The remains of American journalist Austin Tice, who vanished in Syria more than a decade ago, have reportedly been discovered in a cemetery in Aleppo, according to media reports.

Tice, a freelance journalist and former U.S. Marine, disappeared in August 2012 while reporting on the Syrian civil war. At the time, he was contributing to several major American news organizations, including The Washington Post, CBS News, and McClatchy. A graduate of Georgetown University and a decorated veteran, Tice had gained recognition for his frontline reporting, including the 2012 George Polk Award for War Reporting.

According to reports, Tice was abducted shortly after departing the Damascus suburb of Darayya en route to Lebanon. He was last seen at a checkpoint west of the Syrian capital. A little over a month after his disappearance, a 43-second video titled “Austin Tice is Alive” surfaced, showing him blindfolded and held by armed men. The Syrian government then consistently denied any involvement in his abduction or detention.

Tice’s family and U.S. officials have long believed he was being held by the now-ousted Syrian regime. 

In recent days, Syrian outlets have reported that human remains, believed to be those of Tice, were located in a burial site in Aleppo. While these reports have not yet been independently confirmed by U.S. authorities, they mark a potential turning point in the long-standing mystery surrounding his disappearance.

Tice, a Houston native and a former Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, was 31 years old at the time he went missing. His disappearance has been a focal point of ongoing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Damascus, with successive U.S. administrations pressing for answers and accountability.