It is believed that Sneddon, who was 24 at the time of his disappearance, is now married and the father of two children.
The skepticism of Sneddon’s family came from the fact that his body was never recovered and that he was fluent in Korean, making him useful for the nation.
"We just knew in our heart that he was alive, so we had to keep fighting," his mother, Kathleen Sneddon, told KSL.
"The Sneddon family, along with various experts in North Korean policy, believe that the North Korean government may have abducted David, using his language skills to train government officials and operatives," Allison Leavitt, spokeswoman for Representative Chris Stewart said in a statement in February
“The evidence indicates that there are still a lot of unanswered questions about David’s disappearance," the statement continued. "David’s family deserves answers to those questions," Stewart continued, "and until we find those answers, I will continue urging the State Department to pursue all possible explanations for David’s disappearance.”
It is believed that there are many other Americans who were kidnapped by the nation and remain there today.
The US State Department has now launched a formal search for Sneddon.