In the spring of 2019, 58-year-old Ali Kenani embarked on a cross-country journey from his home in Nebraska with the destination of California, where he planned to visit his son. His trip, however, took an unexpected and worrying turn. On May 11, 2019, Mr. Kenani was seen at a convenience store near Aspen, Colorado. He had reportedly become lost in Basalt, Colorado, a small town nestled in the Rocky Mountains.
In a seemingly helpful encounter, two police officers from the Basalt Police Department provided him with directions to get back to the interstate highway so he could continue his travel westward. This interaction is believed to be one of the last confirmed times anyone had contact with him.
The concern for Mr. Kenani's welfare grew significantly just two days after his stop for directions. On May 12, 2019, his vehicle was discovered abandoned in a remote area near the Capitol Peak Trailhead, located by Snowmass Village and Aspen. The car was found in a private driveway on Capitol Creek Road, which at that time of year was still partially impassable due to snow. The driveway where the car was left was the last available place to turn around before the road ended in a snowbank, about a mile from the actual trailhead. The vehicle itself was described as being "pretty beat up" and appeared to have extensive hail damage. Authorities noted there was no indication that Mr. Kenani, a man with no known plans to hike, had intended to visit this remote and rugged valley.
The discovery of the abandoned car prompted an extensive search of the surrounding area. A crew of twenty-five individuals from various agencies, including the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, Mountain Rescue Aspen, Garfield County Search and Rescue, and the United States Forest Service, participated in the effort. The search of the 900-acre area utilized dogs and a drone team with heat-seeking technology, but tragically, no clues to Mr. Kenani's whereabouts were found. His case was officially reported to the Lincoln Police Department in Nebraska in July 2019. The overview of this case is that of a man who set out on a trip to see family, got lost along the way, and vanished after his car was found abandoned in a remote, mountainous area far from his intended route, leaving his loved ones without answers.Last Seen: May 1, 2019
