Chien was last seen at his mother's residence. He was supposed to meet his family members to go Christmas shopping. Chien never met with his family. The Sheriff's Department conducted a search for Chien and was not able to locate him,. His vehicle was found in Ventura, California a week later and was processed, with nothing to indicate foul play. In February of 1997 a Bakersfield officer contacted a male that matched Chien's description. The male wanted a ride to a halfway house for his drug problem. A search was conducted for Chien and he was not located. There were possible sightings of Chien in San Gabriel at a carwash. Chien had ties to Upland and San Francisco California as well as Wisconsin.