Christmas confirmed as last sighting of missing man
Eral Keith Whitely (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
(CNS): Police have now confirmed that Eral Keith Whitely (72) from George Town has been missing for more than one month. Following extensive inquiries since 22 January, when family members first reported to the RCIPS that the elderly homeless man was missing, they now believe that the last confirmed sighting of Whitely was on 26 December and not around New Year as previously suspected. His whereabouts remains unknown, an RCIPS spokesperson said Friday, one week after the K-9 Unit and other specialist units began a systematic search of the swamp area where Whitely was known to frequent and where he was understood to have been sleeping in abandoned cars.
Whitely was evicted from his home in October and had been living rough ever since, using derelict cars for shelter.
Police confirmed last week that some of his belongings had been found in an abandoned vehicle in the swamp area of the capital around Brushy Street and Glenwood Drive, the location of the last confirmed sighting of him. Police now say that other reported sightings of him around Dump Road and at a New Year’s party in the swamp proved to be false.
“At this point in the investigation, with several enquiries conducted, it has been determined that the last confirmed sighting of Mr Whitely was on Boxing Day, 26 December 2018. Previous information that he was sighted on Seymour Road in mid-January has been determined to be incorrect,” a spokesperson for the police stated.
Police continue to appeal to anyone who may have seen Whitely in the last month or who has any information about his whereabouts to please contact the George Town Police Station at 949-4222.
Category: Local News
He is certainly not registered to vote (at least under his reported name). Not a voter? No MLA. No MLA, no help from government services?
Lets be honest. Yes there are many homeless people young and old here in Cayman but alot of them have drug problems and have stolen from there own families to feed their drug habits.
Some families have tried to help but theres only so much they can do. Alot of times these homeless individuals have resisted help from their families.
Try helping someone who has no desire to get sober or go to rehab.
My father was alcoholic and I was advised that I shouldn’t give him any cash by a counselor! Despite the advice, I still gave him some dollars. I guess Im guilty in loving my father to death ?
Its not easy rejecting your father .. not easy at all. He wants money, and here is this counselor telling me not to give him any cash!
My father was an alcoholic. Don’t give him money. Buy him whatever he needs such as food but don’t give money.
Please do not rush to judgement about this man’s family.
Many times family members offer assistance and it is rejected or they come for one night and then leave.
It is a really sad situation that we actually have homeless people in someplace as small as Cayman.
I do not know this gentleman nor his family. I do pray that he will be found and that he is safe and alive. I hope that, if his family is unable to help him, the powers that be will see that he is taken care of, going forward.
This is very very sad… why didn’t his family try to help him… at least give him a bed to lay his head at night, I am sure he helped his family in his hay days….
I do not recognize who we as Caymanians have become.. ” heartless” to our own family
members.. very very sad
Lots of assumptions there
How do you know what his family did or didn’t do? Presumptuous much?
Thank you well said, To Smh.
This entire story is disgraceful. This is a senior citizen and he was living in derelict cars and his family knew. He was reported missing 22nd January 2019??? This is disgusting, he lost his house, whatever reason, he is still a senior citizen and it didn’t seem that anyone cared one way or another about him…very sad!!!
Yes the new Cayman culture. Wait more to come. Our laws and way of life changing to suit those that come to our shores for the almighty dollar. Big Ports to accommodate bigger ships, 50 storey buildings to have more people come and live yet, we can’t find or care for our seniors or collect our garbage in timely manner? Just remember just as quick as you make a buck that same buck is quick to go! Most people who come to our shore ultimately has somerwhere called home that they can go back to just as easily when the well runs dries. Wise up Cayman, I only see the rich getting richer and the rest struggling to survive!
This potential tragedy is consequence of us importing poverty and then not keeping up with the strain. It is nothing to do with importing wealth.
This tragedy is the result of a bucket of greed and not a drop of compassion. In other words what some people on this site call progress or creating jobs. Own it and move forward.
You only know what you want to know. That is a sad thing.
He is not the only one. There many others, young ones too, that are living on the streets and families do not give a ‘hoot’ about them. Some live on the north and south terminal and even under trees in George Town. This is how “Caymanians” take care of their own, total disgrace. God have mercy.
Unless you know the details you cannot say the family don’t give a hoot. Many times the family tries hard to help with their loved ones addiction and as a last resort try tough love!!
I personally know his family many years. I don’t think they were aware , if so they would have given him shelter, he has a sick son who used to help pay his rent until he got sick and is unable to work and walk. He may not have wanted them to know he was homeless as it would cause stress. Its a sad situation but please lets not just assumed things if you don’t know what really happened. Continue to hope he’s found safely.
Thank you … its easy to jump to conclusions and call his family members “heartless” …
AS IF HE CAME FROM A WHITE UPPER CLASS CAYMANIAN FAMILY! ?
I may be prejudiced but given the circumstances I assume his family origin to be neither white nor “upper class”. I do not know whether they were Caymanian or not. Are you able to confirm?
Either way he deserves appropriate care and protection from the highly funded departments of the Cayman Islands government (as well as churches and the wider community) and he has not received it. Why not? Because the funds are provided to wealthy retired seafarers and other categories of possibly less deserving voters instead?
Was he not a registered voter? Is that why this has been allowed to happen?
They are poor “white” people too. That’s quite racist to assume that because of someone’s color that they are rich or poor.
No, he was homeless and living in cars after being evicted. It is not racist to assume he is poor. Grow up.
The point of the post is: Did government ignore him because he is not Caymanian, or if he is, was not registered to vote?