Family’s daily search for man who went missing four months ago
THE family of a man missing for almost four months have been out searching for him every day since he disappeared.
Ricky Harris, from Aberdare, was last seen on CCTV at about 2.20pm on Saturday, November 18.
The footage, taken from near his flat at Maes-Y-Deri, Aberaman, was captured just hours after his aunt, Nina Harris, dropped him home from a friend’s house.
Nina, 37, said Ricky seemed like his usual self that day, however she noted it was strange for him to have requested a lift for what should have been a short walk.
She said: “That morning he rang me at about 11.20am and asked me for a lift to his flat.
“I told him to give me an hour or so and I would pick him up from his friend’s flat and take him to his home address.
“I didn’t think much of it at the time but having more time to think I do wonder why he asked me to give him a lift just around the corner.
“It would be a five-minute walk – he could have walked rather than wait an hour for me to give him a lift.”
The following day, Nina said she dropped off a Sunday dinner as well as some cake and snacks to Ricky’s house, as she often did.
However, upon entering his flat – for which she had a key – she said she “knew something wasn’t right”.
“I noticed his bed hadn’t been slept in,” she said.
“I thought that was strange. I went to speak to a few neighbours and they said they hadn’t seen him since around 12am or 12.30am that night.
“I went back to his friend’s address who said they hadn’t seen Ricky since I picked him up the day before.
“Later, I let myself back into his flat and everything I had left out on his worktop hadn’t been disturbed.”
Nina said she alerted the rest of the family before they reported Ricky missing to the police.
She said despite extensive searches by the police, it appeared that Ricky had disappeared without a trace.
She said one piece of CCTV footage showed the pair going back to Ricky’s flat on Saturday, and another piece of footage showed Ricky leaving his flat at around 2.20pm on Saturday.
There have so far been no clues as to where he might be.
She said: “When police showed me the footage of us walking back to his flat, you could see he kept looking at the car park, but he was behind me so I didn’t notice.
“That day there was no reason to make me think that he had something worrying him.
“If he looked scared to me, I would have asked him if there was anything worrying him, but because he seemed normal I didn’t ask and he didn’t say.
“He had no struggles or worries that we knew about and to be honest I think he would have told me if there was something.
“We are so close that he tells me everything.”
Nina said the police had recently completed a number of river searches and were now searching woodland.
Unable to continue with their lives without answers, she said the family had also been out every day looking for him.
She said: “We go out every day after the school run at 9.15am and we are still there until 2.40pm when I need to leave to pick my daughter up from school.
“My legs are black and blue from where I’ve been searching rivers and climbing fences.
“Speaking to mediums is keeping us going because we always have somewhere to check. It keeps us focused.
“We have searched from his home address to Abercynon, Mountain Ash, Merthyr, Radyr and Pontypridd.
“We have literally been all around Aberdare and Hirwaun checking all the rivers as far as we can walk.
“There are about 15 of us out every single day.
“We need to widen the search because there is nowhere else left to look in Aberdare.”
Nina said the longer the family go without Ricky, the more helpless and heartbroken they feel.
She said: “It’s horrible when you go out there looking for him all day and then you come home and lock your door. It feels like you’re locking him outside – especially with the cold weather. It’s freezing and he’s out there somewhere.
“His mum can hardly speak, it is hurting her so much. She asks every day how she is going to get through this and I tell her we will find Ricky even if it’s the last thing we do.
“Even though we aren’t expecting a good outcome it would be amazing to find him because he deserves to be laid to rest – because right now we have nothing whatsoever.”
In its most recent appeal for information in January, South Wales Police said officers had “significant concerns” for Ricky’s wellbeing.
Detective Inspector Owain Morrison said: “It has been two months now since Ricky was originally reported as missing.
“Ricky, aged 31, was last seen on CCTV at around 2.20pm on Saturday afternoon, November 18, in Maes-YDeri, Aberdare.
“Following our previous appeals and continued investigative enquiries by detectives, a number of people have come forward which has given us vital information to help piece together what may have happened to Ricky.
“All reported sightings and information from the public has been followed up.
“I know lots of the local community of Aberdare have been asking for updates, and while we want to be as responsive as possible, our priority is focusing on finding Ricky.
“We are continuing our search to find him, and officers are still conducting enquiries to find Ricky.
“This includes extensive searches carried out by our specialist search teams as part of our investigation.
“Ricky’s family have been supported throughout by specially trained officers and continue to be supported and they have been kept informed about all aspects of our search to find Ricky.
“We have significant concerns for Ricky’s wellbeing, and I am asking anyone who may have seen or spoken to Ricky in the days or weeks leading up him going missing on November 18, or anyone with any other information regarding his whereabouts, to contact us.”
If you have any information, contact South Wales Police on 101.