The Missing - A Weekly Exposé of Lost Souls - Issue #27

January 13, 2009

The Mysterious Disappearance of George Robert "Skip" Zelaya

In this week's edition of "The Missing," we revisit the mysterious disappearance of George Robert "Skip" Zelaya, a 61-year-old resident of Homosassa, Florida, who went missing in January 2005.

"The last time I saw my dad, two of my sisters and I (I have one more sister and one more brother) took a trip to see him in September 2004, like we always did," Skip's daughter, Kathleen Howarth, said in an interview with Investigation Discovery. "When we were about to get on the plane to go home, all three of us were crying like we were children leaving our dad for the first time. This wasn't odd behavior, because we always cried when we left him. We were all standing there crying, telling him how much we loved him when he started to tear up and told us if we didn't stop crying we were going to make him cry. Then we all wiped away our tears and took one last picture of each of us with him."

Unbeknownst to Kathleen or her siblings, that would be the last time any of them would see their father before his mysterious disappearance.

"I left to go on a trip to Montana on January 21, 2005," Kathleen said. "This was the first time since Dad moved to Florida that I didn’t visit him the first of the year because I was invited to go to Montana. Otherwise, I would’ve been with him at this time. The following Thursday, my little sister, Susan, called the house I was staying at. I was blow drying my hair so I never heard the phone ring. My husband, Doug, answered. He could hardly understand who it was, as she was hysterical. Doug came in and told me to stop blow drying my hair and that I need to call my sister because my father was missing. I screamed, saying: ’God, please don’t let anything happen to my dad!’ I was a basket case. I couldn’t even remember her telephone number to call her back. My husband kept telling me to calm down. We were all so helpless. I was in Montana, my siblings were all in the D.C. metro area, and he was missing in Florida." 

According to Kathleen, Skip was last seen by his roommate (who also happens to be his ex-wife), at about 6:30 p.m., on January 13, 2005. It was three days later when his former wife contacted Skip's brother, Joe Zelaya, to ask if he had heard from his brother. When Joe told her he had not spoken to his brother, she informed him that she was going to contact the police. Two days later, on January 18, 2005, the she again contacted Joe to inform him that she found Skip's car at a shopping center off Highway 19. She said that his wallet was found under the seat, empty, all but for his social security card and photos. His watch, keys and cell phone were found on a table in their house.

"Susan waited a week to call me because I was in Montana and she could not decide if she should call or not, so a week later, she could not hold it any longer and that was when she called," Kathleen said. "Since that time the pain has been unbearable. I don't know where he is or why he is gone."

Unfortunately, there were no surveillance cameras outside the mall, leaving detectives with no solid proof that Skip had parked his vehicle there. Investigators conducted a search of the area and brought in a cadaver dog to assist them; however, they were unable to find any indication that Skip was in the area.

According to a journal that Skip's now-deceased brother, Joe Zelaya, maintained during Skip's disappearance, he received an interesting clue in the mail on January 25, 2005. His journal entry read in part:

"Went to mailbox. Received a couple of envelopes from Skip. One contained his driver's license and check card, the other envelope contained three checks to be deposited and a check to me for $2000, along with a note that there should be $1300 left after the check. Note states, verbatim:  'After you cash this there should be about 1,300.00 left use the card pin <redacted> or use the checks. Remember, you're on the account too. Sorry. Skip.'"

The following day, a friend of Skip's ex-wife contacted Joe and informed him that she, too, had received an envelope from Skip, which contained an audio tape, with recordings of conversations his ex-wife had had with her friends about vacations she had taken and dates she had gone on with other men.

Following the revelation about the mysterious envelopes, investigators scaled back their search effort, something that Detective Sergeant David Fields detailed in a March 16, 2005, correspondence with Joe. That correspondence read in part:

"There is no indication of any criminal wrongdoing regarding George Zelaya and him being missing. All indication is that George left on his own accord. He has relinquished his control over the joint checking account, has sent you his debit card, drivers license and checks left to be cashed. The letter you received from George was post marked 01/14/05 which means it was mailed after 01/13/05 at 5:00 p.m. the date George went missing … There is nothing to do that we have not done already ... There is no evidence to support that a crime has been committed and if an adult wants to disappear, they can do that as an adult."

Despite Fields' response, Skip's family members were unwilling to give up and they hired private investigator Troy Perry to look into Skip's disappearance. The exact details of his investigation cannot be shared here; however, it is his belief that Skip did not disappear of his own accord.

Unfortunately, Skip's brother Joe – one of his most outspoken advocates -- died on December 4, 2006. He went to his grave without knowing what became of his brother.

Today marks the four-year anniversary of Skip's disappearance. His children are still no closer to finding out what happened to him; however, they continue to hang onto the hope that they will someday have the answers to what happened.

"I don't know how I would feel if I were to see my father's face again -- to know that he is alive -- because, well, I just can't explain the hurt I would feel," Kathleen said. "To know that he did this on his own, left me, I would be more than devastated, but I would be just as devastated to know that there was nothing important enough, nobody he loved enough, to keep him here and he took his life. I thought I was enough. For me to know that he was hurting would crush me. If someone else took his life, at least I could point my anger in a direction. I don't want to be angry at my father - I never have before. My dad never did any wrong in my eyes -- he walked on water, he was perfect - so handsome, funny, fun, smart, caring, loving, and to top it off, can fix anything! All in all, it doesn't matter what or how I would feel to see his face again, I just know that to see his face again is my only desire. He is my dad and I love him."

George Robert "Skip" Zelaya is described as a white male, 5'9" tall, 130 pounds, with brownish gray hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a long sleeve dress shirt and work boots. He uses glasses for reading and has a full set of dentures. Prior to his disappearance, he worked as an electrician and all-around handyman.

A $2,500 reward is being offered for information leading to Skip's whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call 352-726-4488.

For more information or to help, please visit: www.findgeorgeskipzelaya.com

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Kathleen Howarth

If you are a family member of a missing loved one and have a case you would like covered here, contact me via e-mail. If you are a reader who would like to help, please spread the word about this site so others can find us. The more people who see these stories, the better the chances that someone might come forward with information.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Comments

[cb]

How is it that his car was moved, but his keys remained at home and on a table? Were the house keys separate?

-Edited by David Lohr to add: That is a very good question. His vehicle key was with the keys that were found in the house.-

It would, on face value, sound like a suicide, or an escape from his life based on him finishing up all of the financial business and giving bank authorizations to others.

But again, there is no info offered on the relationship between this man and his roommate/ex- wife, or any other potential outside adversaries or problems that the family may be unaware of.

-Edited by David Lohr to add: I had to be careful in what I said as I can't make alligations without anything to back them up. I will see if I can get a family member to comment here on that.-

[Angie]

He could have had a spare key...also I think it's a typo that his children visited him in 2007 but he went missing in 2005. Sorry, just noticed that David. I am wondering if the checks he left to be deposited went through properly with the bank?

-Edited by David Lohr to add: Yes, that was a typo. Thanks for pointing it out. I have fixed it-

[Summer]

"The last time I saw my dad, two of my sisters and I (I have one more sister and one more brother) took a trip to see him in September 2007, like we always did"

How could she have seen him in Sept 2007 if he has been missing since 2005? I assume it is a typo and it should have been 2004.

-Edited by David Lohr to add: Yes, it was a typo. Sorry. Error has been fixed-

[miss daisy]

The mystery surrounds the ex-wife and roommate. Were there any insurance policies? Was wondering if the ex-wife is a mother to his children? It did not sound like it.

[Jim]

As usual thanks for bringing another case to the forefront of our attention. I wish the 24 hour news networks would spend a little more time working various stories rather than focusing on beating the same 6 over and over again through the course of a day.

If they used their time, they could do one or two top stories, then move on to cases such as this one. Somebody has to know something. Had the word gotten out 4 years ago, perhaps it would have made a difference.

The children are right to continue to love and support their father, I hope they find some closure, good or bad.

[Buzz]

Like the first commenter, cb, I was struck by the keys being at home and the car in another location. Another point of interest is where were the checks and tape mailed from?

[cb]

TO BUZZ...

Yes, indeed. And it is odd if the police or family have confirmed that the handwriting is authentically Zelaya's.

[Keeper]

I wonder sense he like to play poker what i read from there website!
If he met someone online and fell in love with them and left to start new life with them!

He may of been afraid his children wouldn't understand !

[Maureen]

David,

Thanks for doing this story on Skip. His daughter, Kathleen, and I have dang near walked in the same shoes, her with a missing father and me with a missing husband who both went missing in the same year, 2005.

I'm so tired and I know Kathleen is tired of hearing "...if an adult wants to disappear, they can do that as an adult." That's LE's normal answer when an adult male goes missing. Come on how many adult family men that have tremendous support and love from their families just walk out on their lives? If they have had a mental breakdown they certainly aren't out there of their own accord. So we as a nation just let the mentally ill wander free to let God knows what happen to them out there? Don't we have a right to help stop a suicide and/or to intervene to get our loved ones the help they may so need? How WRONG is that when our hands are tied by "...if an adult wants to disappear, they can do that as an adult?"

Prayers and hugs to Kathleen and her family that Skip is found soon.

Maureen