He deserted, changed his name and hid for 40 years. It just caught up with him, police say
It was July 6, 1977, and Jeffrey Michels hadn’t reported for duty at Minot Air Force Base, a remote military installation in northwest North Dakota near the Canadian border.
The base is known for its harsh, long winters and its impressive collection of nuclear missile silos. But instead of reporting for duty at the outpost, Michels disappeared — and wasn’t seen again for four decades, according to National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
That’s because Michels had deserted, police say. He allegedly assumed the name Jeffrey Lantz, got married, had kids and started a construction business in Florida. When he was arrested in Sanford, Fla. on Oct. 12 by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, he was charged with military desertion and was handed over to the U.S. Air Force’s Office of Special Investigations, according to an arrest report filed last week.
How was he found? Recent investigative activity revealed Michels had been living under an alias in Seminole County, according to Air Force spokesperson Linda Card, but further details of the ongoing investigation and his arrest aren’t being disclosed yet, she said.
WTFV reports that a picture of Michels was posted in a Facebook group called “Veteran Doe” in July, along with details about when he disappeared.
The Veteran Doe post on Michels was taken down after he was found, according to Amelia Brandt-Pearn, the site’s administrator.
#New@5:Man charged with desertion by the Air Force. Disappeared 40 years ago. Authorities found him in Sanford with a new last name.#WFTV pic.twitter.com/hBsmssXSMd
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) October 16, 2017
WFTV reports that Michels will stand trial for his alleged desertion.
Michels, 64, was born in East Liverpool, Ohio, according to police records. He’s the owner of a construction business in Central Florida called Atlantic Development. Police were able to identify him based on a scar on his left leg near his ankle, according to his arrest report.
After his arrest in the morning, he was released into Air Force custody in the afternoon, police records show.
Seminole County records show that Michels started his construction business in the Florida county under the name Jeffrey Lantz in 1998.
This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 5:49 PM with the headline "He deserted, changed his name and hid for 40 years. It just caught up with him, police say."