Missing UMBC Grad Seen in Libya

Matthew VanDyke, the in March while visiting during the upheaval in Libya, was observed alive and healthy in a prison in Tripoli by two independent sources, according to VanDyke's mother and U.S. Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.).

"We have really credible reports that Matthew has been spotted in a prison in Tripoli," said Ruppersberger, a ranking member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. "His identity isn't confirmed yet, but we're currently optimistic that this is Matthew."

"This is great news," said Sharon VanDyke of Baltimore, who has been working tirelessly to locate and free her son since he disappeared on March 13.

"It may sound strange for a mother to say it's good news that her son is in prison, but it means he's alive," she told Patch.

Several obstancles remain before the 31-year-old can be brought home, including an absence of U.S. diplomatic relations with the nation of Libya.

"It's a lead, and any lead is welcome at this point," Ruppersberger said to Patch.

When events began to unfold in Libya, VanDyke went to visit friends in Benghazi, on the eastern side of the country thought to be safely distant from the upheaval breaking out in the capital of Tripoli.

In March, Moammar Gadhafi launched an assault on Benghazi to attack rebel fighters. On March 12, VanDyke told his girlfriend that he and his friends were traveling by truck from Benghazi to Brega.

A brief phone call on March 12 was the last time Sharon VanDyke spoke with her son.

On March 13, the U.S. joined a five-nation coalition to launch military attacks aimed at crippling Gadhafi's defenses. The same day, VanDyke sent a text message to his mother containing GPS coordinates.

Then VanDyke's phone stopped working.

"I'd always believed that he'd been captured," Sharon VanDyke said. "I've never entertained the thought that he was killed. Matthew is very resilient and savvy about the Middle East. I'm confident that he can keep himself safe."

Evidence that her son is being held prisoner will help focus attention and efforts leading to his release, she said. However, she also believes it likely that Matthew may remain imprisoned until Gadhafi is toppled from power.

"We're using a variety of strategies to find him," Ruppersberger said. "We're doing everything we can to bring Matthew home safe and sound."