The family of Airam Concepción, the young man with autism who went missing in February on La Palma, announced on Friday that a lock of hair had been found which matches his mother’s mitochondrial DNA by 99.9 per cent, according to an analysis carried out by a private laboratory.
The discovery was made in September on a mountain track in La Breña during the search efforts that his loved ones have been carrying out tirelessly since his disappearance.
In the first few days following his disappearance, which took place on Monday 16 February, his rucksack was found in the Los Cancajos area and a pair of trousers was found in the sea, at a depth of ten metres, matching the ones he was wearing when he was last seen.
La Palma: Family believes the items found were part of an escape attempt
Far from interpreting these clues as a sign of a fatal outcome, the family have maintained from the outset that these items of clothing were part of an attempt to flee.
Those close to him have pointed out that this pattern is consistent with a previous incident in Poland, where Airam went missing for twenty days whilst in a wooded area.
Psychiatric specialists consulted by the family have confirmed that the young man is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which can be reactivated by certain experiences or memories.
According to the missing person’s family, this disorder can trigger an autistic and dissociative flight response characterised by an extreme need to hide and avoid human contact.
To date, Airam’s family, teams of volunteers and state security forces have recorded more than twenty-seven possible sightings reported by local residents and witnesses in various parts of the island.
Breña Baja: Hair analysis shows a 99.9 per cent match
Faced with a wait of more than three months for the police to analyse the evidence, the family decided to take matters into their own hands and approach a specialist private laboratory to analyse the genetic material found on the lock of hair discovered near La Breña Mountain, in Breña Baja.
The mitochondrial analysis of the lock of hair, when compared with that of Airam’s mother, concludes that the sample shares 1,200 identical nucleotides and puts the probability of it belonging to the maternal lineage at 99.9 per cent.
The parents have explained that only six people in their immediate family share this lineage, and none of them have shed hair in the area where the discovery was made.
The scientific report has been made available immediately to the authorities and the Guardia Civil so that it can be included in the ongoing investigation.
The family wished to thank the volunteers, local residents and law enforcement agencies for their selfless efforts in the search operations across the island, and have made a direct appeal for the public’s cooperation in towns such as Breña Alta, Breña Baja, Mazo and Santa Cruz de La Palma.
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