These are the words of Ian Ross, the older brother of Michael Ross, the 17-year old who went missing on April 12, on his way to Homestead Dam.
The teen’s decomposed body was found on the evening of May 3, near the dam opposite the Lakeside Mall.
His shoes, iPod, his lighter and pack of cigarettes were scattered in the vicinity of where the body was found.
The dismembered condition in which his body was found has led to more questions about his disappearance and death.
“An officer came to our home at around 10.30pm, to inform us that the body had been found, wearing clothing which matched what my brother was last seen wearing,” explained Ian.
The family was asked to identify the body on Monday and, from what they could tell from the clothing, it was that of Michael.
According to the family, the teen had decided to not join them at a family braai, at Homestead Dam, on the day he went missing.
He, instead, wanted to spend the afternoon with a friend and went missing on his way to give his family the only key they all shared to their Woburn Avenue flat.
The family still have many questions about why Michael went missing and what led to his death.
“We’ve had a run around during the last three weeks, with a number of false alarms with regard to my brother’s whereabouts,” said Ian.
The most recent call the family received about Michael’s whereabouts claimed he was in Komatipoort.
“A woman called us telling us she knew where Michael was. She said he’d been in an accident and had been hospitalised, so he would be unable to speak to us over the phone to confirm everything she’d told us,” Ian said.
Although Ian immediately made arrangements and travelled to Mpumalanga on Workers Day, what raised the family’s suspicions was when the woman started asking for payment.
“Because we’d been searching for Michael every day, we hoped that anyone contacting us would be genuine,” Ian added.
“The woman seemed sincere and knew all our names, but when she asked for petrol money and more money to have her car fixed after it broke down when she was allegedly transporting my brother, I knew something wasn’t right.”
Although the woman was taken in by police for questioning, she was later released.
“I do believe that a lot of people meant well when they contacted us with Michael’s possible whereabouts, and we’re grateful to all those who took a flyer and helped us to look and spread the word about his disappearance,” he said.
Remembering Michael
“He was a friendly guy who was nice to everyone he met,” recalled Michael’s older sister, Nicolette.
She described her younger brother, whom she home schooled until he completed high school, last year, as an open person who got along with people he encountered.
His siblings described him as someone who enjoyed listening to music and kept primarily to himself.
His older brother recalled how the Monday, after the day he went missing, was going to see the start of a new chapter in the young man’s life.
“My brother was going to start a job at RTT the day after he disappeared, so I knew that his not coming home on Sunday was a sign that something was wrong,” he said.
His disappearance and death has left a void in the family, but Ian hopes that they will slowly start to piece their lives together again.
“We were always together and were quite close,” he added.
“Although I’m nine years older he was able to talk openly with me. I look at his photos and I’m reminded that he was still so young, despite his maturity and responsible nature – I can’t help but cry sometimes.”
The family had several community members and groups come forward to help to arrange Michael’s memorial service, which will be held on May 12 at Kerk van die Lewende Christus, in Brakpan.
“People have been amazingly supportive during this dark time and I can safely say that, in the last three weeks, I’ve experienced the best and worst of South Africa,” added Ian.
A post mortem was conducted on the body on May 4, but, due to the extent of the decomposition, the cause of death was not confirmed.
An inquest docket has been opened by the Benoni SAPS and investigations continue.
