0:00 This is Sophia Kutzio. She was smiling, carefree, and despite the foreshadowing 0:06 video clips was full of positivity. But what you are seeing here are several video clips which were recorded only a 0:12 few days before she suddenly vanished. You see, Sophia was wrapping up an 8-week internship in Uganda with a 0:20 promising future in medicine back home in Amsterdam. However, before returning back home, she wanted to have one last 0:27 adventure. A two-week tour across the country with a guide and three fellow travelers. What began as a dream trip 0:34 would quickly unravel into a nightmare. And on their eighth day, tragedy struck when Sophia disappeared into thin air. 0:41 And trust me, the deeper that you look into this case, the stranger and more unsettling it becomes. 0:49 Welcome, or welcome back to Coffee House Crime, folks. My name is Adrian and today we're looking at the strange case 0:54 of Sophia Kutzia. By the way, this is just a quick heads up that this case still remains unsolved to this day. I 1:01 know a few of you don't like open-ended cases, so this is your warning. I do think it's great to talk about these 1:06 stories, though, to help bring awareness to the situation. And with this case recently receiving a new update, now's a 1:13 great time. Before we begin, I post one to two videos a week here. So, if you'd like to be part of the Coffee House 1:18 crime community, please hit subscribe. And now with all of that out the way, please grab yourself a coffee and let's 1:24 caffeinate while we investigate. This is the case of Sophia Kutsia. 1:38 Welcome to Amsterdam, folks. A city where the streets are water, the cars are bikes, and somehow everyone looks 1:45 effortlessly well-fashioned. The city is somewhat of a paradox actually, having both small town cozy vibes while holding 1:52 an internationally glamorous aura. Amsterdam is home to many contrasts, too. By day, you can lose yourself in 1:59 the many museums and art galleries. And by night, the glow of red lights and the haze coming from socalled coffee shops 2:07 remind you that the city is unafraid of confronting human vices. Of course, all 2:12 while maintaining blunt Dutch practicality. Amsterdam thrives on both curiosity and connection. It's a city 2:19 that prizes honesty, values art, and somehow still manages to bake the perfect Stroop waffle. In short, it's 2:26 beautiful, bizarre, and brilliantly alive. And for Sophia Kutzia, it was 2:31 home. Born on December the 7th, 1993, Sophia grew up as the oldest child and 2:37 the only daughter in her family, and alongside her had two younger brothers. Born and raised in Amsterdam, Sophia 2:44 went on to become ambitious, bright, and brimming with curiosity. She would thrive in school, too, earning her 2:50 international bachelorette diploma with a double science profile in the year 2012. For a time, she dreamed of the 2:57 stage, studying at youth theater schools with hopes of becoming an actress. However, as she grew older and her 3:03 passions matured, she would eventually find a deeper calling in medicine. Passing all of the entrance exams with 3:10 ease, she went on to study at the University of Amsterdam, where by the year 2015, she had completed her 3:16 bachelor's degree with flying colors. However, rather than continue straight into her master's degree, which of 3:23 course was the next required step to becoming a doctor, Sophia decided to pause for a year instead. She quickly 3:30 realized that if she were to take any time off after she graduated, it would unfortunately reduce the likelihood of 3:37 her finding work. So, the plan was quite simple really. Now that her bachelor's degree was finished, she would go off 3:43 for a year and do whatever she wanted before then returning home and finishing her master's degree. And that is 3:49 precisely what she did. Practical yet adventurous at the same time. She wanted to have real world experience before 3:57 then being forced to settle. Even from a young age, Sophia was both multi-talented and extremely 4:02 hardworking. She always seemed to be busy, and that was probably because she always worked more than two jobs and 4:08 also volunteered at the local care home. She was known to be social, fun-loving, and even that thing that we always hear 4:14 in these stories, that she lit up a room whenever she entered. And look, I know it's quite a generic thing to say, but 4:20 this is genuinely how her friends described her. To add more depth to her personality here, she enjoyed writing, 4:26 drawing, playing the piano, and even dancing. And when it came to sports, she enjoyed basketball and rowing. By the 4:32 year 2015, it became quite obvious that Sophia's ambitions were pretty much settled. Now, she wanted to become a 4:39 doctor specializing in tropical medicine. And so, when she received the chance for an internship at Lubaga 4:45 Hospital in Kala, Uganda, Sophia quite literally jumped at the opportunity. Lubaga Hospital can be found at the 4:52 heart of Uganda's capital city, Kala. We'll talk a little bit more about it in a while, but it's one of the oldest 4:58 hospitals in Uganda, and serves part of Kala's 1.8 million residents. Being both 5:03 optimistic and fearless at the opportunity, Sophia even started learning their local language, Luganda. 5:09 And that's because she was determined to not merely just work at this hospital, but also connect with its people. And so 5:15 at only 21 years old, she finally set off, ready to dive into a new culture and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It 5:22 was the very beginning of a new chapter that was supposed to be filled with growth, discovery, and service. However, 5:29 that so-called next chapter would tragically be her final one, too. Sophia landed in Uganda on August the 31st, 5:36 2015. wideeyed, backpacked, and ready for the kind of internship that would shape her life forever, she was very 5:44 keen to get stuck into both the Ugandan and medical worlds. Through ASIC, she moved into a student home in Kala, which 5:51 had a mix of Dutch volunteers and Ugandan students. Was it fun? Absolutely. But was it silent? Not a 5:59 chance at all. In many of her messages back home, she always wrote that it was never quiet. But for someone who seemed 6:05 to thrive on activity, that chaos always felt like fuel. As the days turned into 6:11 weeks, she bonded fast with housemates, colleagues, and even the city itself. And by mid-occtober, even her mother, 6:18 Maria, had flown in from Amsterdam for a quick visit. At the time, Maria was 6:23 approaching the end of her career in film production and journalism. And for her, this was a great moment to share 6:30 with her daughter. The great reunion, which happened on October the 14th, appeared to be all smiles and hugs. And 6:37 of course, it also reassured Maria that Sophia wasn't only safe, but thriving, 6:42 too. Sophia threw herself into work at hospital, fascinated by both her patients and her responsibilities. 6:49 Workers reported her being one of the best students that they ever had. and she even seemed to pick up parts of 6:55 Luganda, that being the local language, so that she could banter with both patients and staff. Over the following 7:01 weeks, her routine became working at the hospital, making journeys to the markets and nightclubs, and taking many hikes 7:08 all around the city, and of course, also trying all of the local foods. Some she 7:14 loved, and well, others not so much. I mean, you can't blame her really. It is 7:20 quite clear that she found genuine excitement and purpose in Uganda. And as the 8-week stint slowly wound down, she 7:28 admitted that she wasn't quite ready to leave yet. Tropical medicine was no longer just an idea to her. It had quite 7:35 literally become her calling. On October the 22nd, 2015, her internship had 7:40 finally sadly wrapped up. And after saying goodbye, Sophia could finally have her reward. As you can probably 7:48 guess, that being a road trip with her friends. That is when Sophia, two Dutch friends that she had met on placement, 7:54 and a hired driver guide named Michael all set off to see Uganda properly, which included savas, waterfalls, and 8:02 dozens of small towns. It was going to be 10 beautiful days of freedom, of 8:07 course, before eventually catching a flight back home in early November. And so, with this dream in mind, what could 8:14 possibly go wrong? Well, at first nothing. The group first traveled north 8:19 towards Kiddepo Valley National Park, known for its rugged, remote, and breathtaking scenery. After that, they 8:26 then checked in to Apoka Safari Lodge around October the 26th, where the assistant warden, Steven, remembered 8:33 them checking in to two cottages. Their spirits were quite high that night, maybe a little too high, in fact, 8:40 because later that evening, neighbors put in a polite notice to ask them to quieten down. After that, Sophia went 8:47 the extra mile by apologizing to all of her neighbors. It was in that moment that one of them recalls her acting a 8:54 little bit strange, and apparently she even appeared to be quite vulnerable. 9:00 And then later that night and before dawn of October the 27th, the trip would 9:05 suddenly take a rather strange turn. At around 4:00 a.m., everyone inside that camp suddenly woke up to some rather 9:12 aggressive banging. One of the rangers who was on duty at the time stepped outside to investigate. And when he did, 9:18 that is when he found Sophia on an elevated platform striking multiple interpretive panels. And for those who 9:24 are wondering what that means, because I was confused when I first read it, it's basically those large metal signs you 9:30 see at tourist hotspots that have multiple languages. What was also very concerning is that apparently Sophia was 9:37 trying to set fire to the grass nearby, which was both extremely dangerous and out of character for her. So, this is 9:44 where the first of many twists begin. And it's probably worth highlighting at this stage that Sophia was in fact 9:50 bipolar, though apparently she never suffered from any depression and only manic episodes. In essence, she was 9:57 uniolar. Now, according to her family, Sophia would only experience mania when she was exposed to heightened moments 10:04 for a prolonged period of time, and especially when she wasn't given any time to relax or process them. which of 10:10 course when considering that she was on an 8-week trip to a new country does indeed make a lot of sense. 10:16 Unfortunately, there are multiple reports that claim that Sophia was acting crazy during this moment. 10:22 However, it is much more accurate to say that she was having a manic episode which was triggered by too much of a 10:27 good thing. Sophia was clearly distressed either way. All of her friends were worried for her. A passer 10:33 by got the impression that she was incredibly vulnerable at this stage, and the warden even urged Michael to cut the 10:40 tour short and take her to a hospital immediately. At the time, Michael even seemed to agree. In fact, even several 10:47 hours after this episode, she still appeared to be unstable. At one point, even trying to throw herself out from 10:54 the moving van. Shaken by the entire incident, the group then left Kadepo and reached Gulu on the 27th, skipping one 11:01 of the planned stops in the process to get there faster. The assumption at the time was quite simple, that Sophia 11:08 desperately needed help. Worried by the situation, that is when her friends decided to call her mom, Maria, at 6:30 11:15 p.m. on October the 28th, telling her that they would take her daughter back to Kala the next day and then check her 11:21 into a hospital. sensible and safe. Their decision had finally been made. 11:26 Except it wasn't. Because despite all the advice and common sense, Michael, 11:32 who was the group's tour guide, made the decision not to turn the vehicle back around, instead opting to drive west 11:39 into Merchesen Falls. Both vast and wild, it's a spectacular place to be 11:45 when you're in good condition. The Nile squeezes through a gorge with savas rolling to the horizon and the area is 11:52 teeming with beautiful wildlife. So, considering Sophia's condition, why did 11:58 the group go? Well, maybe they had hoped to salvage the trip. Or maybe Sophia had 12:03 come back down to Earth. Or maybe their guide, Michael, disliked the idea of cancelling and therefore losing money. 12:10 Whatever the reason was, by late afternoon of October the 28th, they were deep inside Merchesen Falls National 12:17 Park and far away from the capital. And tragically, this would be the last day 12:22 that anyone saw Sophia. After reaching the park, the group set off to do what most visitors do, of course, that being 12:30 to drift the river Nile. It was a good moment to realize how much wildlife is around them. With hippos and crocs in 12:36 the water and elephants and giraffes on the banks. I mean, after all of that chaos in Kando, it was the kind of calm 12:44 that the group needed. By all accounts, Sophia was quiet on that cruise, too. Maybe perhaps because her strange 12:50 episode had passed, or maybe she was simply just tired. As the afternoon turned into the evening, the group 12:57 decided to check in to the student education center, which essentially was a bunch of basic dormatory huts inside 13:03 of the national park. And sure, it was close to a rural road, but otherwise was 13:09 out in the middle of nowhere. At around 6:00 p.m., that being roughly 45 minutes 13:14 before sunset, Sophia told the others that she was heading to the bathroom, which was only a short walk away. 13:20 Meanwhile, her friends decided to stay back in the dormatory to unpack, expecting her to return back shortly. 13:27 With that in mind, Sophia said she'd be right back and then walked out of the front door. However, that was the final 13:34 time that her friend saw her because Sophia never came back. Now, at first, there was no panic because, of course, 13:40 we're talking about the bathroom here where basically everybody wants their privacy. However, as the sun began to 13:47 fade, the group slowly began to worry. And after walking over to the bathroom block and calling out her name, they 13:53 realized that not only was it silent, but it was completely empty, too. That was the moment that changed everything. 13:59 And within 15 minutes, all of Sophia's friends and the driver were scouring the area for her. Meanwhile, they were 14:06 desperately calling for rangers to come help find her. But no matter how loud they shouted or how deep they looked for 14:12 her, Sophia was gone. It was literally as if she had disappeared. 14:19 Park rangers mobilized fast, sweeping the bush around the center and then outward in rings. The problem was the 14:26 dark because on moonless nights, Merchesen Falls really does feel like ink. In the middle of night, you can't 14:33 see anything out there and park rangers have to hunt with their ears more than they do their eyes. Despite their 14:39 efforts, the first night of investigating revealed nothing. And by daylight, the search had widened. Police 14:46 officers joined park rangers with dozens of teams walking on footpaths through 14:51 dense bushland and along the riverbank. And on the note of the river, that was 14:57 another huge threat to Sophia's safety. Because not only was she against the wildlife, elements, and even possibly 15:04 humans, but that river had the power to send her hundreds of miles downstream, 15:10 and that's not even taking the rapid currents and crocodiles into account. Going back to the school, as you can 15:16 see, the toilet block that she had used was on the perimeter of the property, making it easy for Sophia, or perhaps 15:23 even someone else to slip in and out without being detected. It was later that day that officers found their first 15:30 clue. Local rangers had found an empty plastic water bottle by the Nile, which 15:35 eventually was recognized to be Sophia's. This, of course, suggested that she had possibly made it down to 15:41 the water. But why? And where did she go from there? By sunset, the operation had 15:47 grown to one of the largest search and rescue operations that the park had ever seen. It included land patrols, boats on 15:54 the river, helicopters above, and tracking dogs, and they were all working around the clock to try and find her. 16:00 Back in Campala, Sophia's mom had dropped everything and headed straight towards Sophia. She arrived at the park 16:07 on October the 30th, stepping straight into the command tent and the center of her nightmare. And it was soon after she 16:14 arrived that more strange clues were found. Not far from the bottle, searchers discovered torn colorful 16:20 fabric, not just on the ground, but also tied to twigs. And it turns out that all 16:26 of these shreds of fabric were actually pieces of Sophia's clothes. And then nearby, and 5 m off the ground in a 16:34 tree, they found even more fragments. This time, it was parts of her underwear and pants, all of which seemed to be 16:40 knotted in branches. Her shoe was there, too, placed neatly, dry, and clean. And 16:46 nearby lay an empty little pouch and her other shoe. Now, this is kind of obvious to say here, but all of this was 16:52 beginning to sound extraordinarily suspicious. I mean, when I first heard about the water bottle, I was thinking 16:59 maybe she just walked down to the river and then accidentally slipped in. But when her clothes were found scattered 17:05 across the area, some in incredibly hardto-reach places, that didn't just seem strange, it seemed calculated. The 17:12 whole thing quite literally looked staged, even theatrically so, and it baffled everyone working on the case. To 17:19 make things even stranger and more concerning, that area had actually already been searched the night prior. 17:26 And so, why were things now all of a sudden turning up? I mean, there are only two options here, really. They were 17:31 either missed that night or someone had placed them there later. For the family, it was a dark kind of humor that they 17:37 really could have done without in an already harrowing situation. And as for the scene itself, well, it offered 17:44 nothing useful. There was no blood, no drag marks, and no sign of wildlife. And 17:49 even if we do entertain the idea that she had undressed herself in confusion and then entered the water, well, how 17:55 does that describe her shoes and clothes appearing 5 m off the ground? 18:01 These clues ignited people's efforts. And on November the 4th, that being 7 days into her disappearance, a 18:08 specialized Dutch team arrived with both drones and equipment. In the meantime, forensic officers had collected all of 18:14 the clothing found in the bushland. And tests would later confirm that not only did it contain Sophia's DNA, but it also 18:22 contained DNA from an unknown individual. And rather concerningly, the foreign DNA was found specifically on 18:29 her underwear. This was a large clue not only to external interference but also 18:34 potentially a motive. However, without a match, this was yet again another dead 18:39 end. With no body, no sighting, and no confirmed trail beyond her bottle or 18:45 clothes, this sadly was a puzzle that no one could solve. And while local and international media were initially 18:51 interested in Sophia's disappearance, attention seemed to dwindle and then fade over the following weeks. No 18:58 surprise. but in the interest of money found through tourism. Local authorities leaned towards a tragic accident more 19:05 than anything else. They claimed that Sophia had either fallen into the Nile or been attacked by a crocodile or 19:11 hippo, which they believe, both of which were triggered by a misadventure during a mental health crisis. Now, obviously, 19:18 the family pushed back hard. There was simply way too much information which didn't seem to add up. And personally, I 19:26 think they're right to say that, too. I mean, not only were her clothes found all over the place, but to have her 19:32 underwear tied to a branch 5 m up a tree. Come on, guys. That doesn't sound like a crocodile attack to me. If they 19:38 really were that smart, we would all be screwed. Filled with pain, desperation, and now also anger, Maria stayed in 19:45 Uganda for weeks after this. She did absolutely everything that she could think of, including coordinating with 19:51 the police, organizing private searches, and speaking to anyone who might know a thing or two about Sophia. And even when 19:58 she returned to the Netherlands, Maria vowed that the search for her daughter would never end. 20:05 And so, unfortunately, even to this day, Sophia hasn't been found. However, her mother believes that without any 20:11 definitive evidence, there is still hope. And so now we're going to look at the many theories of what potentially 20:17 could have happened. From accidents through to trafficking, there are several possibilities here, ranging from 20:22 plausible to highly unlikely. So with that said, let's begin with the most innocent. The first official line from 20:29 the Ugandan police was that Sophia had accidentally fallen into the river Nile, probably while restless or disoriented. 20:36 And at first, that does certainly sound plausible, especially considering how unforgiving that river can be. However, 20:43 there are big problems with this theory. For example, there were no obvious signs at the river's edge. No blood, no drag 20:50 marks in the mud, nothing. And if this included a crocodile or a hippo attack, well, they are usually very violent and 20:57 leave a lot of evidence behind. Things like torn clothing, bite marks, or even 21:03 disturbed ground. Now, if Sophia had simply drowned, then you would expect her body, or at least some of her 21:08 clothing, to eventually turn up downstream, especially considering that the river leads into a lake and not the 21:15 ocean. But despite this, nothing ever showed up, not even a single trace. But 21:20 the one thing that truly undercuts this theory is the clothing. Sophia's shoes and shorts were found far away from the 21:26 water, dry and neatly removed, and again, some even up a tree. These sorts 21:32 of clues seemed to be placed and badly at that. Kind of the so-called clues that I'd expect from Amy Betro, but not 21:39 the River Nile itself. Moving on, here is theory number two. Could Sophia have 21:44 maybe been taken by a lion or a leopard instead? Well, Merchesen Falls does 21:50 indeed have big cats, and a lone person at night is definitely vulnerable to them. So, on paper, it does seem to fit 21:57 the bill. But in practice, again, not really. An attack like that usually leaves a long trail of blood, drag 22:04 marks, tracks, and even remains. Something that the many search teams, which included dozens of seasoned 22:10 trackers, never found. Obviously, the clothing pattern is off, too. Predators, or should I say the animal kind, don't 22:17 undress their prey, and they certainly don't hang shoes neatly in trees. Park officials did seem to consider the 22:24 scenario for a while, but ultimately they called it unlikely based on the facts. And of course, those items that 22:30 are tied neatly to twigs point towards human hands and not really pause. Theory 22:36 three, could Sophia maybe have had a sudden psychological break or manic episode? Well, it is true that you could 22:42 read her manic behavior the morning before as a possible precursor. But interestingly enough, this does remind 22:48 me of the case of Alisa Lamb, who likely chose to swim in the rainwater tank while having a manic episode. And on 22:55 that basis, maybe Sophia wanted to swim in the river Nile. It is technically possible that in a manic state, she 23:01 could have removed her clothes, climbed a tree, and then took a swim in the river before suddenly losing strength in 23:08 its current. And if she really did try to set the grass on fire the day before, this does suggest that her judgment had 23:14 tipped into genuinely dangerous territory. But I also wanted to say that scaling down a tree naked and without 23:21 any shoes does indeed sound like a recipe for disaster. I mean, it would have likely resulted in broken bones and 23:27 blood left behind. But still, that tree was examined and no blood was found. I'm 23:33 also going to put this one out there, but I genuinely do not believe that Sophia had any intent whatsoever to take 23:38 her own life. She was never depressive, always positive, and had so much going 23:43 for her. When Alisa Lamb had a manic episode, she hid in an elevator after feeling threatened. And it is possible 23:50 that maybe Sophia felt the same way. So, one possibility here is that maybe after 23:55 going to the toilet, Sophia felt threatened, panicked, ran, climbed a tree, and then took off her clothes, 24:02 either due to overheating or to mark a trail. But what would have happened afterwards, nobody knows, and I still 24:09 think that this theory is quite the stretch. Next is theory four, negligence or foul play by the tour guide. To be 24:16 honest with you, I do believe this one is quite valid. You can't examine this case without scrutinizing the driver, 24:22 Michael, and for very good reasons, too. Not only was he the last person responsible for Sophia's safety, but he 24:29 also made multiple poor decisions while she was vulnerable. This includes driving her to Merchesen Falls against 24:35 explicit advice, booking barebones lodging areas with no real safety measures, not keeping close watch that 24:41 evening despite her state, and that one other big thing, not actually being a 24:47 licensed tour guide. At minimum, that is negligence that helped create the perfect conditions for her 24:52 disappearance. However, did it go any further? Well, it turns out that there are actually a few inconsistencies here. 25:00 For example, when Cadepo's warden, Nadru, called Michael after hearing Sophia was missing, Michael first 25:06 claimed that they had never actually entered Merchesen Falls at all. So, why say that? Was it panic or was it 25:14 something far darker? To add to this, we must also look at the unknown DNA that was found on Sophia's clothing. The 25:21 gender of the DNA has not actually been publicly confirmed yet, but if it was male and also matched Michael's DNA, 25:28 well, that is one tough story. But the likelihood is that he's probably been tested and excluded. And of course, 25:35 that's another story all in its own. Now, personally, I do believe that the clothing was left behind as a deliberate 25:41 plot to throw officers. And locals also noted that an unlicensed operator might try to avoid police entanglement for 25:48 obvious reasons. So where does this theory leave us? With a strong case for negligence, several red flags, and a lot 25:56 of speculation, there are some warning signs around this one. However, until there's transparent forensic testing, 26:02 and a consistent account, we are none the wiser. And finally, there is one other theory that most of us are 26:08 thinking. Of course, that being that Sophia was abducted by a third-party stranger. Sadly, we can't rule out the 26:15 simplest and ugliest possibility that someone else was there to take her. If we were to look at the map again, you 26:21 can see that the center was cheap, open, and perfectly unfenced. In fact, rangers, workers, and other visitors 26:28 would often drift through the site without warning or permission. So, if Sophia had gone to the bathroom and then 26:35 crossed paths with the wrong person, she certainly would have been vulnerable. And although no screams were reported, 26:41 she could have quite possibly been knocked out without warning. The unknown DNA found on her clothing would also 26:47 suggest that she did in fact cross paths with someone. And since she is not reported to have been intimate with 26:54 anybody before she disappeared, we can only speculate that the DNA found on her underwear was there for the most 27:00 nefarious of reasons. But sadly, without a body, we have no idea what happened. 27:06 However, that doesn't stop many people from wondering and even believing that maybe she was abducted, abused, 27:13 murdered, kidnapped for ransom, or possibly even traffked. 27:19 Now unfortunately a lot of these facts which are used between multiple theories can be read in multiple ways which means 27:25 that a lot of these theories do actually interweave between each other. So whether this was a lucid moment, mother 27:31 nature, a negligent guide or even a predator lurking in the shadows. All of the facts do lead to various outcomes. 27:39 By the way, this is a phenomenon known as multifality. I'm just going to ask my editor Callum to leave a graph up here 27:44 to let you know what I'm talking about. Many opinions on this story tilt towards foul play. Given the many clues left 27:51 behind, the driver's choices, the gaps in the group's timeline, and all of the other inconsistencies, many people 27:57 believe that this does tilt towards foul play. Now, if you're to ask me, I think the most damning articles of evidence 28:03 here is everything found around that tree, which of course includes the dry shoes found nearby, clothing tied like 28:10 markers, and especially the foreign DNA found on her underwear. All of this just 28:16 seems to point towards some sort of third party. And even if you entertain the idea of some manic episode gone 28:22 wrong, many of these clues simply do not add up. Ultimately, every theory collapses into two possibilities here. 28:29 Either Sophia is alive somewhere, unheard and unseen, or sadly, she is 28:34 dead. But until we find any fresh evidence, or some of the current evidence gets resolved, we are still 28:41 none the wiser. Only two months ago, that being in July of 2025, Sophia's case actually returned 28:49 to court. The tour guide, Michael, seems to be in very hot water because not only 28:54 was he found out to not have a license required to look after Sophia and her group, but there are still many 29:00 questions about his negligence on the day, too. It is really hard to tell if this will go anywhere. So, for now, we 29:06 will just have to wait and see. So, before I wrap this video up and share my own analysis, I would like to highlight 29:13 Sophia's mother and her current stance on this case. Maria is still very hopeful that something will eventually 29:19 come from the recent court updates, and she would also like the world to see her daughter for who she really is, not how 29:26 some have depicted her throughout this process. For that reason, I'd like to share a couple things from her recent 29:32 blog posts. found within. She said, "To this day, her disappearance remains a 29:37 mystery that has dominated our lives ever since. In my unrelenting search for Sophia and for answers, I have made many 29:44 journeys to Uganda, always hoping that the many questions we have will be answered one day when asked by the right 29:51 people." On Monday, July the 7th, 2025, I testified in Buganda Road Court. 29:57 Sophia is being depicted as a crazy girl and this is painful to read for us who know her so well. I feel the urge to 30:04 explain her bipolar condition which I believe is not well understood. Bipolar is not a mold that everyone with this 30:11 diagnosis fits into. 10 to 15% only become manic never depressed and Sophia 30:17 belongs to that category which in essence makes her uniolar. Manic episodes occur when there are a lot of 30:23 incentives and new experiences and not enough rest to process everything. The 30:28 latter was clearly the case in those 8 weeks in Compala. And quiet is crucial for Sophia who is far from crazy. She 30:36 was ill when she disappeared and needed care. The ultimate nightmare of every parent wherever in the world is that 30:42 your child leaves on a road trip abroad and does not return home. for us a 30:47 reality day and night ever since October the 28th, 2015. As long as we receive no 30:54 evidence to the contrary, we maintain our belief that she is alive. We must continue searching and do everything 31:00 that is humanly possible to find our daughter. The insecurity that we live with day in and out is devastating and 31:08 doing nothing is not an option. Maria admits that to this day and ever since 31:13 her daughter's disappearance, she has become a shadow of her former self. 31:19 Are you still filming? So, what do I think happened to Sophia? 31:25 Honestly, it's a painful conclusion to reach, but I believe that Sophia was probably abducted by someone who was 31:31 waiting for her. The clues are kind of obvious when you look at it. I don't think this was self-inflicted, and it 31:38 certainly wasn't wildlife. And so something, or rather someone must have intervened that night. Was it her 31:44 driver, an opportunistic outsider, or perhaps even maybe a dark collusion 31:49 between the two? Sadly, we may never know, but I do feel it's almost certain 31:55 that another party was responsible. The theory of abduction or perhaps even murder is not helped by the wider 32:01 context either because many Western governments advise against all travel to Uganda. And that's because unfortunately 32:08 Uganda has its own fair share of homicide, violence, and sexual crime. It's a hard truth that simply put we 32:14 cannot ignore. Anyway, those are my own thoughts on the case of Sophia Coitzia. But as always, I'd love to know what you 32:21 think about this one. What do you think happened to Sophia? Please share your thoughts down below. And this is just a 32:27 reminder, but please remain respectful. And I think I'll probably leave it here, folks. I think I've pretty much said all 32:33 that I know about this case. As always, thank you so much for making it this far today. I really do appreciate you 32:39 staying here. Oh, and by the way, if you want to see another unsolved case that I've recently recorded, then you might 32:44 be interested in the episode that I've done with Crimesolvers Central. I'll leave a link for that down below. But basically, we cover the case of the 32:51 Jameson family murders, a haunting story that still remains unsolved to this day. 32:56 And yeah, with that said, I think we've basically reached the end of the video today, folks. On that note, thank you so 33:02 much again for watching and I'll see you again very shortly for another one. Until that moment arrives though, 33:07 remember to look after yourselves, look after each other, and of course, stay safe and stay curious. Thank you and 33:14 goodbye.