Embedded Files
06/06/2025 - As the nation marked National Missing Children’s Day on May 25, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation renewed its appeal for information in the disappearance of Faloma and Maleina Luhk, two sisters who vanished from a school bus stop in As Teo, Saipan, exactly 14 years ago.
In a recent episode of Inside the FBI, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory with the FBI Public Affairs Office sat down with retired FBI special agent Haejun Park, who led the investigation for more than a decade. Their conversation sheds light on the enduring mystery surrounding the case—and the emotional toll it has taken on both investigators and the Northern Marianas community.
“Faloma and Maleina were children of the community,” Park said in the podcast. “Everybody kind of knew who they were. When they went missing, it was not only an investigative case—it was personal.”
Faloma, then 10, and Maleina, 9, were last seen on the morning of May 25, 2011, waiting for their school bus. When they failed to arrive at school or return home, CNMI authorities were notified. The FBI quickly joined the case due to its federal jurisdiction over U.S. territories like the CNMI.
Park said the initial response was immediate and overwhelming. “Every law enforcement agency and entity in the CNMI came together for one cause,” he recalled. “We had law enforcement officers, federal agencies, and community members combing through the thick jungle, back roads, and beaches of Saipan.”
Despite extensive efforts—including air and maritime searches, numerous interviews, and even inquiries about aircraft and sea vessels leaving the island—there has never been a confirmed sighting or trace of the girls.
“There is no conclusion to where these girls might’ve ended up,” Park admitted. “Our hope is we find these girls alive somewhere.”
The FBI continues to offer a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the whereabouts of the Luhk sisters. The agency urges anyone with information, no matter how small, to submit tips by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting tips.fbi.gov.
Special agent Rick Bauer, who now leads the case, emphasized how the disappearance shook Saipan’s sense of safety. “It’s a very loving community. Kids used to walk barefoot to the ballfield or the beach. But when Maleina and Faloma were taken, that stopped,” Bauer said. “That’s why we’re still fighting for answers.”
The podcast also explores the FBI’s belief that information may lie beyond the islands. “We know there’s a strong Micronesian diaspora in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and other states,” Park noted. “We’re reaching out to those communities—to anyone who might have heard something over the years. We want to bring these girls home.”
Now 14 years later, the case remains open. And for Park, Bauer, and the family of Faloma and Maleina, hope remains alive.
“We believe there are people out there that know something,” Park said. “No matter how big or small it is, it could be the key that solves this case.”
Story by Mark Rabago
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