Same SSN

The detective did some research and finally found out that someone was still using the same social security number in Long Prairie. The birthday too was the same just the names were different and instead of letting his suspicions go, officer Russell decided to go and check on this Michael once. 

The Lawyer Remembers

Richard Muntz, Lisa’s lawyer recalled, “we had a number of hearings, and during the last one, the judge said, ‘I don’t know if the mother can handle the situation, but we have to give it a try,’ The judge ordered the child returned to the mother for a trial period.” After this, the old couple just did one act that brought the suspicion on them.

$5,000 Home Equity Line

“The grandparents went to the bank, drew $5,000 out of a home equity line and stopped for breakfast at a local restaurant. The judge gave her custody on a trial basis, and before she could get him, that’s when they left,” said the lawyer Muntz.

What Took So Long?

Michael’s grandparents took on new identities, and they stopped using their Social Security numbers, which authorities could have used to track them down. “When they left, there was nothing. I would run their numbers every year through all 50 states and never get anything back,” explained Boyd.

Transferred Case

The case was transferred to Indiana State Police detective Jeff Boyd around 10 years ago from the initially assigned detective who was retiring soon. He said, “I had kind of taken an interest in it because we’re a small rural community and I said, ‘Hey, we still have somebody missing here,’ I thought we needed some closure. … At times I thought it was a lost cause.”

No Trace Left Behind

“The trail on this case went cold the day they disappeared. There was no trace of them after they left the restaurant,” said Boyd who explained how cleverly the old coupled vanished within a days time. Before anyone could sense it, they were gone.