Parents of journalist missing in Syria want to raise awareness

It has been more than two years since any official contact has been made with Austin Tice, a freelance reporter who went to cover Syria for CBS News, the Washington Post and other news outlets, but disappeared in 2012.

He was taken outside Damascus while covering the Syrian civil war and a video released weeks after his capture has been the only image of him seen since. His parents spoke with CBS News and believe the former Marine is still alive and caught between two governments.

"The Syrian government has assured us that they will do all they can to find Austin," said his mother, Debra Tice. "And the American government has also assured us they will do all they can to find Austin and bring him safely home.

"Because of the diplomatic and political situations between those two countries, we can't be sure that they're communicating with each other even though they share this common objective," she said. "And certainly we're not getting full communication from either one of them."

Tice said it is leaving her son suspended between both countries, while his family has no information about where he is or who may be holding him.

Unlike James Foley and Steven Sotloff who were executed last year, Austin is not believed to be held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and there has been no demand for money.

Tice's parents, despite fears that many families have about speaking out, are trying to increase awareness about their son.

"The idea of speaking out or not speaking out is something we don't believe should be a blanket rule," said Tice's father, Marc. "It's very situational, depending on the situation your loved one is in and the family as well.

"We believe that by increasing awareness of Austin's situation that we can bring more public pressure, so to speak, a greater awareness, and that's the kind of thing that governments tend to respond to."