Staff Sgt. Jonathan Lane is pictured in undated photos released by the U.S. Army’ Criminal Investigation Command July 6, 2023. Lane, a U.S. soldier stationed in Ansbach, Germany, has been reported missing since June and is being sought by Army investigators. (U.S. Army)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A U.S. soldier initially listed as missing was spotted at a base in Germany under an assumed name, military law enforcement officials said.
Staff Sgt. Jonathan Lane, 31, a helicopter repairer assigned to the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade at U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach, was reported missing June 27 after he failed to show up for duty and wasn’t found at his residence.
However, an investigation has revealed that on June 23, Lane was at Ramstein Air Base, according to a statement from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.
Ramstein is more than a three-hour drive from Lane’s Bavarian duty station. Lane was wearing a blue T-shirt and posed as a civilian named David Herscher, the CID statement said.
Lane was last seen entering the gate at nearby Landstuhl Regional Medical Center around 3:18 p.m. that same afternoon.
Army authorities on Friday declined to say whether he received treatment at the hospital, citing medical privacy rules.
Lane’s unlocked Dodge SUV was seen June 23 by a German passer-by parked two hours north of Ramstein in a densely forested area near Urbach, about 28 miles north of Koblenz.
The passer-by later saw the vehicle again and called police, who found it in the woods June 28, Dirk Mohr, a spokesman for the Koblenz Police Department, said Friday.
Officers identified the vehicle and found paperwork belonging to Lane inside, Mohr said.
The soldier was last seen June 29 at the Koblenz main train station, an Army CID notice said Tuesday.
Lane’s disappearance had sparked a joint investigation between the Army and Bavarian law enforcement.
U.S. Army Europe issued a statement and posted on social media asking for help locating the soldier, a member of the 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment.
German police have since suspended their search and turned responsibility back over to the U.S. military.
If Lane is found, German officers will not arrest him but instead will inform U.S. authorities, said Andreas Doktorowski, a spokesman for the Mittelfranken Police Department.
If it turns out that Lane avoided returning to work with the intention of remaining absent permanently, he could face serious disciplinary consequences, including charges of desertion under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Desertion carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, pay forfeiture, reduction in rank and a dishonorable discharge.
