Whatever it takes

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.

For Michelle

I had a rather busy Saturday this past weekend, but before I go into that, I want to clarify a couple of things. One, Jeff Ashton is aware of my contest. There are no hidden agendas whatsoever, so don’t be afraid to enter. Two, the original media reports focused on the Hoffner Avenue bridge as the location where Michelle Parker’s cell phone was tossed and discovered after police received a tip. That information is incorrect. It is the Nela Avenue bridge location, and I made the correction on my Over Hell and Dale report. The maps now reflect that change. Sorry for the confusion.

•

On Saturday morning, I drove to Costco in Winter Park to have copies of Jeff Ashton’s book signed. You know, Imperfect Justice… the one I want you to win. From there, I drove down to the area where Michelle Parker’s Hummer H3 was found on November 18, the day after she disappeared. My trusty iPad GPS app guided the way to the 4700 block of Walden Circle, in southwest Orlando. While there, I had the opportunity to speak to several people who actually live in the immediate neighborhood. On the outside perimeter, I asked three or four men if they knew where the vehicle was found and what, if anything, did they know about it. The consensus was clear about where it was found and two of them stated that they had seen the Hummer parked in proximity of that spot 3 or 4 times over the past month. They said, because of her tanning business, she may have had a customer living on that side. They told me they had been questioned by law enforcement and that’s what they told them. If true, it could point to someone other than Dale Smith II as the perp. On the other hand, why would someone in that complex be involved and point evidence their way? The men all agreed that they had seen the vehicle with the “GLOW Mobile Airbrush Tanning” decal clearly visible. This time, they said, the decal was gone.

When they pointed to the spot where the Hummer was found, I drove across the street, parked my car, and walked around. Several men were sitting on their small enclosed porches. I asked them what they knew. I told them about the men across the way and what they said. They showed me exactly where it was found, and a couple of them told me there was another black Hummer that used to park toward the back area as the apartments (or condos/townhouses) extended inside the perimeter.

CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE - LARGER IMAGES ARE HIGHER QUALITY

HUMMER FOUND HERE

AREA WHERE OTHER HUMMER PARKED

My real point of Walden Circle and what I found out is very important in one sense. Dale and Michelle had been broken up for a fair amount of time by then. How would Dale know about the Walden Circle location unless he was stalking her? Or if she had this very customer while they were still together, as in long-term, why wouldn’t the witnesses have said they saw it over a longer course of time than a month? Something isn’t quite adding up as far as I’m concerned.

After I left the complex, I drove to the intersection of Vineland and Conroy Roads. On the southeast corner is a patch of woods, and on Vineland, there is a utility road into those woods that’s used to access two elevated billboards. If I was in the neighborhood looking to hide evidence, there’s a place I would consider, so I decided to take a look. Don’t let the overhead view fool you. The brush is a lot thicker in there, as the photos will show.

LOOKING INTO WOODED AREA

I didn’t investigate further because of the tangled brush and, well, the place just gave me the creeps. I left.

What an Incredible Outpouring of Support

From there, I hopped on I-4 and drove up to The Barn in Sanford, where she tends bar. I milled around snapping photos. There was a $10 admission charge and all of the gate money was to go to Michelle’s children and family for search efforts. [This could be a legal issue if Dale Smith II demands the money as father of the twins.]

There were plenty of vendors plying their goods, and they all donated a percentage of the take, mostly 50%, to the same worthy cause. There was food, music, clothing for sale, a bounce house, face painting and more. Lots of fun! I didn’t hang around too long because I’m not much into large crowds any longer and my health cuts into the amount of time I am out and about. I stayed for an hour or so, and when I left, the nice woman at the gate answered “at least a thousand by now” when I asked her how many people were there. I was really hoping for a second wind so I could return, but it just wasn’t in me. Anyway, the festivities continued until 2:00 am after it was moved inside around early in the evening. Not only was the parking lot filled with people, the very large bar also held quite a few. There was a silent auction that you could bid on all day, with donated goods and services, and highest bids picked that night. There was a truck tug-of-war and other challenges, including a cornhole contest.

SILENT AUCTION

Like I said, I wish I could have spent more time at The Barn, but by late afternoon, I was beat. Yesterday on the local news, one station reported that at least 2,000 people showed up. The event was a huge success, in other words. Now, if we could just have the same success with Michelle, she’ll be back to her bar this week, waiting on her loyal customers.

NEVER GIVE UP!

Missing Michelle

I had to take care of a few things in the Sanford/Lake Mary area today, so I decided to stop by The Barn, a famous country music nightclub known for hosting some of the genre’s best artists. It’s right up the road a spell from where I live, but in the 30-plus years I’ve been here, I’ve never been there. I stopped by to take a couple of photos of the exterior to show you where Michelle Parker works as a bartender. Michelle, in case you are not aware, disappeared without a trace 2 weeks ago, on the day she and her ex-fiancé, Dale Smith II, appeared on a taped episode of The People’s Court. On that day, she dropped off the one-time couple’s 3-year-old twins at his residence and was never seen again. (Michelle also has an 11-year-old son from a previous relationship.) The Orlando Police Department recently named Smith as the only suspect.

When I arrived at The Barn, two men were about to enter the establishment. I decided to walk up to them to explain why I was there. One seemed to be the in-charge, go-to person. I told him who I was and that my only intent was to do whatever I could to get her name out, not that I expected my site to do all that much, but you never know. Every little bit helps. He invited me in and said he would show me Michelle’s bar. This was about 3:30 and the bar doesn’t open for business until 6:00, so the interior wasn’t all that well lit. Certainly, it was enough to see how large it is inside. I told him I’d never set foot in the place, but I’ve always wanted to. We walked past a main bar and I could clearly see that it was big enough to accommodate several bars, and it does. The Website touts seven in all, including one in an upstairs loft that overlooks the dance floor.

I haven’t been hanging around any bars these days, but there’s an aroma that you can only detect inside a place that pours alcoholic beverages. I guess it’s from all of the liquor bottles and spilled drinks over the years. This place had no carpet that I recollect, so there was nothing to soak up the spilled drinks. Still, it was there. We walked all the way across to the other side, and there it was - where Michelle tends bar.

I could sense the anguish and desperation in this man’s heart. As a person in my position, that of a journalist, I asked him a few questions. He told me he couldn’t really say much, and I understood that. This is, after all, an ongoing investigation. He wasn’t really told by law enforcement to remain quiet, he said, but I know it would do no good for him to tell me his true thoughts of what went down. I told him I had read on one of the Orlando Sentinel threads where several people were stating that if it wasn’t her ex-boyfriend, it could surely have been someone who had been stalking her at the bar. Of course, there’s no really good reason or need for anyone to speculate like this. I did say it sure seemed strange that she would disappear on the same day the court segment aired. Yes, he said, and we mentioned another couple of peculiarities, but we left it at that, with neither of us voicing any sort of strong opinion one way or another.

He told me something that really stuck. He said that Michelle is a really good girl. By that, I knew exactly what he meant. She’s got it all. Aside from being very pretty, she’s a great friend, a loving mother, and an all-around caring soul. The girl has no enemies. She’s incredibly popular and none of it makes any sense, but it never does. I’ve never had someone I know go missing, nor have I ever felt that kind of frustration and helplessness. But throughout my years of dating and befriending many bartenders, their bosses always treated them like family. That’s precisely what this man was all about. It’s as if a chunk of his heart has been torn out, and to a person, his staff feels the same way. Everyone loves and misses Michelle.

I asked him if he managed or owned the bar. He told me he owns it. Eric Thims is his name. He’s a very proud man, and he’s doing whatever it takes to bring Michelle home. This is what’s posted on today’s Website:

PLEASE READ AND REPOST!!!!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU MICHELLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Tonight is Thirsty Thursday as always with all you can drink at The Barn in Sanford, but tonight it is about soooo much more than that! We are having a benefit to raise money for Michelle Parker. It will help the continued search efforts for her as well as her children and family.

Tonight we are having a Bartender Handoff where bartenders from all over Central Florida that know or have worked with Michelle in the past will stand in to support Michelle and work in her place. ALL TIPS raised on Michelle’s bar tonight will go directly to her family.

We are asking that anybody who has a Missing Person shirt with Michelles picture on it wears it tonight! We will have national coverage here like the Today Show and others and we want to be sure that Michelle’s face is EVERYWHERE that they turn their cameras!

So come show your support for Michelle with your shirt and checking out all the bartenders rotating through Michelles bar by the DJ booth. They will be happy to make you a drink and your tips will help bring this AMAZING woman home!

We have the following bartenders standing in for her tonight so come show some love!

Michelle’s sister Lauren
Michelle’s best friend Heather (from Manny’s Chophouse, and worked with Michelle at Cowboys)
Erica (from Hooter’s)
Jess (from Hooter’s)
Carrie (from Cowboys)
Brandi (from Lavish Photography, and formerly from The Barn)
April (The Barn)
Carrie (The Barn)
Dracy (The Barn)
Michelle W (The Barn)
Lisa (The Barn)
Erica (The Barn)
Krissi (The Barn)
Liz (The Barn)
John (The Barn)
Crystal (The Barn)
One Bartender from Rodeo’s in Mount Dora

And if any of her other previous co workers would like to join us we would still love to have you!

See you all there, come help us support Michelle!

Tomorrow night, there will be a silent auction. Local firemen will be auctioned off for dinner. So will Eric. Ladies only. Anyone willing to help out, please do. On Saturday, Dec. 10, a big benefit will also be held all day and night. I may try to attend for a few hours. I wish I could do more because this is eating away at me, too. I never met her, but she’s my neighbor and yours, because this happens every single day somewhere around the world, including your own back yard. Now, I do feel like I know her better. Look at all the countless hearts she’s touched.

Watch the Today Show for more on Michelle. Tim Miller from Texas EquuSearch arrived in Orlando today at the behest of Mark NeJame, who is representing Dale Smith.