A Sacramento family is still searching for answers eight months after Fong Thao, a 42-year-old Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq, disappeared during what should have been an ordinary evening dog walk. Thao, who also goes by Pao, was last seen on December 11, 2025, and his parents, siblings and friends say they have not heard from him since. His family is now organizing another search party at Discovery Park, hoping fresh eyes and renewed attention can turn up a clue that months of searching have not.
According to KCRA, Thao and his wife, Linda Lor, had gone out to walk their dog the night he vanished. At some point during that walk, Thao started walking the other direction, and Lor has not seen him since. He left without his wallet, identification or car keys, details that have deepened the family’s worry about how he has managed in the months since. Lor told the station that Thao suffered from insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder, and that his condition had worsened in the days leading up to his disappearance.
Lor said Thao had experienced panic attacks and ringing in his ears from firing bullets during his military service, lingering effects of the two combat tours he completed in Iraq. He had also talked about self-harm, she said, and had gone to the emergency room for help. But according to the KCRA report, Thao learned he would not get an appointment with the VA until March, a wait that fell squarely in the middle of the mental health crisis his family says he was experiencing when he disappeared.
A Legal Duty to Search Immediately
The Sacramento Police Department used helicopters when Thao first went missing and has continued investigating his disappearance, though it has not located him. Police have received tips about Thao over the months, though none has led to his whereabouts. A department representative identified as Gamble told KCRA that police department members want to know where Thao is and hope he is safe…