British backpacker Jordan Johnson-Doyle vanished without a trace in KL, with no contact since May 27. His body was later found in Bangsar with police saying there were no immediate signs of foul play.

[June 5, 2025 | This story has been updated]

A 25-year-old British backpacker has been reported missing while travelling solo through Southeast Asia. Jordan Johnson-Doyle, who had been working remotely as a software engineer for a US-based firm, was last heard from on Tuesday, May 27, after sending a photo from Healy Mac’s Irish Bar in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, Johnson-Doyle’s phone went offline on May 30, three days after his last known contact, and no one has been able to reach him since. He had arrived in Malaysia on May 17 after spending time in Vietnam and was believed to be staying at the Robertson Residences in Bukit Bintang.

His last conversation with his mother, Leanne Burnett, took place on May 26 and was described as normal. She and other family members are now en route to Malaysia to assist in the search. “I just want to get over there, find him, and bring him home,” she told the Mail. Expressing concern, she added, “If someone had taken his phone and laptop, he would still find a way to contact us. He knows my number by heart.”

The family has filed missing persons reports with Merseyside Police, the British Consulate, and Malaysian authorities. His last known location was tracked via Find My iPhone to a block of flats near the Bangsar bar, but that signal has since gone cold.

Friends, family, and concerned members of the public have begun circulating Jordan’s missing person appeal across social media and Malaysian networks in hopes of uncovering any leads. His employer has also been notified of the situation.

UPDATED:

Kuala Lumpur police have confirmed that the body found at a construction site in Bangsar is that of missing British traveller Jordan Johnson-Doyle, who vanished late last month after a night out in the area.

City police chief Datuk Rusdi Isa said the 25-year-old was positively identified by a family member based on a distinctive tattoo. His body was discovered yesterday in the ground-floor elevator shaft of a building under construction.

Johnson-Doyle was reported missing on June 2, several days after his last known contact on May 27, when he shared a photo from Healy Mac’s Irish Bar in Bangsar, believed to be taken during a pub quiz night.

A post-mortem conducted today, June 5, concluded that his death was caused by chest trauma consistent with a fall from height. Police confirmed there were no signs of foul play, and the case has been classified as sudden death.

Authorities have urged the public to refrain from speculation and appealed to anyone with relevant information to assist in the ongoing investigation.

Johnson-Doyle, a software engineer working remotely for a US-based company, had been travelling solo through Southeast Asia over the past year. He arrived in Malaysia on May 17 after a stay in Vietnam and was believed to be staying in the Bukit Bintang area.

His disappearance sparked concern from family and friends both in Malaysia and the UK, with his mother Leanne Burnett travelling to Kuala Lumpur to aid in the search.

The case has drawn significant attention online and from British media, highlighting the challenges and risks faced by solo travellers abroad. Investigations into the circumstances surrounding his fall remain ongoing.