New Zealand - Michael McGrath, 49, still missing, Christchurch, 21 May 2017 *arrest* *Mistrial*

[NZkiwi]

Yes KiwiJane. It's a huge case. Unusual for something like this to happen here AND Michael lived on the same street as Helen Milner, The Black Widow!

Gosh I had forgotten about Helen [emoji43] now there's a fruit cake!


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[ms_x_to_the_m]

Hi ms_x _to_the_m. LE have certainly honed in on him and I agree with you about the police suspicion. Other possible reasons I've come up with could be that DB was the last person to see him, he has a motive, the mobile phone has info on it or they may have CCTV coverage of Michael heading that way. This is all conjecture on my part.

I too would like resolution for his family. I do not know them, but I feel so sad for them. I keep hoping against the odds he might still come back to them. Stranger things have happened!

Hi CalliopeGG
I'm pretty sure Le is just waiting to find the evidence to get him.
I do hope if he's out there somewhere, he contacts his family.
A girl can hope

 

[kiwijayne]

Gosh I had forgotten about Helen [emoji43] now there's a fruit cake!


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Yes she is.

 

[CalliopeGG]

Yes she is.

At first I thought she might have ordered a hit on her neighbour haha!

 

[kiwijayne]

At first I thought she might have ordered a hit on her neighbour haha!

Maybe.

Still waiting to confirm but I think they may have gone to school with my brother(almost the same age and same school).

 

[CalliopeGG]

It does appear that Michael was a victim of foul play, his bank accounts haven't been touched and he didn't take his car or bike, and police have his mobile phone. He did cash building jobs and lived alone, he doesn't seem like he's mixed up in anything untoward like drugs. His old school mate David Benbow owns two properties with his estranged partner (they have 2 children) but was/is living with his mother. There could be a link about money or an affair? Police have identified him as a 'poi' and his properties are being searched.

Michael worked for cash which means there probably isn't a record of past and current jobs, there could be a problem if he was owed money or if a customer wasn't satisfied with his workmanship?

I concur Prime! I think it was incorrectly reported initially that he was living with his mother. In later news bulletins he was reported to be living at his Candys Road property, which is the one the police have been ALL over. It is the rural looking property you can see with a big hedge around it.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news...ath-disappearance-says-he-has-nothing-to-hide

 

[CalliopeGG]

Maybe.

Still waiting to confirm but I think they may have gone to school with my brother(almost the same age and same school).

Does he still live in the Halswell area Kiwi? We need some local input on this case.

 

[kiwijayne]

Does he still live in the Halswell area Kiwi? We need some local input on this case.

No(we never lived in Halswell but Spreydon) but he's still in Christchurch.

I do know that side of town well I lived there for 30 plus years.

 

[CalliopeGG]

The search of the landfill only started today, hence the lack of news all week.

The last sighting of Michael was at his house. This is new information as far as I know.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/mcgrath-search-moves-landfill-223200245--spt.html

 

[Karinna]

"We do know a lot about Michael. There are aspects of his life where he was a private man.

"It's been more difficult to track his movements because he has been on and off work a little bit with minor health problems. He doesn't appear to have been involved in a wide range of activities, but he comes from a very close family and has friends who care about him."

McGrath's health problems made walking difficult so he tended to ride his bike for short distances, Sweeney says.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/ne...sterious-disappearance-proving-one-big-puzzle

 

[Horror]

The search of the landfill only started today, hence the lack of news all week.

The last sighting of Michael was at his house. This is new information as far as I know.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/mcgrath-search-moves-landfill-223200245--spt.html

Calliope I still have Michael on my mind hoping for answers for his family soon


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[Pepper77]

"The landfill search is expected to take at least two weeks."

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-z...-man-michael-mcgrath-focuses-on-landfill.html

 

[CalliopeGG]

Calliope I still have Michael on my mind hoping for answers for his family soon


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That's so nice of you Horror. There has been very little information in the media for me to post to keep the case at the forefront people's minds. I believe the landfill is still being searched. Thinking of Michael and his family too.

 

[CalliopeGG]

"The landfill search is expected to take at least two weeks."

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-z...-man-michael-mcgrath-focuses-on-landfill.html

Thank you for posting this pepper77.

 

[CalliopeGG]

"Investigators have spent more than a week sifting through rubbish at the Kate Valley Landfill in Waipara looking for "items of interest".

"On Friday Detective Inspector Darryl Sweeney, officer in charge of the "major" investigation, said the dump search would likely continue for several weeks."

"Sweeney said officers were in a "detailed assessment phase" working through information they had gathered."

"There is some useful information among that."

http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime...ng-christchurch-man-michael-mcgrath-continues

 

[kiwijayne]

40 days missing now.

His brother is handing out pamphlets and still looking.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/cr...nce-everconsuming-and-devastating-for-brother

 

[CalliopeGG]

40 days missing now.

His brother is handing out pamphlets and still looking.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/cr...nce-everconsuming-and-devastating-for-brother

Thank you for posting this Kiwijayne. Really feeling for Michael's family.

 

[kiwijayne]

POI says he's the victim of a witch hunt. Same link as previous but it's been updated.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/cr...nce-everconsuming-and-devastating-for-brother

 

[CalliopeGG]

POI says he's the victim of a witch hunt. Same link as previous but it's been updated.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/cr...nce-everconsuming-and-devastating-for-brother

There is quite a bit of new information in the article you have posted here.

"Stuff has learned Benbow went to a transfer station in Parkhouse Rd, Sockburn, to dump a small quantity of rubbish soon after McGrath's disappearance, which explains why police have concentrated their efforts at Kate Valley Landfill, where all Christchurch rubbish ends up, for the last two weeks."

"He said he and McGrath had recently worked on the deck of his new house and McGrath had built a playhouse for his two children."

Also of interest:

"Information that his former partner had started a relationship with McGrath before he went missing was just a rumour and he had no knowledge of it, Benbow said."

"I didn't know. Only Jo would know," he said."

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...nce-everconsuming-and-devastating-for-brother

 

[JerseyGirl]

Items found at landfill in search for clues about missing Christchurch man Michael McGrath

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/n...bout-missing-christchurch-man-michael-mcgrath

Searchers would remain at the landfill for another few weeks. Several items of interest had already been recovered and were being assessed.