“Since my son went missing, to date, the police haven’t done anything to show that they really care or are concerned about the persons who are missing in this country. I know many other people who feel this way too.”
Those were the sentiments of Eric Knights, who is frustrated with police, claiming they have a “don’t-care-a-damn” attitude and put forth little effort to locate his son Michael, who has been missing for more than two years.
Knights wants new Ag Commissioner of Police Harold Phillip to investigate the matter and not let it become a cold case file and be forgotten. The family is perplexed how the police have not been able to make a breakthrough with Michael’s disappearance as a suspect was allegedly held with the missing man’s bank card.
“I would appreciate it if the new Ag Commissioner of Police Harold Phillip can investigate this matter because there was a young man outside who was allegedly found with my son’s bank card and was taking money from my son’s bank account.
“How did he get my son’s bank card?”
The recently retired 60-year-old National Maintenance Training and Security Company Ltd (MTS) sergeant said the man with his son’s bank card was held and released.
Knights is at a loss why his son has gone missing. But he claimed that a man in the community had threatened multiple times in 2010 to kill him and his family. They had had a simple misunderstanding.
He also said just weeks after Michael disappeared, a message was sent to him that he would never see his son again. He said he notified the police but nothing came out of it.
Michael, 25, the nephew of calypsonian Luta (Morell Peters), from Third Street, San Fabien Road, Springland, Gasparillo, was last seen on August 5, 2014, at the Marabella Secondary School where he worked as a stores attendant with MTS.
Speaking to the Sunday Guardian from his Gasparillo, home on Wednesday, Knights, who is still grieving, said, “Three months after, then Ag Police Commissioner Stephen Williams at a police town meeting at the Gasparillo Secondary School on November 4, 2014, stated that was the first time he was hearing that my son was missing. He got that information from a civilian and not from his police officers who are working with him, so something has to be totally wrong with the Police Service.”
He said he had been searching for his son along with officers of the Southern Division. Not satisfied with the response from these officers, Knights has also reported his son’s disappearance at the Marabella Police Station and homicide division in Port-of-Spain. He said he handed out flyers at these police divisions and even a police officer on a television crime show, but to no avail. No one called him back on any headway into his missing son.
Knights said Michael was supposed to join the T&T Regiment, he had passed the examinations, physical and medical evaluations in 2013 with flying colours, and was waiting to be enlisted.
He said his son loved the army and developed a passion for the military when he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Knights said Michael “was a bit anxious” expecting the call from the T&T Regiment and was scheduled to visit with their representatives on August 4, 2014, about his status but for some reason, he did not go and he never saw Michael again after the fateful day of August 5.
Knights said since then, there had been no phone calls or new leads.
On the morning Knights dropped Michael off under the overpass in Gasparillo, as he made his way to work, all he had with him was a Bible and his wallet.
When asked if he knew if his son had any hobbies, a girlfriend, if he was planning to start a family, gambling, liming with the wrong crowd, drugs, drinking or had a police record, he replied Michael was not involved in any illegal activities and that in order to join the army a person must be “clean” of drugs.
Knights said he did not know his son to have a girlfriend, however they talked about young ladies. The family were devout Christians and when in church Michael professed his love to the Lord, graduated from Bible school, and was a very responsible young man.
Mom: We will never
give up searching
The pain and sorrow only a mother could feel over her missing first-born son was visible on Michiel Knights’ face and it was palpable.
Pictures of Michael, the eldest of her five children were still in his room.
Her voice was tinged with sadness and she said it was difficult not to miss him as he was part of her. Whenever she was cooking, she was reminded of her son because he had a huge appetite.
She said when she made roti, Michael helped her in the kitchen and complimented her on her “sweet hand.”
Michael’s mom, a church minister, said he was born again and baptised in the Holy Spirit.
She said the absence of his physical body meant he was in the presence of God.
When asked how she remained so composed, Knights attributed it to her faith in God (the family attended the Word Of Faith Gospel Tabernacle in Gasparillo) and her family’s support which strengthened them.
Knights said she would like to see the police do their job in general, to uphold their oath to protect and serve the country’s citizens.
She said they will never give up searching for Michael.
Luta: Parang song to raise awareness of missing nephew
Luta, Michael’s uncle, said he was re-releasing his 2015 parang song Michael for Christmas in an effort to see if it could catch the ear of anyone who knew something about his nephew’s disappearance for them to come forward.
He said he hoped the song can send a message to people to do something, it was a cry for help from the family, it was not easy for them, there was no closure as the case seemed to be in limbo.
Peters said there was a bout of calls that emanated from the prisons from people trying to extort money but since then, nothing has happened.
n Anyone with
information on Michael Knights can contact the Marabella police station at
652-6777, TTPS Anti-Kidnapping Squad at 623-6793 or relatives at 684-2246.