The body of Yohanes Stefanos Kidane, a 22-year-old Netflix engineer who had been missing since late August was found near the Golden Gate Bridge. Kidane was last seen entering an Uber near his San Jose apartment and his family had been tirelessly searching for him ever since, pleading for information from the public with the support of the San Jose Police Department and other organizations. Tragically, Kidane's remains were found in the waters northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office.
Originally from Webster, NY, Kidane had recently graduated from Cornell University before moving to the Bay Area to start his career as a software engineer at Netflix. His family discovered his phone's location had stopped changing near the Golden Gate Bridge the night he went missing, and personal belongings, such as his phone, wallet, keys, and backpack were subsequently found near the Welcome Center. In an effort to find him, his family, along with the San Jose Police Department, Marin CHP, Golden Gate Bridge Patrol, and the U.S. Coast Guard, launched a comprehensive search that ultimately ended in heartbreak.
Kidane’s remains were discovered by a passing boat, exhibiting signs of advanced decomposition and trauma from prolonged exposure to the seas. His body had been in the water so long it was unrecognizable, necessitating a scientific identification over the course of several days with the collaboration of multiple agencies, reported the Marin County Sheriff's Office.
On September 1, 2023, a limited post-mortem examination determined his cause of death to be blunt impact injuries with drowning as a significant contributing condition. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office asserts that suicide was the cause of death, based on the totality of the investigation thus far.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional. You can also call or chat via 988lifeline.org.
