25-year-old Alexander Gumm was last seen in Kauai, Hawaii on February 23, 2018. He disappeared after traveling to the island as part of his spiritual quest to seek enlightenment.
Background
Alexander McLaren Gumm was born on June 27, 1993, to parents Sally McLaren and Ben Gumm.
Gumm grew up in North Berwick, Maine after his family moved there in 2004 from the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He attended Noble High School and took up skateboarding and graffiti art during youth.
Gumm later turned his focus to music and became an accomplished musician. He wrote his own songs and played piano, drums, and guitar. He pursued music as a career after graduation and joined bands, touring all over the local area.
Gumm soon moved to Los Angeles, California, to make a career as a professional artist under the stage name Albert Johnsun. During that time, his behavior grew increasingly erratic as his yearning for a higher purpose intensified.
Gumm believed himself to be a descendant of the extraterrestrial beings that inhabited Lemuria, the mythical birthplace of civilization. He once thought he was going to ascend into another universe during a music performance.
In 2015, Gumm began extensive research on religion and spiritualism and took a six-week trip to India as part of his spiritual quest. He adopted a strict vegan diet as a result and his personality began to change as well.
In 2017, Gumm returned to Maine where his parents own a historic Victorian manor which operates as an inn known as The Angel of the Berwicks Bed and Breakfast in North Berwick.
Gumm gradually began to withdraw from his social circle and spent more time in his own small wing of the house meditating, refusing to even eat meals with his parents. He subsequently took a vow of silence and only left home for his food delivery work.
On February 20, 2018, Gumm broke his vow of silence and told his parents of his plans to get out of town and move to Kauai, Hawaii, reportedly to “seek enlightenment.” He got a buzz cut, losing his long hair, a day before leaving.
Disappearance
On February 22, 2018, Alexander Gumm was last seen by his parents when they dropped him off at a bus depot in Dover, New Hampshire.
Gumm took a bus to Boston Logan International Airport and subsequently boarded a flight to Kauai, Hawaii. He landed at Lihue Airport and checked in at Kauai Beach House, a 2-star hostel on Kuhio Highway in Kapaʻa on the eastern shore.
On February 23, 2018, Gumm called a taxi in the morning, but the cab company has no record of ever picking him up. His last known call was placed from the hotel.
On February 24, 2018, Gumm left the Kauai Beach House after a two-day stay. Alexander Gumm hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
His parents filed a missing person’s report with the Kauai Police Department when they couldn’t contact him.
Investigation
Cell phone records show that Gumm contacted two cab companies during his stay at the hotel, but those companies have no record of picking him up.
His bank account, which contained nearly $8,000, has had no activity since he disappeared.
His laptop browsing history showed searches for information on camping equipment and edible plants and berries, indicating that he may have had plans to live off the grid and may not want to be found.
In March or April 2018, Gumm was possibly sighted at a homeless camp at Salt Pond Beach Park in Eleele. A woman offered him a bowl of seafood chowder but the man politely declined the soup, citing his plant-based diet.
The man had an arm tattoo that matches the description of the Kundalini Staff of Life inked in blue on the inside of Gumm’s left forearm. He was reading a religious text, possibly the Bible.
In August 2018, Gumm was possibly sighted near Polihale State Park on the western shore of Kauai. The man, who was once in the company of a female, apparently looked disheveled, tired, and hungry.
In the spring of 2019, Gumm may have been seen shopping for camping gear at Kauai Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a home improvement store and donation center in Hanapepe on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Whereabouts
Police found no evidence of foul play in Alexander Gumm’s disappearance. The circumstances of Alexander’s disappearance remain unclear and his case is currently classified as missing. His case remains unsolved.
Appearance
Physical Description:
White male born on June 27, 1993. Alex has brown hair, hazel eyes, stands 6’0 tall, and weighs 160 – 180 pounds.
Distinctive Physical Features:
Alex has multiple tattoos including a Kundalini Staff of Life and a sun on the inside of his left forearm and a blue eye on his right hand. He had a buzz cut at the time of his disappearance.
Clothing and accessories:
No information available.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Alexander McLaren Gumm please contact the Kauai Police Department at (808) 241-1711. Agency Case Number: 18-08308
