Thanks, Dreamweaver, for taking the time to call the detective on this case. I've only been to that part of Long Island once, but if I remember correctly some parts of Islip are beautiful, and some look pretty sleazy - with quite a few cheap motels/short-stay motels around that look like they are targeted toward escorts, truck drivers, those having affairs, etc.
I haven't even read much about Michael in the local news here, and the Daily News usually prints lots of news out of Long Island. It's amazing how little attention missing mens' cases get, compared to those of missing women. I feel so badly for Michael's family.
Looking at the pictures of Michael and hearing about his close relationship with his Dad and family it doesn't 'feel' like Michael would have taken off on his own. What I do find strange is that Michael was close enough with his Dad to have invited him over the day he went missing to help him try on new clothes and choose an outfit to wear for the date, which to me indicates a closer-than-usual father-son relationship (not in a bad way), yet he wouldn't reveal to his Dad who the date was WITH. I doubt it was with an escort, because would Michael really be careful in selecting an outfit he was going to wear to see a prostitute? Not likely. If the news reports about what his Dad says are true, it seems Michael was very excited about meeting someone in person whom he had never met before in person but had communicated with on the Internet (I think reports specified Match.com). Yet we haven't heard anything about detectives finding anything on Michael's computer about a potential date, so what does that mean? That there was none? That it was with a man instead of a woman and therefore the family wants to keep this information confidential? It just seems like this should be an easy, open and shut case - forensically analyze Michael's computer and determine the ISP address of the person with whom he was e-mailing about a date, or subpoena records from Match.com. So what's going on?
The missing dog bowls and the missing dog could be either a good or bad sign. Because the dog hasn't shown up on the streets apparently, it gives me hope Michael took off and brought his beloved dog with him. However it could also mean whoever murdered Michael also murdered his dog, and they are buried/disposed of next to one another.
What a sad case. Sending my thoughts to Michael, his family, and his pup. Hoping this case won't be one of those that just fades into oblivion with never a resolution.
