Grandparents Found Dead After Vanishing on Religious Road Trip

What began as a peaceful pilgrimage ended in heartbreak for a New York family, after four elderly relatives on a religious road trip vanished — and were later found dead in a remote embankment in West Virginia.

Dr. Kishore Divan, 89, his wife Asha, 85, along with relatives Shailesh, 86, and Gita Divan, 84, set off from Buffalo on Tuesday, bound for the Palace of Gold, a famed Hindu spiritual site nestled deep in the hills of Marshall County, West Virginia.

But the family never made it.

After four days of frantic searching, the group’s silver Toyota Camry was discovered Saturday evening down a steep embankment off Big Wheeling Creek Road. All four passengers were dead.

“They were found outside the vehicle around 9:30 p.m.,” Marshall County Sheriff Mike Dougherty said. “It’s a heartbreaking scene. First responders stayed on site for over five hours.”

The sheriff’s office confirmed the discovery in a late-night Facebook post.

The Divans were en route to Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold, a Hare Krishna landmark often referred to as “America’s Taj Mahal.” Built in the 1970s as a shrine to spiritual leader Srila Prabhupada, it draws thousands of Hindu pilgrims each year.

“They had booked a room for Tuesday night,” a Palace representative told local media. “When they didn’t check in, we were immediately concerned.”

Surveillance and traffic records show the group was last seen around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday. Their license plate was logged by a Pennsylvania state trooper on Interstate 79. They also made a stop at a Burger King in the state — their last known public appearance.

Authorities have not yet determined how the vehicle ended up off-road, or whether weather, mechanical failure, or medical issues played a role. No foul play is suspected at this time.

All four victims were of Indian descent, though law enforcement hasn’t publicly clarified how they were related beyond being family.

“The terrain in that area is steep and unforgiving,” one local official told WTOL-TV. “If the car went off the road, it might not have been visible for days.”

Back in Buffalo, the tight-knit Indian-American community is grieving.

“This is devastating,” said Dr. Ramesh Patel, a family friend. “They were such kind, spiritual people. They just wanted to visit a holy place.”

The Divans were well-known within their community — respected elders, active in religious circles, and frequent volunteers at local temples.

“They left on a spiritual journey,” Patel added. “No one expected it to end in tragedy.”

As of Sunday morning, investigators were working to reconstruct the accident. Autopsies are expected to be performed, and crash scene analysts remain on site.

Sheriff Dougherty said the families have been notified and extended his department’s “deepest condolences.”

For now, what was supposed to be a serene, faith-filled road trip has become a somber reminder of how even sacred paths can take a devastating turn.