for this case, sounds like a despondent girl who made a threat to herself, reached out to the sister, and maybe just didn't follow through. I would have freaked out if my sister gave me that message, and rightly so. Don't know why this made the "papers" but wow, the excuses for India and hatred aimed at this family with so little info whatsoever....

Shut it John.

She's an adult. Who could 'send her back' if she doesn't want to go?

#1. She didn't sell her families possessions. She sold her OWN.

#2. Seems everyone but you know .. you can be traced and found from the smart phone/cell phone.

Yes something is NOT right here ... You don't seem able to comprehend the words you read. Are we really paying tax to hire teachers ..and this is the result?

Yes, a rather important detail the story overlooked...

We have too many nutjobs in the US already. Is she her legally?

yep we do mark, like people who call for her to be thrown in jail over this.

geezstring, where di you get your facts from that she is just looking for attention. i bet i know and that they smell like poop cause of where you pulled em from.

Hmmmm..... Very tough call.

*rimshot*

check this out..dark eyes...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_yYDnr6zxQ&feature=related

Trust me on this one, pal--they can't have me...

ok...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y

Bob. Ha, ha. Exactly!!

THIS WAS MY COMMENT WHEN THIS STORY FIRST BROKE OUT WEDNESDAY

no more trickled down economics

WHEN RELIGION IS INVOLVED , '' IT'S A SURE THING '' IT'S ONLY BUT A CODE OF SILENCE ; tell the parents , and family of this beautiful young lady '' THE GIRL IS NOT PHYSICALLY DEAD. '' BUT BRAINWASHED

• !

#75 - Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:07 PM EDT

She left because of arranged Marriage

any proof to support this statement..........

you know it's true... if you read it on the internet...

...they ran me off...to rent my room...

Hey Bob, was that so they could have someone who actually paid some rent???

well..it smelled like pot and beer anyway...