Elderly and Missing
A personal tragedy become public news. An elderly couple, long married, on a destination to meet with other family members, a granddaughter with whom they would do some camping. Setting out from their home in Alberta, heading toward British Columbia. An adventure, something to look forward to. A capable elderly man and his wife with whom he had spent a lifetime, depending on him to look after both their needs. He was that kind of capable.
They travelled in comfort, those two, both approaching their 80s. The comfort of a motorhome, and a SUV they towed behind for those times when they would leave the motorhome parked in a camping ground and motor off somewhere temporarily. It was clear they'd done this kind of thing often, in the past. They had made arrangements to meet their daughter, and they did not appear at the appointed place at the time expected.
Their motorhome discovered abandoned and in flames. Police attempted to contact the owners but there was no response. A huge shrug, property was stolen, destroyed all the time. A common enough occurrence. They would wait until they had a report filed of stolen property. Or try to get in touch with the owners again. A week later a report was filed, not stolen property but missing people. Then the search for the couple's SUV.
A person of interest, someone with a violently unsavoury reputation was being sought. He was elusive, and people thought the worst of him, that he might have been involved. Involved? The elderly couple unlikely to be found alive. Though their extended family hope otherwise. Waiting to grab the telephone, to hear the familiar voice at the other end, laughing off the series of events that had led to their missing the meeting date.
Not likely to happen. The man police warned people not to approach, but to immediately call the RCMP on sighting has been taken into custody. A man whose own father describes him as dangerous, warning people not to confront him lest they place themselves in peril. A man whose father disowns him, who has cut off contact with him. A man who has a wife, relieved to no longer be living with him.
A man wanted on earlier warrants. A man now in custody. Two elderly people whose whereabouts have still not been established. A private tragedy, a public mystery.
They travelled in comfort, those two, both approaching their 80s. The comfort of a motorhome, and a SUV they towed behind for those times when they would leave the motorhome parked in a camping ground and motor off somewhere temporarily. It was clear they'd done this kind of thing often, in the past. They had made arrangements to meet their daughter, and they did not appear at the appointed place at the time expected.
Their motorhome discovered abandoned and in flames. Police attempted to contact the owners but there was no response. A huge shrug, property was stolen, destroyed all the time. A common enough occurrence. They would wait until they had a report filed of stolen property. Or try to get in touch with the owners again. A week later a report was filed, not stolen property but missing people. Then the search for the couple's SUV.
A person of interest, someone with a violently unsavoury reputation was being sought. He was elusive, and people thought the worst of him, that he might have been involved. Involved? The elderly couple unlikely to be found alive. Though their extended family hope otherwise. Waiting to grab the telephone, to hear the familiar voice at the other end, laughing off the series of events that had led to their missing the meeting date.
Not likely to happen. The man police warned people not to approach, but to immediately call the RCMP on sighting has been taken into custody. A man whose own father describes him as dangerous, warning people not to confront him lest they place themselves in peril. A man whose father disowns him, who has cut off contact with him. A man who has a wife, relieved to no longer be living with him.
A man wanted on earlier warrants. A man now in custody. Two elderly people whose whereabouts have still not been established. A private tragedy, a public mystery.
Labels: Human Relations, Particularities, Social-Cultural Deviations
posted by Pieface @ 6:36 PM
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