Seif Benkailly Mahssen

Seif Benkailly Mahssen was only six months old when he went missing from Weirton, West Virginia, on November 1, 1957. His disappearance was classified as a non-custodial family abduction, with evidence suggesting that his father, who reportedly used an alias while in the United States, may have taken him to Yemen. This has made tracing Seif’s whereabouts particularly difficult for authorities and family members alike.

For more than five decades, no confirmed information surfaced about Seif’s fate. While some sources have reported that he may have been located in Yemen and that family members were able to make contact with him, this information has never been officially verified. The details remain unclear, and no public record confirms a resolution to the case.

Seif’s case is documented in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) under case number MP1379. His story highlights the deep complexities of international parental abductions and the heartbreaking uncertainty that families endure for years—sometimes lifetimes—when a loved one vanishes without closure.

If you have any information about Seif Mahssen’s disappearance or whereabouts, please contact the West Virginia State Police at 304-329-1101.