Missing Texas A&M student found dead on Christmas Eve after 8-day search
Tanner Hoang, 22, was found dead in Austin, Texas, on Christmas Eve after disappearing on Dec. 16
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The search for a missing Texas A&M student, whose family said was about to graduate, came to a tragic end on Christmas Eve.
Amber Alert Network Brazos Valley posted an update on its social media pages Saturday evening reporting 22-year-old Tanner Hoang was found dead in Austin near Pennybacker Bridge on Loop 360, which is not far from where his car was found on Thursday.
"Certainly not the outcome so many people had hoped for. Please keep Tanner’s family in your prayers during this difficult time," the agency wrote.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hoang was considered missing by his family on Dec. 16 after he shut his phone off around 8 a.m. and disappeared. Amber Alert Network Brazos Valley put out the alert for the college student on Dec. 18.
Missing student Tanner Hoang, 22, was found dead on Christmas Eve after an 8-day search. (Amber Alert Network Brazos Valley)
Officials reported he was last seen in the 900 block of Colgate Drive in College Station around 11 a.m. He also reportedly got gas around noon in Caldwell, Texas.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hoang's family said they were on their way to College Station to attend his graduation the weekend he went missing, according to Fox 26 Houston. They were supposed to meet him for lunch, but never did.
Texas A&M University said Hoang was not qualified to graduate, Fox 26 reported.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A sign at an entrance to the university in College Station, Texas.
Hoang's car was found unoccupied in a parking area in West Austin on Dec. 22.
A couple of hours before his death was announced, volunteers and search parties were called off and asked to go home, according to local media outlets.
In a Facebook group dedicated to the search for Hoang, a spokesperson for the family wrote the following statement Sunday evening:
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is not the outcome that we have all been praying for, but on this Christmas Eve, Tanner is now in the arms of his Savior, King, Prince of Peace, Joy, and Healer. No foul play is suspected.
"Tanner's family wants everyone to know how much they have appreciated everyone's help. They feel God's love for them through the overwhelming outpouring of support. They know Tanner was loved by so many."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A cause of death has not been made available as of Sunday, but authorities and Hoang's family said foul play is not suspected.