Who Was Alice Ku Herchen & What Happened to Her? 2026 Update & Profile

Alice Ku was known in California’s Bay Area as a dedicated tutor who worked closely with students and families in communities including Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Palo Alto. Parents relied on her consistency, and students knew her as someone committed to their academic progress. That dependable routine became one of the first signs that something was terribly wrong in late 2019 when Alice suddenly failed to appear for scheduled tutoring sessions without warning.

Her disappearance would grow into an international missing persons investigation, a homicide inquiry in Taiwan, and a wrongful death trial in California. Years after Alice vanished during a trip to Taiwan with her husband, Harald Herchen, her body has still never been found. Yet courtroom evidence and digital forensic analysis led a California jury to conclude that Alice was the victim of spousal homicide.

• “The Gorge”: Dateline Examines the Alice Ku Herchen Disappearance April 10 2026
• Who Is Harald Herchen & Where Is He Now? 2026 Update & Profile

Alice Ku’s Life in California

Alice Ku lived in Mountain View, California, and had built her professional life around private tutoring. She worked with children and families across Silicon Valley, helping students academically while developing long-term relationships with clients. According to court filings and reporting on the case, families quickly noticed when Alice missed appointments because such absences were out of character.

Alice maintained close communication with parts of her family, especially siblings in the United States and Taiwan. Her sudden silence in late November and early December 2019 immediately raised concern among relatives once they learned something was wrong.

There were also aspects of Alice’s personal life that remained private from her family. After she disappeared, relatives learned that Alice had secretly married Harald Herchen in October 2017. Court records indicate the marriage had not been disclosed to her parents, adding another layer of shock for family members already trying to understand where she had gone.

Marriage to Harald Herchen

Harald Herchen was a Silicon Valley inventor and investor who lived in Los Altos and worked in the tech sector. He was older than Alice by more than two decades. Court testimony revealed that their relationship began years earlier and that they married in late 2017, only months after the death of Harald’s previous wife, Melissa Yu.

After the marriage, Alice and Harald shared an apartment in Mountain View. According to investigators, neighbors described hearing arguments between the couple, including disputes involving money. Testimony during later proceedings suggested there had also been tension within the marriage.

Despite these reported conflicts, Alice continued her tutoring work and maintained her daily responsibilities in California until the Taiwan trip that would become the center of the investigation.

The Trip to Taiwan

In November 2019, Alice and Harald traveled to Taiwan together. The trip included Harald’s business obligations as well as sightseeing. They visited scenic locations, including the Taroko National Park region in Hualien County, famous for Taroko Gorge’s steep marble cliffs, mountain roads, and dramatic landscapes.

Photographs from the trip initially showed nothing unusual. Alice appeared in tourist pictures taken at scenic sites. One of the final known images of her showed Alice standing in beautiful natural surroundings during the Taiwan visit.

The last confirmed photograph of Alice was taken on November 29, 2019. It was a selfie showing her applying makeup in a hotel room mirror. Investigators later identified the timestamp as 11:17 a.m. local time.

That image became the final confirmed sign that Alice was alive.

What Harald Herchen Said Happened

Harald Herchen later told investigators and testified under oath that after sightseeing near Taroko Gorge, he dropped Alice off at Hualien Train Station.

According to his account, Alice planned to travel alone to visit her parents near Taipei. Harald claimed she later sent him an email confirming she had arrived safely.

Alice’s family quickly questioned that story.

Her parents said they did not know Alice was in Taiwan and had no plans to meet her. They were not expecting a visit. Family members also said Alice had never been to their newer residence near Taipei and would not have been familiar with traveling there alone.

These contradictions became central to the investigation.

The Warning Signs After Alice Vanished

Concern grew in early December when Alice missed tutoring sessions without notice. Clients contacted her family because they knew such behavior was unusual.

Relatives tried reaching Alice by phone, text, and email. There was no response.

Her brother George Ku eventually filed a missing persons report in California after the family realized no one had heard from Alice. During their search, relatives discovered additional troubling details.

Investigators found Alice’s car still parked at her Mountain View apartment complex. It was covered in dust and appeared not to have moved for weeks. Tutoring books remained visible inside.

Alice’s financial accounts also showed no activity after her disappearance. Phone records indicated no outgoing communications from her devices.

For family members, the silence did not resemble someone choosing to disappear.

The Email That Raised Major Questions

One of the most significant developments in the case involved the so-called proof-of-life email Harald claimed Alice had sent after they separated.

Digital forensic experts later examined Google records tied to Alice’s Gmail account.

Their findings showed the email originated from the Wi-Fi network of the hotel in Hualien where Harald was staying that night.

Experts testified that the IP address did not place the message near Alice’s parents’ home, where Harald claimed she had gone.

Additional analysis of login history, logout records, and email metadata strengthened those concerns. Investigators concluded the message was sent from a device still connected to the hotel network.

Specialists also noted timezone evidence suggesting the device used to send the email was operating differently from Alice’s known mobile communications in Taiwan.

This digital evidence became one of the strongest pieces supporting Alice’s family’s wrongful death case.

Taiwanese Authorities Investigate

Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau conducted its own inquiry into Alice’s disappearance.

Authorities reviewed surveillance footage, cellphone location data, hotel records, and communication logs.

Investigators reported finding no evidence that Alice returned to Hualien Train Station after sightseeing that day. Cellphone records also suggested movements inconsistent with Harald’s version of events.

Taiwanese authorities ultimately concluded Alice had been killed on or before November 29, 2019.

An arrest warrant for Harald Herchen was issued in Taiwan in connection with homicide allegations.

However, the lack of an extradition treaty between Taiwan and the United States has created major barriers to further criminal proceedings there.

The California Wrongful Death Trial

Because criminal prosecution remained complicated internationally, Alice’s parents pursued a wrongful death lawsuit in Santa Clara County, California.

The civil trial brought together testimony from investigators, technical experts, doctors, family members, and Taiwanese law enforcement.

Evidence presented included:

-cellphone location analysis
-email metadata
-flight record changes
-financial records
-Harald’s differing explanations regarding a broken hand injury
-conflicting sworn testimony

Medical testimony also addressed Harald’s fractured hand, which occurred around the time Alice disappeared. Different explanations had been given for how the injury happened.

Jurors later said inconsistencies in Harald’s testimony influenced how they viewed his credibility.

The Verdict and What Came Next

In July 2025, a Santa Clara County jury unanimously found Harald Herchen responsible for Alice Ku’s death.

Alice’s parents, Weichiao Ku and Pi-Lien Kuo, were awarded $23.6 million in damages.

The verdict represented a major legal milestone for Alice’s family after years of searching for answers.

Following the civil case, prosecutors in Santa Clara County also charged Harald with seven felony counts of perjury related to statements made during legal proceedings connected to Alice’s disappearance.

Harald has denied responsibility for Alice’s death.

Remembering Alice Ku

Behind the legal filings, courtroom testimony, and forensic evidence is the story of a woman whose absence was immediately felt by the people who knew her.

Alice Ku was a tutor whose students noticed when she did not show up. Her family recognized quickly that her silence was not normal. Her siblings continued pushing for answers when explanations did not make sense.

Years after her disappearance, Alice’s remains have never been found.

For her family, the search has never been only about proving what happened in court. It has also been about honoring Alice’s life, preserving her memory, and refusing to let her story disappear with her.

Dateline NBC’s The Gorge revisits that ongoing pursuit for truth, accountability, and justice in a case where Alice Ku’s loved ones continue to seek the answers she can no longer provide herself.