US journalist vanished in Syria 14 years ago; now his driver’s shocking betrayal is revealed

He was 31 and had just celebrated his birthday a few days ago while listening to Taylor Swift songs, before heading to Lebanon as an independent freelance journalist and photographer covering the ongoing Syrian civil war. That was the last time the former US Marine and Georgetown University law student was seen out and about. About 14 years later, his disappearance still remains a mystery.A new BBC investigation published on September 17 has revealed yet another update in the case. According to the report, Tice was betrayed by his driver, an alleged informant for the Assad regime and kidnapped.Who was Austin Tice?Tice, a Houston native, served in the Marine from 2005 to 2011 and returned to the Middle East as a journalist. At the time, he was covering the Syrian civil war. During his time there, he filed reports for major news organisations including The Washington Post, CBS News and McClatchy. He aimed to document the conflict firsthand and was attempting to travel to Beirut, Lebanon, when he disappeared near a checkpoint in Daraya, Syria, on August 13, 2012.Following his kidnapping, a video surfaced a month later of a blindfolded Tice being held by armed men saying, "Oh Jesus." T...