Viswa Vanapalli
In September 2019, when Michael Samdass walked out of his mother’s home in Ontario, Canada, she never imagined that would be the last time she would see her son. But that’s precisely what happened, with him vanishing into thin air and loved ones struggling with the lack of information regarding his whereabouts. The sixth episode of Paramount+’s ‘Never Seen Again’ chronicles what happened to him and how the family has been dealing with the situation.
Michael Samdass Went Missing After Leaving His Mother’s Home
Michael Samdass was part of a large, close-knit family of five siblings. At the time of his sudden disappearance, he had reportedly been living with his mother in the community of Stoney Creek in Hamilton, Ontario. Loved ones described Michael as an extrovert who was charming and witty. He worked in the real estate and home renovation sector and liked playing soccer during his free time. Apart from that, Michael went to the local dance clubs with his sisters.
But on September 3, 2019, Michael left his mother’s home and never returned. He was 40 years old at the time. His family actually reported him missing the same day, and the ensuing investigation revealed he was seen around Yonge Street and Carlton Street in Toronto, Ontario, on September 5, 2019. But beyond that, the police couldn’t find anything else. Michael seemingly vanished without a trace left behind, yet his loved ones continued to look for him.
Michael Samdass Was Found Alive in 2023
After Michael Samdass went missing, there was no bank or social media activity on any of his accounts, making it difficult to ascertain what’d happened. The authorities didn’t have a lot of leads at the time but dug into why he was in Toronto at the time. They learned that Michael had come to visit a professional, but more information wasn’t made public. Beyond that, the investigation didn’t get far because nobody seemed to know what happened to Michael.
The family, though, talked about how Michael’s behavior began changing in 2017. According to his sister, Reisha Dass, “We noticed that he wasn’t the same. He became very withdrawn. He was agitated all the time. He was edgy all the time. He’d snap for no reason. It was crazy.” Michael had begun to be paranoid and had violent outbursts. At one point, Reisha added, Michael “unexpectedly” attacked their father too.
After this incident, the family cut contact with him, with only his mother and another sister keeping in touch. Before that, though, they had tried to understand him and hoped to be there for him, but to no avail. Reisha said, “We had tried to get him help to see if there was something mentally going on or if he’d gotten involved with the wrong people. We were trying to find out what was going on, but we couldn’t.”
Upon digging further, it came to light that Michael had spent a night in jail in Toronto after being picked up by the police on September 4, 2019; he’d allegedly had an altercation with a homeless person. He was released the following day, which was the last time he was seen. Furthermore, the family was baffled by his trip to Toronto, mainly because he didn’t even take his cell with him. By July 2020, the authorities announced that they had exhausted all efforts to find Michael and hoped the public would come up with new information.
Another sister of Michael, Leah Gerrard, felt that the police could have done more with the investigation. His loved ones continued the search for him despite rumors of his death. In October 2021, they even offered a hefty reward for information regarding his whereabouts. There were reports of potential sightings in Toronto the same month, but nothing panned out. Furthermore, the possibility of him living on the streets in Toronto was explored. But then, at the age of 43, he was found alive and well all the way in the United States.
Michael was actually found on July 12, 2023, living on the streets of Tampa, Florida, as a homeless man. It’s unclear wheather he wanted to be located or not, but his sister Reisha subsequently expressed, “I am overjoyed to share that my brother Michael, who has been missing since September 2019, has been located, and is ALIVE! We are still gathering details and would kindly appreciate privacy while we navigate our next steps in this journey.”
She then added, “Thank you all for your continuous support and love throughout this challenging time. We are deeply grateful to Please Bring Me Home, Hamilton Police Service, and all the incredible individuals who supported us. Their unwavering assistance led to the whereabouts of our missing brother, and we cannot express our gratitude enough.” However, Michael has not yet been able to reunite with his family because he was charged for assaulting a woman in November, and the case appears to be ongoing.
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