Family Raises Reward to $31K in Search for Missing Kent Man, Foul Play Suspected

KENT, Wash. – The family of Austin Leming, missing for more than three years, has increased the reward for information about his disappearance to $31,000 as they continue to seek answers in a case where authorities suspect foul play.

Community Awareness Efforts

On Friday, Austin’s mother, Karen Leming, joined community members for a “honk and wave” event aimed at keeping his case in the public eye. The reward increase comes from the family’s initial $20,000 contribution, combined with funds from a GoFundMe campaign and Crime Stoppers donations.

Karen says the boost in reward money reflects the family’s determination to encourage anyone with information to come forward.

Disappearance in Downtown Kent

Austin, 36 at the time, was last seen on Dec. 8, 2021, at an apartment complex in downtown Kent. His mother says he had traveled there the day before and vanished the next day under circumstances that quickly raised suspicion.

“It’s something you’re never prepared for and it hits you like a ton of bricks… you just kind of know that perhaps he’s no longer with us, but it’s like where is he then?” Karen said.

Austin would have turned 40 years old on June 20, 2025.

Family’s Ongoing Grief

In a 2023 interview with FOX 13’s David Rose, Karen expressed the emotional toll the case has taken.

“It has been so heartbreaking to our whole family to have Austin just disappear and then to know that it was at someone else’s hands. The not knowing where he is and if we will ever know is more than we can take,” she said.

Today, Karen has created a memorial site in his honor, complete with a tree she planted and a bench Austin built. The site has become a gathering place for family and friends on occasions they would have celebrated with Austin.

“I needed a place to go. I don’t know where to go to see my son — he could be anywhere — and I just felt like I needed a place to go to pray, to cry, to think,” she explained.