His Sons Whereabouts
Elliot Carmichael was just six years old when he disappeared on May 11, 2011. That morning, his father, Daniel, dropped him off at school as he did every day before heading to work.
However, Daniel’s world turned upside down when he learned that Elliot had never actually been seen at school that day. The realization left him desperate and deeply worried about his son’s whereabouts.
Overall Happiness
Elliot was born on October 18, 2004, in Springfield, Missouri, as the only child of Daniel and Rebecca Carmichael. The Carmichael family appeared to be ordinary and content in most respects.
Despite their overall happiness, Daniel and Rebecca had been experiencing difficulties in their marriage. Tensions had been rising, and they had been arguing frequently in the weeks before Elliot went missing.
Decisions Deepened
Daniel and Rebecca often found themselves arguing over trivial matters, but Daniel was particularly hurt when Rebecca went on a birthday trip to Cancun without him or Elliot, choosing to take her best friend instead. This decision deepened the distance between them and added strain to their relationship.
The situation worsened when Daniel discovered messages from other men on Rebecca’s phone. This revelation brought their marriage to a breaking point, nearly resulting in divorce in 2008. Their relationship faced significant challenges during this difficult period.
Chose The Latter
Daniel had presented Rebecca with a stark choice: either commit fully to their family or continue her involvement with the other men. He warned her that if she chose the latter, he would proceed with a divorce and seek full custody of their son, Elliot.
This ultimatum deeply affected Rebecca, hitting her harder than anything before. It was this intense pressure and fear of losing her son that pushed her to take a drastic and unexpected action she had never imagined.
Contrasting Personalities
Rebecca had a history of unsettling behavior, which Daniel noticed from the start. When they first met in Des Moines, Iowa, back in 2002, their contrasting personalities were immediately clear. Rebecca was outgoing and enjoyed partying, while Daniel was more low-key, preferring to work on his truck and hang out with friends over a beer.
Despite their differences, the two found a way to connect and maintain a long-distance relationship. Their unique dynamic proved strong enough to bridge the gap between their lifestyles, showing that opposites can indeed attract and make things work.
Struggled With Depression
Daniel was aware that Rebecca struggled with depression, and his worry intensified upon discovering she had attempted suicide twice. His concern grew further when he hadn’t heard from her for some time and then received a call from a hospital in Cedar Rapids.
Speaking directly with Rebecca brought him some relief, as she assured him she was feeling much better and had resumed her medication. However, the real issue was that Rebecca often neglected to take her prescribed meds regularly, which contributed to the difficulties Daniel was now confronting.
Planned His Schedule
Daniel was unaware of the events that would soon affect his family. That morning, he informed his workplace that he would be late and planned his schedule carefully. He arranged to take Elliot to kindergarten before heading to drop off his wife, Rebecca, at her job.
On Wednesday, May 11, 2011, just before 8 a.m., Daniel dropped Elliot off at Lincoln Elementary. Rebecca accompanied him in the passenger seat, unaware of the day’s unfolding significance.
Waving Farewell
As little Elliot jumped out of the truck, he waved farewell to his parents. Daniel remembered his son’s words, “Love you, Dad,” as he walked inside. Daniel responded warmly, “Love you too, son. I’ll see you soon.”
Afterward, Daniel drove Rebecca to her workplace. They exchanged loving words, and he watched her enter the building. Unbeknownst to him, that moment marked the final time he would see his family.
Reaching The Desk
At 10:30 in the morning, Daniel climbed into his truck and drove toward Lincoln, ready to pick up Elliot. After parking, he walked straight to the reception area.
Upon reaching the desk, a teacher looked at him with confusion and asked, “What are you doing here?” Daniel was taken aback, unsure why she seemed surprised to see him.
Puzzled
Daniel approached the teacher and said, “I’m here to pick up Elliot.” The teacher’s expression turned puzzled as she replied, “He already left this morning.” A sudden rush of anxiety hit Daniel, his heart racing with worry.
Desperate for answers, he asked, “Can I see who signed him out?” The teacher quickly handed him the check-in and check-out log. As Daniel scanned the entries, he realized that Rebecca was the one who had taken Elliot earlier that day.
Frantic Call
“She claimed that there was an emergency,” said the teacher. Daniel started frantically calling Rebecca on her phone, but when he got no answer, he became increasingly concerned.
Concern turned to anger when he kept calling, and he still hadn’t heard back from her. He then left a voice message, “What’s up? Talk to me.” But she still did not call.
Couldn’t Concentrate
Eventually, Daniel ended up going back to work but couldn’t concentrate at all. He then decided to take the rest of the day off.
He kept thinking about why she had taken Elliot from school without notifying him. He was sure something was going on, and it probably was because he didn’t approve of her trip to Cancun, he thought.
Not The First Time
He wasn’t entirely wrong. He remembered when Rebecca would get upset, and she would drive off for a few hours or longer.
She’d go somewhere to clear her head. This seemed like one of those times, but what was unusual was that she chose to take Elliot with her this time. Daniel was running out of patience.
Making More Calls
Daniel managed to calm himself and decided to leave another message. “Hey, I’m not mad anymore. Just tell me what’s going on.”
With his patience wearing thin and the hours ticking by, he decided to call Rebecca’s sister, Laura. “Have you heard from her?” he asked. She hadn’t. “I’m sure it’s fine,” she told Daniel, knowing all too well about Rebecca’s penchant for taking off when she felt overwhelmed.
A Call For Help?
Laura’s mind flashed back to a call she had received from Rebecca only two days earlier. She seemed to still be upset about the argument she had had with Daniel.
But Laura was in a rush that day and didn’t have time to have a chat with her sister, who was clearly hurting and reaching out for help. Laura never realized that it would be the last time she would hear her sister’s voice.
He Hadn’t Called The Police Yet
Daniel had even resisted calling the police in the hopes that Rebecca would still get back to him. But when he looked at all the concerning elements around him, he eventually gave in.
He discovered that Rebecca had not taken her pills with her and may not have been using them for several days. There were full bottles sitting in the bathroom cabinet, untouched.
Calling The Police
Daniel eventually called the Springfield Police Department that evening. He knew that it had now become a potentially dangerous case.
“Well, we have to give her a little more time,” an officer told him. “Another 24 hours, to be exact.” Daniel hated the wait, but he understood that maybe Rebecca and Elliot just could be away for the day. Maybe they would be back by tomorrow.
Filing The Missing Persons Report
The next day, Daniel went to work as usual. He wanted to keep busy and not let his mind wander. Then two police officers showed up.
“Ok, Mr. Carmichael, we’ll just take the missing persons report. Do you have a recent picture of the two of them?” Daniel went home to get a picture from Chuck E. Cheese he had of them. “This is the best I can do.”
The Wait Begins
“It’ll do, we’ll file this, and if something else happens, we’ll get back to you.” All Daniel could do was wait. The police had filed the report and were now working on the case.
He was worried sick. Especially about Elliot. He just hoped and prayed that Rebecca would contact him soon and everything would go back to normal.
A Breakthrough
Then, Friday afternoon, on May 13, there was a breakthrough. Rebecca finally reached out to her mother, who then called Laura.
Laura recalled her mother telling her that “everything was fine. Rebecca was upset, and she just needed some time alone.” Laura breathed a sigh of relief. It sounded like Rebecca would finally be coming back home.
Another Strange Call
But then Rebecca did something even more puzzling. Instead of calling Daniel, she called his older brother, Charles.
Concerned, Charles immediately told Rebecca to rather call Daniel as he was terribly worried about his son and had the right to know where his wife and child were. But Charles had the fright of his life with Rebecca’s chilling reply to him.
A Disturbing Reply
“Elliot is my son, and I can do what I want.” His blood ran cold, and as soon as he hung up, he immediately called Daniel.
Daniel frantically tried calling Rebecca again. He tried three times, but each time he was met with no response. He would later learn that she had attempted to call him at one point, but the call didn’t go through.
A Knock At The Door
In the early afternoon of Saturday, May 14, there was a knock on Daniel’s front door. When he opened it, there were two men in suits standing there with grim expressions on their faces.
“Can we come in, please?” they said. “We’re detectives with the Springfield Police Department. We have some information regarding your wife.”
Bad News
Thank God was all Daniel could think of. They must’ve finally found Rebecca and Elliot. He hurriedly ushered them in, eager to hear the details they had.
“Mr. Carmichael, we found Rebecca deceased.” Daniel stared at the two detectives for a moment, trying to understand what he had just heard. He heard the words, but they just didn’t register.
He Couldn’t Believe It
“What do you mean, deceased?” They went on to explain that Rebecca was found in a Madison motel, dead of an apparent suicide.
Daniel was still trying to make sense of it all when the next thought popped into his head. “But where’s Elliot? Where is my son?” The detectives just looked at each other.
Where’s Elliot?
“We don’t know, sir. He wasn’t there. But we’re looking for him.” Daniel stood there when he heard the news.
His wife Rebecca was dead, and his son Elliot was missing. How was this possible? How did it all come to this? “We will let you know more as soon as we can.” The detectives then handed him a card and left.
Suicide Notes
In the hours that followed, Daniel learned about the suicide notes that were left behind in the motel room.
There was one addressed to her mother and another to her best friend, who went on the Cancun trip with her. The contents of the note to her mother was the one that had the most details in it.
Chilling Last Words
“I’ve taken him somewhere safe,” she wrote to her mom. “He will be well cared for, and he says that he loves you. Please know that there is nothing that you could have said or done that would have changed my mind.” Investigators pored over the notes for any clues and began reconstructing the last three days of Rebecca’s life. It was here that they were able to find out what had happened.
Using cellphone data, surveillance video, and I-Pass records, detectives were able to piece together a 500-mile journey she took Elliot on, covering six counties of Missouri and Wisconsin, with stops at two water parks and a zoo.
Heartbroken
Daniel was beside himself. He couldn’t believe that Rebecca would do such a thing. Where was Elliot, and if she said he was in a safe place being taken care of, who had him? So many thoughts were going through his mind at this point.
Looking at the surveillance footage and seeing Elliot broke his heart. He was just going along with his mom, not knowing anything bad was going to happen and certainly not knowing he wasn’t going to see his dad again.
The Aftermath
Now twelve years later, Daniel Carmichael still has hope. He believes that his son Elliot is alive somewhere and that someone has him. “There have been so many false leads and imposters out there, but I still hold onto the hope that he is alive.” He received another call from someone in Kentucky claiming to be Elliot.
He said he escaped from kidnappers in Ohio and ran across the bridge for help. The FBI announced that DNA tests showed the boy was not Elliot. But Daniel is not giving up. Speaking to his son, Daniel added: “Elliot, I love you. I miss you. I want us to be together. We have a lot of catching up to do. I just can't wait 'til you come home.”