June 24, 2009 Woman continues fight for brother who vanished in Chile Play video

(NECN: Greg Wayland) - He simply vanished in Chile more than 20 years ago. An American man who relatives believe may still be alive somewhere in that country. His sister who lives in Massachusetts is refusing to give up the fight and even recently called on President Obama to help.

Through pictures, through her website, Olga Weisfeiler is waging a long, lonely campaign to learn the fate of her brother.

Forty-three-year old Boris Weisfeiler was a Penn State mathematics professor, avid hiker and world traveler who went to Chile in 1985 to hike.

He then disappeared without a trace -- the only U.S. citizen among 1100 Chileans who disappeared at the hands of the regime of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Like her brother, Olga is a Russian-born Jew and American citizen. She lives in Newton, Mass.

She was aware of President Barack Obama's meeting this week with Chilean president Michelle Bachelet. She wanted the president to demand an accounting for her brother from Chilean authorities. But has had no response.

An informant has told her that her brother was seized by the Chilean military after wandering into an area under the control of an obscure Para-military group with ties to former fugitive Nazis called Colonia Dignidat.

Because all this area where he was picked up is under influence of Colonia Dignitat.

Amnesty International northeast regional director Josh Rubenstein says Olga’s fears have a basis in the reality

He liked to hike in remote corners of the world. We believe he was picked up by a military patrol. They didn't know what to make of him -- an American of Russian background, Jewish background. This military regime with all kinds of paranoia.

And he says Colonia Dignidat was a real menacing force in that period.

They were apparently a torture center under Pinochet. So they were capable of anything.

This is a classic cold case. But cold cases are solved and the particular incident here is a particularly grievous one.

Sherman Teichman is director of the center for global leadership at Tufts University. He says there is reason to hope in this case.

It's in the jurisdiction of a remarkably courageous judge, Juan Guzman who actually prosecuted the former military dictator. And there is a new Chile. There is a Chile which is desiring accountability.

Olga says she doesn't want anyone punished. She just wants to know what happened to her brother.

I'm still searching for the truth. Just for him.