Erin Kruth of Pittsburgh, left, poses with Mariko Furukawa of Japan, who lived with the Kruth family as an exchange student in 1998. (Submitted photo)

Grieving family is searching for daughter's possessions

By Joseph Cress, January 27, 2004

Last updated: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 1:48 PM EST

The future looked bright for Mariko Furukawa.

The personable Japanese woman was attending Lebanon Valley College in Annville after having been a high school exchange student in the Pittsburgh area in 1998.

Then a Nov. 21 wreck took her life on a busy stretch of Interstate 81 northeast of Carlisle.

Now her family hopes someone will help them find some of her missing belongings.

Tree lives in her memory

Mariko's body was cremated. Some of her ashes were scattered in a garden in a Pittsburgh suburb, next to a Japanese cherry tree planted there in 1998 in her honor by the George Kruth family.

The Kruths hosted the high school exchange student that year. Her stay endeared her to their hearts in a way that can cross oceans.

Her host father, George Kruth, is seeking help from the Carlisle-area community to locate and return home the final part of her young life. He believes she had the missing items with her in the car on the day she died.

The items include a new digital camera Mariko received as a gift from her parents.

"Knowing her, I would not be surprised if she had pictures in her camera of the very last moments of her life," Kruth says.

She and three friends were on their way to a Tai Kwon Do match in North Carolina when the Toyota in which they were riding crossed I-81's grassy median and collided with a tractor-trailer.

Kruth's worst fear is someone stopped at the accident scene and made off with her possessions.

"I hesitate to think there are people that cruel walking around in the world," he says.

Friends since '98

The Kruth family lives in Allison Park north of Pittsburgh. They have been involved with Mariko and her family since she arrived there as an exchange student in 1998.

"She was an important part of our family," Kruth says.

Mariko had planned to spend Thanksgiving with her American host family and was very close to Erin Kruth, who was studying in Japan at the time of the wreck.

The two women had plans to reunite over Christmas and have the Kruth family visit Japan during the holiday season.

Three days after her death, Mariko's parents arrived in Pittsburgh. On Nov. 25, they accompanied Kruth to Carlisle and met with Cumberland County Coroner Michael Norris.

The Furukawas recovered a necklace, earrings and bobby pins Mariko was wearing at the time of her death.

Her body was cremated following an informal ceremony.

The parents and the Kruths also went to Lebanon Valley College, where a memorial service was held for the victims and Mariko's belongings were packed for shipment back home.

She loved challenges

Kruth described Mariko as outgoing, adventuresome and spirited.

Based on the outpouring of comments at the memorial service, he says, she made an impact on many faculty members and students.

"She just loved life and was always looking for new challenges and learning experiences," Kruth says.

"She had a bright future in front of her."

After going to the college, her parents returned home.

The Kruth family visited them from Dec. 28 to Jan. 10 at their home in Kagoshima, Japan.

Letter to be sent

By law, Norris says, he cannot comment on the case until he has spoken with either a member or official designee of the Furukawa family.

Kruth says he has obtained power of attorney on behalf of the family to represent them in all matters related to the wreck.

He plans to send a letter to Norris officially requesting a follow-up search of the vehicle and of all personal effects recovered from the scene.

FYI

George Kruth is asking the community for help in finding the following personal belongings of Mariko Furukawa:

• A small handbag, dark blue denim material with denim handles.
• A Casio digital camera.
• A navy blue Motorola flip phone.
• A small black wallet made of a leather-type material with an LVC symbol on the outside.
• A red VISA credit card with Mariko's picture and a Woody Woodpecker character on the surface.