'She's The Love Of My Life:' Husband Searching For Wife With Alzheimer's Who Went Missing From LACMA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — For the past 18 months, Kirk Moody has been focused on finding his wife, who has Alzheimer's disease.
In October of 2016, Nancy Paulikas went missing after she got separated from her husband when he went to the restroom at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
"It's quite a grind, it's quite tiring. It's not physically, it's emotionally exhausting," he said. "I need to find her and make sure I can take care of her."
Security video shows Nancy walking out of the museum and onto Wilshire Blvd. Kirk says his wife has the mental capacity of a child. Since she disappeared, the search hasn't stopped.
Michael Goldberg joined the search efforts last year. The LAPD sergeant saw a flyer for the missing 57 year old and decided to volunteer in the search during his off-duty hours.
"It's my duty. I'm a sworn officer, it's just that simple," Goldberg said.
His training as a police officer and detective helps. But it's his work in medical billing before his cop career that he believes also may help in finding Nancy. He says since Nancy hasn't turned up through the coroner's office, he believes she is alive and living in a skilled nursing facility under the wrong name. He says this may be a simple case of fraud.
"Given her diagnosis, she's gonna be eligible for certain types of care which Medicare of Medi-Cal will reimburse at certain rates ... And with this body comes reimbursement and with the reimbursement comes profit," he said.
Goldberg says he will continue working with the Manhattan Beach Police Department, which is investigating the case, as well as government agencies. An age-progressed photo obtained by CBS2/KCAL9 shows what Nancy might look like today.
Moody is thankful for Goldberg's efforts.
"No words," he said. "It gives you a little faith in humankind."
He also hopes a $30,000 reward will help someone come forward with information on his wife's whereabouts.
Why keep searching?
"Well I have to," he said. "So far, I mean, she's the love of my life and so far I've let her down," he said.
Anyone with information that can help investigators is asked to call the Manhattan Beach Police Department at (310) 802-5100.