'A miracle': Man who vanished as a teenager 8 years ago found alive

A 25-year-old Texas man has been found in "bad shape" but alive more than eight years after he went missing.

On the evening of March 6, 2015, Rudolph "Rudy" Farias IV, who was then 17 years old, went out walking with his two dogs in Houston and never returned home. The two animals were recovered safely, but there was no sign of Rudy.

Friends and family had already been worrying about Rudy for some time. His brother, described as Rudy's "best friend in the world," had died in a motorcycle accident in 2011, and Rudy had since suffered from depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and had even attempted suicide.

"He watched his best friend die right in front of him," said Brenda Paradise, a private investigator hired by the family shortly after his disappearance. "... He’s just gone through so much more than anyone his age ever should."

Though Paradise and other investigators worked in the ensuing days and weeks to locate him, combing through what KTRK described as "rain-soaked fields," they found no trace of Rudy. The Texas Center for the Missing even tweeted about Rudy's case as recently as mid-June.

On Saturday, the organization gave an update that is truly cause for celebration. "Update: 7/1/23-- After 8 long years, Rudy has been located safe," the message stated. "Please continue to keep his family in your prayers as Rudy recovers in the hospital."

It turns out that some individuals had spotted Rudy unresponsive near a church. He was covered in cuts and bruises and had blood in his hair. His mother believes he had been severely beaten and abused. Though she said he is currently in "bad shape," she is just glad that he is alive.

For now, very few questions have been answered regarding the circumstances of his disappearance, his whereabouts the past eights years, and how he came to be at the church. His mother told KTRK that Rudy can speak only a few words at a time before clamming up. He then curls up in the fetal position. Doctors and therapists are expected to begin working with him soon, perhaps even this week.

Texas EquuSearch, which was also involved in the search to find Rudy, is elated by the news. "How did this happen? We believe in miracles and this certainly was a miracle," said director Tim Miller. "I can’t even tell you how many times we searched and how many leads and tips came in and they just kind of faded away and now all of a sudden, this."

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