Family of Utah man held in Congo coup attempt has no proof he’s alive

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
Associated Press

WEST JORDAN, Utah (AP) — A Utah family whose son has been implicated in a thwarted coup in Congo says they’re unsure if he’s still alive. U.S. officials have yet to make contact with Tyler Thompson and two other Americans two weeks after their arrest. The 21-year-old had traveled to Africa with his former high school football teammate, Marcel Malanga, for what his family believed was a vacation funded by Marcel’s father, Christian Malanga. Congolese officials say Christian Malanga was killed in a shootout after he led and livestreamed a brazen attack on the presidential palace in Kinshasa. Tyler’s parents are rushing to find a credible lawyer in Congo while urging U.S. officials to consider him wrongfully detained.