New clues link missing San Francisco family to Roseburg

New clues link missing San Francisco family to Roseburg

By KATU Web Staff and Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. - Authorities turned up new clues Saturday in the search for a missing San Francisco family that show they made it as far south as Roseburg before disappearing.

After a holiday trip to the Pacific Northwest, the couple and two young children were last seen the night of Nov. 25 as they headed south toward home.

After visiting friends in Portland for lunch, James Kim, 35, his wife, Kati, 30, and children, Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months, were planning to stay that Saturday night at a lodge in Gold Beach on the Oregon Coast.

Along the way, the family stopped at a Denny's restaurant in Roseburg about 8 p.m., authorities said. They had called the lodge to have a key left for them because they planned to arrive late.

But the family never picked up the key or checked in, police have said.

"We don't have any indication of foul play," said Sgt. Roger Loomis of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. "They were in Roseburg, they had dinner and they left and that's about the only information we have right now."   

Officials revealed the Roseburg link Saturday after a credit card history search found the charge. A citizen also came forward Saturday morning reporting seeing the family's vehicle in the same area as the restaurant, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.

However, the citizen was not clear as to the exact date and time.

CNET, where James Kim works, reported Saturday on its Web site that officials don't believe the family made it as far as Curry County on the coast.

Authorities hoped for a break based on the personalized California license plate of the family's 2005 silver Saab station wagon: DOESF.

Oregon State Police troopers have been checking state highways that run from Interstate 5 to the Oregon coast and along the coastline looking for any sign of the family, their vehicle, and any indication that the vehicle may have traveled off the highways.

Oregon State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings said searchers in Curry County focused Friday on a twisty mountain road that leads to Gold Beach, where the Kims were headed but never arrived.

The road shows up in computer-generated maps showing routes to the coast, Hastings said.

But, he said, there's no evidence the Kims actually took the route, and search and rescue teams found no trace of them.

In addition, troopers checked hotels and resorts on the south coast for any information to help in this case.

The Curry County Sheriff's Office was searching the region using 4x4 vehicles but were limited by snow and icy conditions.

The Oregon National Guard Air Unit deployed a Blackhawk helicopter to conduct an aerial search of roads in the Bear Camp Road area.

Relatives of the family also hired helicopters to search the area.

But those helicopters failed to turn up any evidence of the family, Hastings said. 

Kati Kim's father, Phil Fleming, who lives in New Mexico, has said he and his wife are waiting by the phone for news.

"I don't know if there's much we can do right now but stay at home base," Fleming said.

Anyone with information on the Kim family is asked to call 911, or the Oregon State Police Northern Command Center dispatch at (800) 452-7888, or the San Francisco Police Department Missing Persons Unit, (415) 558-5508.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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