A memorial service for poet Craig Arnold, who disappeared in April while hiking a volcano on a small Japanese island, will be held at the University of Wyoming this Wednesday. His brother Chris Arnold, who has enlisted the services of three tracking teams over the last four months, is concurrently feeling the sting of State Department red tape and an $18,000 bill from Japan, reports the Casper Star-Tribune.

The bill covers the cost of search efforts by local law enforcement, according to the article. Chris Arnold also told the newspaper that the US State Department has been stubborn about yielding a “certificate of presumed death,” which would help settle Craig Arnold’s estate.

Craig Arnold, who worked as an English professor at Wyoming, is the author of two poetry books, 2008′s Made Flesh and 1999′s Shells. He is reported to have been in Japan collecting observations for a new book about volcanoes.

Wyoming English Department chair Pete Parolin reportedly says he is “sad and sadly resigned to the fact that we don’t expect Craig to return.” Rebecca Lindenberg, Arnold’s girlfriend of six years, is cited as saying that she hopes the memorial and upcoming readings of Craig’s work will help bring some form of closure.

Craig Arnold is also survived by his 15-year-old son, Robin.

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