Aryn

Husband: Aryn, Age: 36

Missing Husband: Luis (aka Pipe)

Location: Houston, Texas

Aryn was last in contact with Luis (aka Pipe) on December 6, 2021.

Aryn met Luis, also known as “Pipe” (pronounced Pee-Pay), while working at a restaurant in Galveston, Texas. Pipe, originally from Ecuador, was in the United States on a J-1 Visa, hoping to build a new life. They quickly bonded over their shared love of music and fashion, and by the end of March 2023, they had committed to a relationship. Not long after, Aryn proposed marriage, and Pipe agreed. The two were married in June 2023, in a simple legal ceremony. Since Pipe's family remained in Ecuador, and Aryn's family and friends were scattered across the U.S., no one was able to attend.

Naturally, Aryn’s family and friends were skeptical of the relationship. Why the rush to get married? What were Pipe’s true motives? And where exactly was he from? Aryn’s best friend noted that Pipe was evasive when asked whether he was from Ecuador or Colombia, which only fueled concerns.

But Aryn was deeply in love and saw the relationship through rose-colored glasses. They were inseparable, rarely spending more than a day or two apart. They lived together, worked together, and even became business partners, launching a venture sourcing and selling vintage clothing and accessories. On December 6, 2023, they hosted a pop-up shop at an outdoor flea market. Leading up to the event, tension had been building. Aryn felt Pipe was being lazy and not contributing enough, while Pipe thought Aryn was controlling and bossy. Despite the conflict, the day went well—they sold a good number of items and decided to celebrate with drinks.

However, the celebration soon turned into a nightmare. The more they drank, the angrier Pipe became, which was uncharacteristic of the usually shy, quiet, and kind man Aryn knew. Pipe was furious, feeling dismissed, bossed around, and ignored. The argument escalated, and in a shocking turn of events, Pipe bit a chunk out of Aryn’s ear during the altercation. Aryn, stunned, scared, and confused, frantically searched for the missing piece of his ear but couldn't find it. Pipe fled the scene when the police were called, and Aryn was rushed to the hospital to have his ear stitched up. That night, December 6, 2023, was the last time Aryn saw or heard from Pipe.

After that fateful night, Pipe never returned to collect his belongings, nor did he reach out to Aryn. Aryn tried calling local hospitals, but there was no sign of his husband. With Pipe’s phone left behind, Aryn had no way to contact him directly. He even tried emailing, but received no response. Pipe had vanished.

Pipe's sister, with whom Aryn had maintained a relationship, told him that Pipe had returned to Ecuador to start fresh. But Aryn didn’t believe her. Throughout their relationship, Pipe had frequently expressed how much he despised his home country and how he dreamed of moving to the United States permanently. Aryn couldn’t imagine that Pipe would willingly return to Ecuador if he had any other option.

Using Pipe's phone, Aryn discovered that Pipe had logged into his social media from a town in Arizona—a place they had once discussed moving to together. However, despite this lead, Aryn couldn’t contact Pipe through social media, and there were no further updates.

As Aryn reflected on the relationship, he began to question whether Pipe’s intentions had ever been genuine. Could it be that Pipe had agreed to marriage just for citizenship? Even though Aryn had initiated the idea of marriage, Pipe’s sudden disappearance after it became official made Aryn question everything. Adding to his suspicions, Aryn managed to access text messages between Pipe and his family, written in Spanish. After having a friend translate them, he learned that Pipe’s family had been asking when Aryn would help them get papers to enter the U.S. This only deepened Aryn’s uncertainty—had he been used for citizenship, or did Pipe truly love him? Or was it a mix of both? To this day, Aryn remains unsure.

Aryn and Pipe never filed paperwork for a green card despite being married. This became a major point of contention in their relationship, as Pipe consistently urged Aryn to apply for citizenship. Aryn wanted to be sure that Pipe wasn't marrying him solely for citizenship, which is why they never filed. He delayed and hesitated to make sure that Pipe’s love was genuine before he filed. 

Recently, Aryn discovered another clue in the search for Pipe. He received a phone call from a stranger in Minneapolis who had found a missing passport. The passport belonged to Luis (Pipe.) Aryn was listed in the passport as someone to contact incase the passport went missing. Michigan was another place that the couple had talked about moving to one day. Aryn has good reason to Pipe that Pipe might be there.

Aryn and Pipe's finances are still entangled. They share bank accounts and even have joint insurance policies that Aryn continues to pay for. Unfortunately, Aryn can’t remove Pipe from these accounts without his signature or divorce papers, neither of which he can obtain. The business they started together remains in limbo as well, with their taxes unfiled because Aryn hasn’t been able to locate Pipe.

Aryn is now a truck driver, having earned his CDL license, and spends his time traveling across the United States on long-haul journeys. Despite everything that happened with Pipe, Aryn still calls Houston home. Although the situation with Pipe turned his world upside down, it hasn’t stopped him from moving forward with his life. He’s even begun writing country music as a creative outlet to express his thoughts and emotions about the relationship.

Aryn's experience with Pipe has left him grappling with many unanswered questions and unresolved emotions. The sudden and dramatic shift—from being newlyweds and business partners to becoming complete strangers—has made Aryn question the true nature of their relationship. Was Pipe motivated by love, or was he using Aryn as a means to secure citizenship? This uncertainty continues to weigh heavily on him, especially as their financial and legal ties remain entangled. Even though Pipe is gone, the impact of their relationship lingers, leaving Aryn to navigate the aftermath, still searching for closure and clarity in a situation clouded by doubt and confusion.