What happened to Skye Budnick? Student, 21, went missing 16 years ago – after buying a one-way ticket to Japan

The family of a 21-year-old who disappeared after buying a one-way ticket to Japan – and left without telling anyone – have issued a plea on social media as they admit they are still looking for answers after 16 years.

Skye Budnick, from Connecticut, alerted loved ones when she went missing in April 2008, having taken little or nothing with her when she left.

Despite nearly two decades of disappearance, her mother Susan and sister Megan have been “met with bureaucratic roadblocks that have left them with more questions than answers,” as described in one article. GoFundMe page to help the family find answers.

“We refuse to give up hope and remain determined to uncover the truth behind her disappearance,” Megan wrote.

Since I took to social media – with TikTok, Instagram and even a podcast, titled Skye survive – Skye’s family has managed to raise awareness of her mysterious case, despite not receiving much attention in the media.

Videos of Megan sharing updates on the latest progress are now being viewed millions of times, as online sleuths demand answers and posit their own theories. And thanks to the money raised online, she and her mother were also able to travel to Japan this week and submit additional DNA samples.

Last week, ahead of their trip, Megan took to the fundraising page – which was set up to help fund the trip – to keep followers updated and share what the ordeal has been like for her family.

“We’re still in the dark about what lies ahead,” she admitted. “We are as prepared as we can be for situations like this, but the truth is we are scared, anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted and most of all, prepared for anything.

“I never thought I would ever get to this point when I started talking about Skye’s disappearance on TikTok. It was during Covid and it felt like we were all collectively in the dark as the world changed right before our eyes

“When I talked about the struggles of having a missing family member and the toll it took on my life, I found people who took the time to understand and who cared. I’ve lived too many years and felt so alone.

“But now we’re here together for Skye, as we move on to another unknown, but it’s a unknown that might give us answers.”

Speak with WAFB9 earlier this year, her mother revealed that Skye had “not let anyone know, not even her very best friends” that she was leaving.

“She took very little with her, very little, and she left,” Susan added. “And she took her car and left it at the airport.”

Since taking to social media – with TikTok, Instagram and even a podcast, titled Surviving Skye – Skye’s family has managed to bring attention to her mysterious case. In the photo her sister Megan

The money raised online also allowed her and her mother to travel to Japan this week and submit additional DNA samples (pictured)

Susan, who labeled Skye as ‘shy’ and ‘very quiet’, also said she believes her daughter, who studied Japanese at university, met someone online.

The mother also told the outlet that she and Meghan went to Japan themselves, where they filed police reports and handed out posters — but admitted they faced many hurdles, including the language barrier.

On her podcastMegan opened up about the first ten days after Skye’s disappearance, saying that despite the first 48 hours of a missing person’s case being widely seen as ‘critical’, no one had realized she was gone for days after fleeing to Japan .

Although she admits her memories of that period are clouded by trauma, it is clear her mother believed Skye – who was 21 at the time – was staying with a friend on March 31, 2008.

Meanwhile, Megan – who was 24 at the time but living at home – was working at a blood drive on April 1, but started feeling light-headed and ill during a shift.

While dealing with Megan’s ordeal, which involved going to the hospital and developing medical problems, the family became preoccupied with worrying about her and “lost track of time.” By April 4, it had become clear that no one had heard from Skye for days.

In 2008, Meghan and Susan (pictured) went to Japan themselves, where they filed a police report and handed out posters – but admitted they faced many obstacles, including the language barrier

Megan explained that her sister — who was “estranged in high school” thanks to her interest in Japanese culture — finally “found people she could relate to in college,” which came as a relief to Skye’s loved ones.

However, Megan also felt like Skye was “still kind of an outsider” to her “new” friends at college.

She said that’s part of the reason they wanted to leave Skye alone – to make connections and find friends – and not bother her with phone calls.

But it soon became clear that when Susan called her daughter’s friends, Skye had told different people different stories about who she was allegedly staying with.

To complicate matters, Skye didn’t have her own cell phone.

That same day, in an attempt to find clues, Skye’s brother looked at his computer, where Skye sometimes checked her emails – and accessed her inbox. There, the family was shocked to discover an escape route for April 1 – which at that time was three days ago – which showed that she had made plans to go to Japan.

They made their way to the airport, where they discovered Skye’s car, which contained only a few of her belongings.

Megan has said that the family has since faced roadblocks in the investigation and are no closer to finding answers about her sister.

However, since she started social media campaigns, she felt encouraged to see more interest in the cause.

In a recent podcast episode – aired on the day Skye turned 37 – Megan said in a message dedicated to her sister: ‘Today, in 2024, you are 37 and yesterday I got some news.

“That’s the most actionable thing we can do in a very, very, very long time.

“Southington Police, with the assistance of Interpol, have been in contact with the Japanese government and we have been informed that we will need to go to Japan to submit new DNA.

“My mother and I have to physically go to Japan and I got this news just before your birthday. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.

Susan – who branded Skye (pictured in an old photo) as ‘shy’ and ‘very quiet’ – also said she believes her daughter, who studied Japanese at university, met someone online

“So for your 37th birthday sometime in 2024, if I can sort out all the logistics, I think we can do one of the last most doable things we can do during your disappearance.

“And we can check the databases in Japan, check all the Jane Does, check all the other cold case files they have access to, and maybe get some answers.

‘It’s the weirdest birthday present ever. I don’t think anyone ever wanted that. But this is good news. This is really good news.’

In a recent one TikTokMegan – who has over 179,500 followers and 3.2 million likes on the app – shared in a video: ‘It feels good to have made it this far, to submit the DNA… to know it happened….

“It was nice to experience the humanity and empathy of others that I didn’t feel from the beginning because I was blinded by the stress and trauma.

‘This has been the most crazy journey of my life…’