THE MISSING FILES: Bryan ‘Vladek’ Hasel who disappeared in 2021 may have had a ‘psychotic break’, says his sister
THE MISSING FILES is a weekly special that examines missing persons cases across America that have shattered communities and families. It delves into known facts and the latest updates on these mysterious disappearances.
ORLANDO, FL: The disappearance of Bryan “Vladek” Hasel has haunted his family for over a year now. Vladek, who was 22 when he disappeared, was last seen in CCTV footage on November 6, 2021, but there were a few other reported sightings later that week at his apartment complex near East Orlando, Florida. His family searched for answers and fought to bring him home. At the time, Vladek reportedly lived with his father near the University of Central Florida (UCF) campus.
A Facebook group named “Find Bryan “Vladek” Hasel” was created by his family to publicize his disappearance. “We adopted Vladek (and his sister Irena) from Russia when he was five,” Vladek’s sister Bethany Hasel said in an interview with . “Ever since he was little, he always talked about his desire to join the Marines. In 2018, he graduated from the Marines bootcamp and served a desk job, which didn’t sit well with his need to be in movement. In the fall of 2019, Vladek was able to receive a discharge from the marines which they described as non-adaptive,” she added.
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“Since leaving the Marines, he seemed to have a hard time figuring out what was next for him. Eventually, at the start of 2021, he seemed to have changed his personality. He continued to denounce material possessions,” said she continued, adding, “He was being financially supported by and living with my dad at the time, when he started finding ways to give back to his community, he was bringing meals to those in the homeless community and tipped waitresses/waiters hefty if he heard them struggling in any way, he also struck up conversations with anyone close to him to hear or know their stories.
Bryan ‘Vladek’ Hasel disappeared in 2021 and his distraught family has been looking for him ever since (Image courtesy of Bethany Hasel)
The Disappearance of Bryan ‘Vladek’ Hasel
Bethany’s father called her after she returned to the apartment on November 15, 2021 and asked if she had heard from Vladek. He wasn’t there in the apartment. “My dad said he told Vladek he probably wouldn’t be back in town until the evening of November 16, so we thought he might still be hanging out with a friend,” Bethany recalled . “But since he still hasn’t shown up, we’ve filed a missing person report,” she said.
Vladek’s biological sister, Irena, was the last person to speak to him before he disappeared. “He called her in the early morning hours of November 6. Irena said there was nothing out of the ordinary about their conversation, and it was a common time for them to talk on the phone. Vladek n didn’t use her phone anymore after that day,” Bethany said.
Bryan ‘Vladek’ Hasel last spoke with his biological sister, Irena, before she disappeared (Image courtesy of Bethany Hasel)
Asked about the role of law enforcement in the case, Bethany said: “Communication has been the biggest obstacle between us and law enforcement. In my opinion, there are also stereotypes. Vladek being a grown man he’s allowed to go and they didn’t take his missing persons case seriously from day 1. I think a lot of important information could have been gathered before it was lost due to time elapses,” adding, “I would like them to go back to the beginning and take a fresh look at the case and re-examine key witnesses.”
“Vladek may have had a psychotic breakdown”
Bethany said she believed there were many possibilities of what could have happened to Vladek. She said it was possible the people he hung out with “took advantage of his generosity” or “he had a psychotic breakdown”.
“Vladek seemed to go through periods of perceived depression. Giving back to his community seemed to give him the most purpose. He also didn’t want to let anyone know if he was struggling internally, so if he was going through a tough time, it is possible played a role in his disappearance,” Bethany said.
Bryan ‘Vladek’ Hasel’s sister said he may have had a psychotic breakdown (Image courtesy of Bethany Hasel)
Bethany said they posted flyers and a search party searched the woods surrounding the apartment complex. “Other searches were done by people who wanted to help, there are notice boards with his information and we continue to raise awareness on social media platforms as well,” Bethany said.
“Vladek would go out with me in the barn and ride a horse”
“I miss Vladek so much,” Bethany said, adding, “He’s the baby of eight siblings. When my parents split up, it was just my mom, him, and I still living at home. We’re got really close during that time, and Vladek would hang out with me and my friends on game nights/movie nights, we had a lockdown every year for new years with our friends, staying up and playing Wii games, games socializing or watching movies Vladek is also the only brother who used to hang out with me in the barn and ride horses. apartments and talking. She added, “Irena says her favorite memories growing up were playing in the snow and having snowball fights.”
Bryan ‘Vladek’ Hasel’s sister, Bethany, said he was the baby of the family and has fond memories of growing up with him (Bethany Hasel/Facebook)
“If Vladek could hear me, I would tell him that we love you and miss you so much. We just need to know that you are okay. Please contact someone,” Bethany concluded.
Anyone with information about Vladek’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 407-254-7000. The case number is 21-83864.
