7. The Escape

When was the last time Austin was seen alive? Josh and Sara find the people who claim to know.

Josh meets a man who says he interrogated Austin. Then two more witnesses are found. Each of them helps fill gaps in Austin’s story, and the hidden months of his captivity are revealed. But one question becomes more urgent than any other: when was Austin last seen alive?

Writer and showrunner: Josh Baker

Investigative producer: Sara Obeidat

Series producer: Simon Maybin

Field producing: Ouday Al Hussein

Additional producing: Lucy Burns

Open source intelligence: Thomas Bordeaux & Gabor Friesen

Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman

Series editor: Clare Fordham

Head of BBC News Long Form Audio: Emma Rippon

BBC Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke

NPR producer: Monika Evstatieva

NPR editors: Robert Little & Katie Simon

NPR executive producer for Embedded: Irene Noguchi

BBC World Service commissioning editor: Jon Manel

Composer: Firas Abou Fakher

Additional music: Karim Chehoury

Theme music: Sam Slater

Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell