Missing student Aisha Khan found safe

Statement from Kansas University

“It’s the best news we could have received. We’re happy for the family and grateful to the campus and Overland Park police who worked so hard to make sure she came home safe.”

— Jill Jess, director of the KU News Service

Aisha Khan was reported missing on Dec. 16, 2011.

? A 19-year-old woman reported missing from the University of Kansas’ Overland Park campus last week has been found safe, and police say she was never abducted.

Overland Park police released a statement late Wednesday saying law enforcement officials personally contacted Aisha Khan and verified her identity, safety and that she’d never been taken or held against her will.

No details were released about where Khan is now or where she’d been since she was reported missing Friday, though the statement said no charges would be filed. Police spokesman Sean Reilly said he couldn’t provide additional information.

Police had been looking for the woman since Friday, when she left her sister a voicemail saying she’d slapped a man who tried to kiss her while she was studying outside. When the sister drove to get her, she found only Khan’s book bag and cellphone.

Khan, a student at Johnson County Community at College, had been studying on the university’s campus that morning. She lived in nearby Olathe.

Local police, along with the FBI, had been investigating the case as an abduction and had devoted hundreds of hours to finding Khan. Her family and friends had made several public appeals for help, including earlier Wednesday.

The Kansas City Star reported that as of about 9:30 p.m., her family hadn’t heard about Khan being found. But they gathered later Wednesday night at a local hotel that had served as search headquarters, sharing hugs about the news. Her relatives told the newspaper they had been questioned at length by police and the FBI.

Family friend Aamer Trambu said he couldn’t answer questions about how Khan was found, but said “the fact is, she’s alive, she’s well. We believe our prayers have been answered.”