Whatever it takes
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 9:19PM I had some running around to do in south Orlando on Saturday, so when I finished, I zig-zagged my way north and east. Of course, I had a reason for that. Let’s say I was a man with a purpose and there was one place in particular I wanted to go — East Oak Ridge Road. Why? You see, after Michelle Parker’s mother, family and friends had first set up their command center in the vacant parking lot of the now defunct Jesse Black Saloon, they later moved it to The Barn in Sanford, where she worked as a bartender. When they left that location, it was as if they were in limbo, with no clear home. Sure, they went to the Daytona Beach area and then Kissimmee to pass out fliers with information on Michelle, but where did they go from there? Early Saturday morning, I saw a report on the news that they had returned to the Oak Ridge location.
I was somewhat concerned about morale after all this time. It was November 17 — 7 weeks ago — that Michelle was last seen. How were they holding up? I’ve got to tell you, morale was very high. There’s no way anyone will ever give up. Granted, most people had to go back to work and the search force has dwindled. Life goes on, you might say, but instead of letting the command center fizzle, they now set it up every Saturday morning at the original location. “This is where she was. It is here, all around here, where we feel closest to her, not in Sanford.”
Yvonne Stewart is Michelle’s mother. Every day she sorts through bits and pieces of information, hoping that something will click.
One of the first people I saw and recognized was Matt Morgan, son of John and Ultima Morgan, of the Morgan & Morgan law firm. I first met Matt at the last hearing (I attended) for their client, Zenaida Gonzalez, back on October 21, at the Orange County Courthouse. One thing that struck me in a good way that day was that Matt was exceptionally polite and compassionate. That’s an incredible asset and it showed me firsthand what kind of an upbringing he had. This day was no different, and I learned something more than that. Morgan & Morgan also represents the interests of Michelle’s immediate family. How many attorneys do you know that would hang around lending a helping hand on a Saturday afternoon? No suit. No tie. Wearing a MISSING t-shirt and blue jeans.
One of the key questions I had, along with many of you, concerned Michelle’s cell phone. Where was it found in relation to the Nela Avenue bridge? Yvonne and her husband, Jeff Stewart, were more than happy to point the spot out for me on a map of Orange County. Jeff, of course, is Michelle’s stepfather.
From the location, it would appear that the person who threw the phone into Lake Conway was crossing the bridge from east to west. That is, if the person maintained the proper lane and threw it out of the passenger side window.
While I was there, some of the day’s searchers arrived back to home base. The gentleman wearing the white visor (third from the right) is Jeff Stewart, a very affable person. News also broke that Dale Smith, Sr., was arrested and charged with the sale or manufacture of a controlled substance, possession of cannabis, less than 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia. We’ll leave that one alone for now.
Yvonne told me, quite emphatically, that she could use your help. Any help! I asked her when searchers should show up on Saturday mornings. She said about 9:30 - 10:00, but to make sure that you wear comfortable clothes - old clothes, or something that will protect your body from heavy brush, sharp prickles and thorns. Old shoes, too, because of the good possibility of wading through a few inches of mud in some areas.
Please take a look at Michelle’s Facebook page, Michelle Parker Missing Person and hit the “Like” button to show your support. And if you can donate something to help defray the costs of food for the helpers and other incidentals, like printing fliers and t-shirts, it would be very much appreciated. You can do that no matter where you live. $5.00? $10.00? Whatever you can afford. This is the direct link to the Michelle Loree Parker Trust, and it’s strictly handled by the Morgan & Morgan law firm, meaning that every penny will go to the effort to find her.
This is the face of a very determined woman, and considering what Yvonne has been going through, I think she’s holding up well. It’s due to one main thing — she will never give up! Neither will any of Michelle’s family and friends, especially Angela, one of Michelle’s closest friends. These are all good people and if you can do something - anything - they will be indebted, and so will I. Believe me, you cannot go to the command center without feeling some sort of compassion, but don’t confuse it with sympathy. Help is what they need.
As I headed out, I needed to eat. Driving north on Hansel Avenue to Orange, I saw a pizza restaurant called The Original Anthony’s. I knew all about the original Anthony’s in Casselberry from when I moved here in 1981. Could this really be the same family? Yes, it was, and I spoke at length with the owner, Mike. Good guy. While the command center was located on Oak Ridge in the beginning, he had donated large pizzas to help out, because, he said, “it was the right thing to do.”
It’s nice to know that people from all walks of life are willing to get involved. In my case, I wish I could do more, but the least I could do is this… keep Michelle in my mind and in the minds of my readers. Whatever it takes to bring her home.
Dave Knechel | tagged Dale Smith Sr, Facebook, Jeff Stewart, John Morgan, Matt Morgan, Michelle Loree Parker Trust, Michelle Parker Missing Person, Morgan & Morgan, Nela Avenue Bridge, Oak Ridge Road, The Barn, Yvonne Stewart | in Dave Knechel, David B. Knechel, David Knechel, Marinade Dave, Marinade Dave Knechel, Marinade Dave’s Caylee Anthony Posts, Michelle Parker, marinadedave | Share Article 
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Reader Comments (15)
You are doing a great thing Dave. I'm sure Michelle's family appreciate any and all help.
Recently I saw Yvonne on a news clip, sadly stating how Michelle's 11yo son has gone to live with his father and the twins are with their dad so in a 6 week period this woman has lost her daughter and 3 grandchildren. There's no words...
Do you think the phone being thrown from the passenger window indicates two people or one person with that window wound down throwing it through?
It's really sad, Tiffany. I couldn't begin to imagine what Yvonne has been going through. No, there are no words... All I know is that I will do whatever I can to help spread the word about Michelle.
I think one person, the driver, could have easily tossed the phone out the passenger side. I should probably try to duplicate it using something similar in size and weight. Hey! You gave me a great idea. Thanks!
Dave~~remember you are left handed.
[Yes, I am, but that would make it more difficult for me to toss something out the passenger window with my right hand. I'll bet you I could do it!]
The pictures are so nice and clear. I hope Yvonne Stewart and her family have some closure soon. Yvonne has had the heart ripped from her chest. I have a feeling that whoever abducted Michelle was cunning and devious. If her remains can be located, I would consider it a miracle.
[That's from my new camera and I'm very happy with it. Even so, I had a bit of a problem correcting Matt's picture in Photoshop. You know, I don't know how Yvonne holds up other than to see she's a very strong person. I think her ultimate goal is the driving force, and she's aware that with Michelle gone, she could completely lose her grandchildren. Whoever planned it had that devious idea in mind. It's a fine tightrope she must cross because someone else holds the key.]
Dale Smith said he left his condo and took the twins to visit his parents. Was his vehicle picked up on the neighbor's video surveillance in that specific time period?
[That's a good question, and OPD ain't sayin'.]
Hi Dave,
Tks. for keeping us up to date. I can't imagine how difficult this is for Michelle's family. Especially her children. I pray for swift justice.
What do u think about CaCa's new videos hitting the media?? lol Don't you know
she is loving every minute of her new "fame"?? I understand that her new lover
is a former crack addict. hmmmm Not too many "former" crack addicts around
from what I read. She is wearing a blond wig imo. I've seen that wig style many
times.
I'm sure money lover Cindy will be hitting the media asap! MORE Blood Money!
Stay Happy....(GREAT photo of you!)
Mary B.
Hi, Mary B. - This is incredibly difficult for Michelle's children, and this is a time when Yvonne should be allowed to comfort them, which I understand she is doing.
As for Ca Ca's videos, they make me want to puke, to be honest with you. I have no idea who she is dating, nor what type of person he is. Personally, I am trying to get over her, but she's like a scar that ill never go away. I guess I will be covering the civil trials when they come along, but until then, she is a persona non grata.
Thanks, I'm glad you like the picture of me. It was taken Christmas day.
Dave, thanks for keeping us updated with the story. I am glad that her family and friends are not giving up hope. It is what keeps them going. I am sure they all appreciate your keeping this story going and getting it out to all of your readers. You never know who you might reach that reads this. Those picture are very nice and clear.
It's the least I could do, Mary Jo. These people are so dedicated to bringing Michelle home, and I feel the least I could do is to give them my support whenever I can. After they left The Barn, I wondered what they would do. Where would they go from there? So, it was good to find out they're up and running at the original location. Yes, it sure would be nice if someone reading this remembers something, anything, about the day of her disappearance. I plan on reminding everyone every once in a while until this is resolved. Thank you, Mary Jo. I do like my new camera!
Dave~~finding Michelle's remains out in the woods is like finding a needle in a haystack. As time passes, even if the remains are discovered, it will be hard to determine the cause of death. IMO, if the one who did this had temper management problems and was trained in military tactics, it wouldn't take long to snap Michelle's neck. I do not think Michelle going missing on the same day as People's Court was aired is just a coincidence.
Sadly, we are getting immuned to a lot of these cases that have so many similarities. Initially, the prime suspect will be taken in and questioned. A polygraph will be refused and then along comes a lawyer who tells his client to stay silent. Law enforcement cannot hold a suspect more than 24 hours and then he/she must be released if there is not enough evidence to charge them. Generally days pass before LE gets a warrant to do a thorough search of the premises of those suspected of the crime. During that time lapse, evidence can be hidden or cleaned up (in the case of blood or tissue).
Then we have the, 'blood is thicker than water' and this is where it is easy for the suspect to come up with an alibi of their whereabouts.
And so it goes. The family keep searching for their loved one. The abductor/murderer is free and LE's hands are tied for lack of evidence. People lose interest after the first three weeks in cases like this as they are all ending up the same way.
Unless an act of God occurs as it just did recently in the case of the woman who was murdered in Casselberry in 1991. The DNA evidence in that case was saved in a data base. As routine now, when you are charged for a felony, your DNA is collected. A man who was charged with tax evasion-his DNA just happened to match that found at the scene of the crime of this murdered woman. He was just charged with Murder One after twenty years. JMO
Dave~ ~it was an act of God that an unborn child's remains were washed up on the shore and shortly thereafter, a woman's torso. This is the only reason Scott Peterson sits on death row, probably until he dies of natural causes.
Drew Peterson, Bolingbrook, Illinois will also die of old age before his trial ever proceeds because of technicalities in the system.
Even when the state puts in thousands of man hours and feels confident that they have enough evidence for a guilty verdict, it goes to trial and becomes a contest of high profile lawyers ( with the exception of one) vs the state. Bring in money issues and working on a tight budget and a race to panel a jury in another county due to a change of venue. We know the results of that one.
People are getting discouraged with the laws that are now in place because it seems like beating a dead horse and justice has flown out the window. Unless you get a confession... forget it!
I felt like venting...can you tell?
Snoopy, I know how exasperating it can get out there in the world of crime, but we should never lump all missing people situations into one giant barrel. It's the same thing with murders and all crimes. They are as unique as fingerprints. Sometimes we catch the bad guy and sometimes we don't. What the Caylee case taught us was about as close to a real investigation as it gets. We lived every day to see new evidence and when it came to the trial of her mother, we were salivating over her impending conviction. Unfortunately, that never came, and in the end, we needed to move on from there, but the media hasn't let us.
I look first-hand at the law enforcement personnel and prosecutors who worked their tails off for what? To be quite frank, they did it for a cause that they continue to do to this very day. Catch the bad guys and send them to prison. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way in every case, and if we are ever to consider ourselves to be 10% as committed as they are, we must learn to move on and get the next bad guy. I talked to those people who worked on the case and that's exactly what they did.
I think that we are not becoming immune to these cases because what we felt, and still do, was a major letdown. It's as if we were blood relatives of every person involved in the case right down to fellow bloggers and forum hosts. Look at the amount of infighting that took place among us.
Back to the matter at hand. So it goes. By that, I mean we can't win 'em all. Yes, it's sad that Caylee's murderer got away with it, but as Jeff Ahton has stated many times, the system works. Is it flawed? Yes, of course, but it still works because the majority of criminal are caught, convicted and sent to prison. Despite the outcome of the Anthony trial, to change the way attorneys and clients present their side would end in convictions the Supreme Court would toss out. If one innocent man is convicted wrongly, that's not the intent of our founding fathers. And contrary to what many think, the majority of cases do not end the same way as Anthony's.
In my opinion, an act of God is only the weather. Why? Because it was the human race that came up with DNA analysis, not God. God gave us the intelligence and the tools to excel, and that's how it works. Was it God that washed Lacey and her fetus ashore? Well, I guess that could be argued, but at the same time, police were alerted to that area to begin with. BOLO, in other words. It was science that connected the dots, and the media that spread the news of where he fished. Like the moon changes tides, it was weather that brought her ashore.
I know a lot of people may not agree with me, but that's the way I feel. You may not, either, but for sure, this is not to argue with anyone. The facts remain the same and in the majority of times, the white hats win. In my opinion, Jodi Arias will be convicted. Hands down.
Well well, Mr Knechel, I certainly got your creative juices flowing so my comments were not in vain.
"An act of God" is just a cliché I tend to use as I would, "stroke of luck" or judging by your response to me, "a stroke of genius."
Would you believe that I was trying to prepare some of the contributors at my blog for a 'not guilty' verdict? I have learned over the years, from experience, it is best to keep one's guard up as it will help break the fall.
I do have a problem with money helping to buy some people out of jail but I don't think Bob Ward would agree with me. It certainly didn't help him.
[Yes, I have a bit of a problem with that, too, but for now, I'm hitting the sack. This is something we can definitely elaborate on.]
Hi Dave
Something I find incredibly classy about Michelle's family is the decorum with which they've handled the recent allegations about the arrest of Dale Sr. Their focus remains where it should, on bringing Michelle home and the wellbeing of their Grandbabies.
After reading Jeff Ashtons book, noting how many who worked tirelessly for Caylee had children of their own, I don't know how they maintained the high level of professionalism they did. Or maybe that's what drove them. In any case I hope Jeff Ashton gets a run at State Attorney. The universe has a way of balancing itself out, the fight was lost in this instance re Caylee but Mr Ashton might just win the justice war.
Sorry I'm so late getting back to you, Tiffany, but it's been a bad day. Yes, Michelle's family has been above board and it really shows their class and focus.
About Ashton's book, those prosecutors are used to all kinds of monsters. I believe they become immune to a certain degree, as well as they should, because they incredible jobs to do. Nurses see their patients die all the time, and they know that going into it. It's a big part of the job description. As for Ashton's run for state attorney, it's been quiet this week. I think they all came out sparring and throwing jabs and they need to regroup to really formulate a game plan. It should be a very interesting 7 months leading up to the primary election.
Hi there, Tiffany. I agree about Yvonne Stewart. She keeps good control of her own feelings for the sake of her grandbabies. Yes, she is one classy lady.
Now I need to vent some more.....Dave will be putting the run to me soon. Maybe I should get my US citizenship and be a contender for the State Attorney's position.
I also hope Jeff Ashton gets voted in. He did mention a few things that he would like to change. For instance, Yuri Melich comes to mind. How many man hours did he have to hang around the corridors of the courthouse because he was repeatedly called back to testify by the defense? On one occasion, the defense had Melich on the stand for approximately one minute but yet, he was not released and still had to be available. It was like José Baez was on a power trip and wanted to settle a score with the good detective.
I am sure that Ashton knowing the workings of the court system will be able to save a lot of tax dollars. Video conferencing and taking depositions via Skype, I believe he mentioned these in his coming out speech.
If I had my way, there would be no sequestration of a jury and no change of venue. In the case of Dr Conrad Murray, the jury was not sequestered. Everything worked out tickety boo so to speak. They had a very intelligent and happy jury in place and they took their time to weigh the evidence and come up with a sound verdict.
If you lie under oath and it can be proven, the state should follow up and charge that individual with perjury. Why bother to make witnesses take an oath if you are not going to enforce it? The same goes with saying a lawyer will be held in contempt of court and it will be dealt with later. Stop hiding everything under the rug once the trial is over.
Don't allow lawyers to take on high profile cases pro bono for the 'free advertising.' If the one being charged has no income to pay a lawyer, assign them a public defender so the compensation can go into the right pockets. In the long run, minus the media circus created by some of these yoyos, the trial will not take years to try, this will pay more dividends.
I promise that my venting is over for the day... goodnight.
Goodnight Snoopy,
So nice to hear your thoughts on this. Not much to add except profiting from a crime and using that money to fund ones own defense should not be allowed. Oh and I'm a huge fan of Linda Drake Burdick, could listen to that lady speak all day.
Don't give up, something will break, and the angry evil dark one will be proven guilty. A Needle in the haystack is possible. How many acres and lakes are there in Orlando and yet the cell phone was found.
Keep positive and keep the prayers going. Michelle disappeared on Nov 17th last person to see her alive that anyone knows is Dale Smith Jr. Having found the cell phone between his home and his parents home is really suspicious in my opinion. Jesse Blacks is where they need to be.
Michelle's family and friends will never give up on her. Of that I am certain. Today, they will search an area southeast of Orlando because of tips that came in. Unfortunately, there are acres upon acres of woods and undeveloped land all over the place, not to mention the lakes. Eventually, she will be found and the right person will be charged. It's going to take a long time, though, and we will have to be patient. I have a feeling something is going to break soon.
Hi Dave, You are very kind helping the Parkers. I have been wondering if LE has checked out Dale Smith's best friend. {can't remember his name} but when Dale Smith is photographed out this guy is always with him. I read that Smith's first wife was with this friend the night she had her accident or whatever. Maybe Smith had some help.I hope she can be found soon for her families sake. I don't think they will get good news. Take care Dave Thak you for keeping us informed. Wish you could be in courtroom of Jodi Arias, bound to be crazy, but then again I don't think I need any more Crazy. Three years is enough.
Hi, margaret! I am always glad to help whenever I can. I don't know who Dale Smith's best friend is. If I knew, I might be able to dig up some information on him. Whoever is responsible for Michelle's disappearance, I'm sure he had help. The location where the Hummer was found is not a place you just walk away from. Someone had to pick him up from there.
I wish I could write about the Arias case, but you're right. 3 years is long enough. Even I was going crazy. Thanks, it's great seeing you.