Man Missing for 30 Years Found in Neighbor’s Cellar

Omar Bin Omran, who vanished in 1997 at age 17, was found alive in his neighbor’s cellar in Djelfa, Algeria, just 300 feet from his family home. His family believed he had died during the civil war.
On May 12, Omar, now 45, was rescued from his 61-year-old neighbor’s property. He had been kept in a hay-covered contraption resembling a sheep pen. Video footage showed him nervously looking up as rescuers shined torches on him.

The discovery came after the suspect’s brother hinted on social media about Omar’s whereabouts during an inheritance dispute. The Djelfa Attorney General’s Office confirmed the neighbor was taken into custody. Prosecutors stated, “The suspect will be presented to the Public Prosecutor’s Office immediately after the completion of the investigation,” and that they would pursue the “heinous crime” with severity.

Omar’s mother tragically passed away in 2013 without knowing her son was nearby. A local resident said, “His poor mum died while he was in captivity, without knowing that all this time he was really right beside her.”