FBI Washington
Office of Public Affairs
(202) 278-3519
May 15, 2020

$1 Million Reward Offered for Information Leading to the Return of Paul Edwin Overby, Jr.

This month marks the sixth anniversary of the disappearance of Paul Edwin Overby, Jr. from Afghanistan. In mid-May 2014, Paul Edwin Overby, Jr., an American writer, disappeared in Khost Province, Afghanistan, where he was conducting research on a self-authored book. Prior to his disappearance, Overby suggested that he planned to cross the border into Pakistan in furtherance of his research.

In May 2018, the FBI Washington Field Office announced a reward of up to $1 million for information leading directly to the safe location, recovery, and return of Paul Edwin Overby, Jr. The reward remains unclaimed. The FBI is dedicated to locating American citizens overseas and returning them home to their families.

“Today we mark the anniversary of the disappearance of Mr. Overby and renew our public call for information,” said Timothy R. Slater, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “Paul Overby went missing along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2014 while researching for his book about the Afghan people, and he has not been heard from since. For six years, dedicated FBI special agents and analysts have been working tirelessly to determine Mr. Overby’s whereabouts and return him to his family. Our pursuit of justice will not end until Mr. Overby has returned home to the U.S. and his loved ones. We ask anyone with information to please contact the FBI."

We encourage anyone with information concerning the kidnapping of Paul Edwin Overby, Jr. to contact the FBI or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. Tips can be kept strictly confidential.