Investigation after Florida man not seen since 2015 is just reported missing
CLERMONT, Fla. – Deputies are looking for a man who wasn't reported missing until recently, but who hasn't been seen since 2015, reports CBS affiliate WKMG.
According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, a friend of Michael Shaver, 35, recently contacted them and said he and Shaver's family were concerned because they haven't heard from him since 2015.
When deputies went to Shaver's home, his wife Laurie Shaver told them she hadn't seen him since 2015 either. According to the sheriff's office, Laurie Shaver initially allowed the deputies to look inside the residence, but later stopped cooperating and asked for a lawyer.
According to WKMG, on Wednesday Laurie Shaver told the station, "I have no comment and you can reach out to my attorney. She reportedly drove off without identifying her attorney.
Curt Ruhl lives across the street from Shaver's home.
"I'd see him out working in the yard..." he told the station, "then all of a sudden he was gone, and some other guy moved in."
Ruhl, along with other neighbors, said they want to know where Shaver is.
"I'd like to know what happened to him, of course," he said. "Your mind always goes to the furthest thing."
WKMG reports that records show that Shaver was arrested on a domestic violence charge in 2014 after an incident involving his wife. The two were arguing about a home repair project and the altercation turned physical, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
The wife told deputies that Shaver grabbed her by her arm and pushed her into a wall, leaving her with bruises on both biceps, the report said.
According to the station, authorizes said that during the fight, either Shaver or his wife grabbed a gun and the two struggled over it. Deputies said Shaver had a laceration on the top of his head from where his wife hit him with the firearm.
That gun and another firearm were reportedly confiscated from the home.
Deputies said two young children witnessed the fight, and records show the domestic violence charge was eventually dropped, reports WKMG.
Shaver's older sister Stacie Shaver told the station her family wants answers.
"He is a wonderful caring man who would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it," she said. "His two children were his absolute world. He loved his family and we love him so very, very much. We miss him terribly. We are looking for answers."
Anyone with information concerning Shaver's whereabouts is asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.