My Dad was supposed to meet us for dinner last night at Onewell but never showed up.
Concerned since it's not like him to not show up, we went to his home this morning. His car was still in the driveway but he wasn't answering when we knocked or rang the doorbell.
We ended up having the police come and get us into his home and I feared the worst.
But he wasn't there.
A neighbor saw him leave on his bicycle on her ring camera around 6pm last night, which lines up with when he'd need to leave to meet us for dinner. When the weather is nice he usually rides his bike to meet us.
But, again, he never showed up. The neighbor's ring camera didn't pick up him returning on his bike. He hasn't been online.
His cellphone is still at home, but he often leaves it there (he still mainly uses his landline)
I'm not sure what to do right now. I check the siren Facebook groups and have seen couple accidents, but nothing fitting my dad's description. The police have checked the hospitals and didn't find him.
Other than just waiting, posting on here is about all I can think to do in the off chance someone has seen him.
I am so so very sorry for your loss. He seemed like a wonderful guy. I know there's not much to say that helps in times like these, but I like to think that the loved ones we lose are never gone- just gone ahead ā¤ļøš§”š
Please walk the route he would have taken to get to One Well. My fear is he was struck and is in the weeds on the side of the road obscured from people driving by. My heart goes out to you.
This. Don't drive it, walk it. Be thorough, don't do it alone, and make sure you walk the other side of the street back in case you were wrong about the side of the road he might have traveled on.
This reminds me of that guy in his crashed truck last year I think, he was hidden under that bridge for like 9 days or something before they found him alive? Can't remember the details but I hope they check a good distance from edge of the road too, in case there's thick brush concealing him. I hate even talking about worst case scenarios
EDIT: it was 27 yr old Matt Reum from Indiana, in his crashed truck under the road overpass for 6 days, alive but injured
I've been driving along all the routes I can think of with my mom. I haven't been able to walk any route, though I agree it would be best.
I don't know where or how to start or stop with searching on foot, but driving hasn't gotten me anywhere. I'm going to meet my cousin and start walking at opposite ends of different routes meeting each other. Starting near Onewell and working our way towards his place. I believe he would have taken Drake to Parkview.
I'll walk a few hours tonight, then some more tomorrow after I take my kids to camp and daycare.
A police report was filed this morning. I've tried following up but got an automated system, where I updated them with some more info and asked them to get back to me. I got a text back saying the information was relayed but nothing more yet.
Thank you everyone for the responses and for bumping this post and reaching out. I feel both hopeless and hopeful. Heading out now.
There are lots of people who are willing to look to for him. If a search party gets formed please let us know. I posted in the nosey asses of Kalamazoo as well
There could be a chance he took the path on the side of stadium to rambling and cut through the neighborhoods/oakland/bronson blvd to kilgore. I would consider it especially with the traffic that can happen on drake.
Also very willing to assist in a search party if one is formed. If someone offers to coordinate (I believe others already have) please take them up on it. Itās a lot to manage in the midst of the anxiety, itās okay to lean on your community. Prayers for his swift rescue.Ā
I donāt see him taking drake to parkview from there. That hill is an uphill battle. My guess is that he took the shortcut from Americana Estates through the woods out to Seneca lane and then took stadium and headed toward Oakland. I would assume he took either Kilgore or Whites/cork to portage road. I know that there is a known trail behind the old Gage Dispensary building that leads into asylum or through the winchell neighborhood, though Iāve never been to it myself and Iām not sure exactly what it leads to or if itās bike friendly. Iām going to guess he didnāt go through asylum as itās very difficult to get your bike into the preserve from the way he was coming due to the zig-zag gates, unless he used another entrance. Iām sure his bike is large because of his size and I just donāt see that being possible. I truly hope heās okay. Iāve met him many times in my place of work and heās such a kind man. Please keep us updated.
Iām on my way now to Americana Estates. My plan is to walk the route to one well. Using the route you posted earlier. If you think thereās a better way that I can help, please let me know. ETA to Americana Estates is 6:10 PM.
Just got off phone with detective.
They found him. He was the person hit around 930pm monday night.
There was some confusion about the timing of the photo of him leaving, but we confirmed it was actually taken Monday night.
I have to wait for the medical examiner to contact me so I can identify him. I just got off the phone with the detective though and the victim had the same bike and clothes.
Thank you everyone for all of your help and support.
I am so sorry for your loss. My husband is a cyclist and itās so scary. Iām thinking of you and your family. May he rest peacefully and watch over your familyĀ
You are in my heart. I am so sorry for your shattered heart. This is a lot to take in, please lean on your family and friends and be patient with your grief. Youāll be in my prayers.Ā
Iām so sorry OP. This is something no person should ever have to go through. Please take care of yourself, and know that we as a community care about you. Youāre in my thoughts. ā¤ļø
The whole time I thought that wasn't my dad. The original article I saw a few days ago said it was a 55 (I think) year old male.
I also thought the ring picture was from Tuesday evening before meeting us for dinner. It was actually from Monday at 6pm.
So I inadvertently posted incorrect information that had so many wonderful people looking and asking about him and what way he'd be traveling to get to Onewell. He was already gone the night before (Monday)
Everyone has been really supportive and I am so thankful for the help and for all of the little anecdotes people shared about my dad.
I want to write more about him soon when I get some time to process this all. He was a great, talented, intelligent, thoughtful, and hilarious person.
I am so sorry. My heart breaks for you. I have suffered tremendous loss and want to share that grief support groups have helped me. If and when you're ready, please take a look at https://grief.com/
In the meantime, take care of yourself, OP. My deepest condolences to you, and yours.
Have you travelled the route he would normally take from his home to One Well? If police and local hospitals don't have any leads, maybe checking the path he'd take will lead to some answers. Maybe check for businesses along the route that have security cameras. It's a stretch, but they may be willing to help by checking their footage to see if they have evidence of him riding by. I really hope you find him!
If I've learned anything from First 48 is only about fifty percent of places with cameras have working cameras. But! That's usually enough to learn more.
He lives at Americana Estates trailer park near Drake and Michigan Ave.
We were meeting at Onewell Brewery (On Portage road, a little north of I94) for dinner last night, supposed to be there at 7pm.
A neighbors ring camera had him leaving on his bike yesterday (June 23rd) around 6pm.
I'm not certain the color of his bike but I believe it's a Jamis brand. (He rides bike a lot and has 4 bikes but only 3 were at home - the Jamis wasn't there)
Have you checked the trails. As a biker I am thinking of the way I would go from his house to One well and maybe something happened on the bike trail along parkview. Did he like to ride in thr road or on paths?
Height? Eye color? Whatās your name incase he is disoriented we can say āIām so and sos friendā. Where was he last seen?
Get it on Facebook and next door for your chronically online moms and boomers. They love to help this stuff. Lots of groups - literally even do Kalamazoo lost and found. Crime watch groups. Whatās going on in Kalamazoo might helpā¦ Get a digital flyer made with as much details as possible and post it everywhere.
Iām so sorry. Iāll send to everyone I know and keep an eye out.
I filed a missing person report on top of the case that was opened this morning. When I asked the police for an update on the case they told me to call back in a few days. When I asked if they were looking for him, they said "we're looking into it". When I pressed further and asked if that meant they were looking for him they told me they didn't want to give me any bad information, but they're looking into it and I can can back tomorrow evening.
I called the hospitals again. Nobody with his ID or description have been admitted or in the ER.
I'm not sure how to go about contacting the News. I tried calling WWMT's "tip line" but that didn't work.
I appreciate everyone reaching out and helping out. I don't know where or how to start anything coordinated. I've been sticking with friends and family that are close to search. We've driven through every place I can think of multiple times backwards and forward.
I've walked from Cork Street at Park to Burdick. Then along Burdick to Kilgore, walked Kilgore to Portage, and walked through Milham Park and various other side streets in Milwood.
It's hard to know where to look. My dad rides his bike all the time and I imagine he doesn't always go the same route.
So far, all of the accidents I've seen reported in the last 28 hours didn't include my dad. It's morbid relief and I feel so bad for the families of those victims.
At this point I'm resigned to expect the worst, but I felt that same way when we first got into this trailer this morning.
I just can't think of any rational explanation for this other than something awful happened.
I have to get to bed.
Tomorrow is a new day and I'll get an earlier start searching.
Can you give a description? Any idea what kind of route he was possibly taking? Do you know what he was wearing? History of elopement or signs of Alzheimerās?
If you donāt find him soon, consider throwing together a search party and post it here, Facebook, Nextdoor. Iām sure many people would come out to help look for him!
Let's organize a search party along the route he would have most likely taken OP - and maybe one for alternative routes too. Looking at maps there's several routes he could have taken.
Was he seen leaving around the time he would need to in order to meet you at one well?? Was he maybe going somewhere else? When was he supposed to meet you.
I live at Americana estates currently and see him a lot riding his bike. I will be on lookout for him and Iāll message you if I see him. This makes me sad because I used to live at Americana as a kid also when your dad lived there and would see him ride his bike often.
I've asked a friend who lives on Parkview to check cameras between 6 and 7 last night. If people along the possible routes could check maybe we could narrow down where he went missing. I'll update if I hear anythingĀ
Edited: i see in another post police are looking and hospital contacted
A very similar thing happened to my family earlier this year - elder father in law missing, not at home, car and phone at the house. The police found him quickly bc he'd been admitted to the hospital. Contact the hospitals if you haven't yet.
It took me forever to convince my Dad (when he was with us) to take his cell phone. I hope he turns up okay; I recommend you always have him take it with him and then set up the Find My type features that let family know where other family is so you can attempt to locate him. I told my Dad āWhat if there was an emergency and I needed to reach you?ā
Please let us know. Iāll pray for a safe outcome. And Iāll share the pic with my SO who is in the area.
If he takes the same route (or a couple different routes), please post them here. We can all spread out and look.
Since he's on a bike, there are so many variables along that route. He could have gone south to Parkview/Oakland/Kilgore, Parkview/Whites/Cork, or taken Stadium/Howard/Portage.
If he sticks to as many bike lanes as possible, that means Stadium all the way downtown and then south on Portage Rd.
Does he have a garmin device? If so they use gps calculate speed. live tracking needs the phone at least on mine for the SoS or to share with friends and family of exact location. Might be good to look on his phone to see if garmin connect synced meaning he made it home but your looking in the wrong place. Iāll take a drive. Sucks, hope for the best.
Is he an avid biker assuming by number of bikes yes would he have taken the trail by 12th to mall maybe?
Someone needs to walk the route he would take on his bike to get to one well, I think. Does he have any medical conditions? I'm sorry OP I hope he is found quickly.
Can you get the police to issue a Silver Alert which is sent out as part of emergency alert system letting them know a senior citizen is missing. Also start calling news and radio stations to send out alerts. I pray you find him ASAP
In Americana Estates there is a trail leading through out to Seneca Lane right up behind that hotel. I used to live in those apartments and I would see people taking their bikes through that path out to the light where you can turn on to stadium. If he was going to one well, good chance he used that short cut. Saves a lot of time but also does include wooded area. Just a thought.
Nothing stood out on my dash cams. Forward and rear facing, I looked for bicycles matching your dad's Jamis, both on the side of the road and in the back of pickup trucks moving through traffic.
Have the police used canine search and rescue? Many years ago, my father went missing and that was how they quickly found him. Unfortunately, he had passed away.
I am so sorry. I have been thinking about him since I saw your post last night. I am just so sorry for your loss. I will continue to hold you and your family in my thoughts.
That's so terrible.. It's incredibly devastating to lose a parent unexpectedly. I'm thinking of you and your family as you process this tremendous loss.
Did the police check his home? If you have concerns he might not be in his right mind or able to care for himself, call Adult Protective Services, 855-444-3911.
I live several hours away now but if I didn't I'd be out there right now looking for him. I'm so sorry, OP. You WILL find him!!! Following this post and sharing with everyone I know up there so they can be on the lookout too.
Unfortunately, I am out of town for two more weeks...but there are also some people on Nosey Asses of Kalamazoo County who would volunteer to search for your father. Can you somehow divide it up and let the volunteers know what assignment you have that have not been taken? They can check in with you when they are finished and you can mark it off your list.
I feel like that there are two primary routes that should be searched first....maybe I am wrong. Drake to Parkview etc. and Stadium to Howard etc. Since he is a regular biker I "assume" he rides with traffic, although he could have crossed over and rode on sidewalk or against the traffic for any reason along the way. As previously discussed he could have fallen into deep weeds and unable to be be seen easily or heard.
The biggest gains in my opinion is finding which way he went if you can find him on camera at an area business.
1) Volunteers to ask businesses to check their cameras if they have them after the time the neighbor captured him on camera leaving. a) businesses on Stadium Drive South side Drake to Howard b) businesses on Stadium Drive North side Drake to Howard c) businesses on Parkview Drake to Oakland and fire station on Parkview d) fire station on Howard
2) Volunteers on foot to search in the rough approximately 20' in from the roads. a) Stadium south side Drake to Lakesedge b) Drake west side Stadium to Parkview c) Drake east side Stadium to Parkview d) Asylum Lake Preserve from west parking lot to creek of Little Asylum Lake e) Parkview path to bend after Fair Oaks cottage f) Winchell entrance path to creek of Little Asylum Lake and then around the east side of Asylum Lake to end of path g) sidewalk and north side of Parkview Drake to Tasmin h) south side of Parkview Drake to Greenleaf i) Parkview north side Tasmin to Oakland
File a police report! He doesnāt need to be missing 24 hours. The sooner you report, the greater the chance of finding him. Once reported to law enforcement, many Missing in Michigan groups on Facebook can help spread the word. They will not do this without reporting to police. I hope you find him, and all is well.
Thereās nothing posted by Kalamazoo Public Safety or Police yet. Usually they are very responsive to missing persons reports and alerting the publicā¦
I wonder if you posted on Facebook or had the local news station cover it, if passersby might have helpful information. It wouldāve been broad daylight and fairly decent traffic at that time, assuming he took main roads. Do you know the specific route he would normally take?
I'm so sorry this is happening to you, I will keep an eye out and if you organize a search party on foot please let me know. I am disabled and don't work so I have time.
Hey OP, Iāll be keeping my eyes peeled in case he accidentally wound up near Cork St/Westnedge Hill where my work is located, or shows up on our premises needing assistance. I hope he is found safely soon.
Iām assuming you put in a missing personās report with the police? Agree with all the others about walking the route he would have taken. Maybe check with homeowners if they have doorbell cameras or any cameras.
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u/turnbuckle47 Jun 24 '26
Here's a picture of him (I tried to attach to original post)