It has been one year and two months since Michael Thomas, 41, was last seen in Edmonton. The mother of his children is calling for anyone to come forward who may know where he is.
“We want him home. We want to know where he is. If someone can lead us to where he is, we just want him home,” said Tamara Pewapisconias, Thomas’ former partner.
According to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), Thomas was last seen in Edmonton on Sept. 11, 2023, and was believed to be on his way to the Whyte Ave. area of the city.
His family reported him missing shortly after he stopped contacting his children.
“He spoke with our daughter in the morning of September 5. It had been a few days since she heard from him and that just wasn’t like him at all,” Pewapisconias told APTN News. “So I phoned the jails and phoned the hospitals and we found out that he was in the Royal Alexandra Hospital and was discharged the same day on September 6 so from there we put out a missing person report with police.”
An EPS spokesperson had very little to say about the police investigation.
“(EPS) have considered his disappearance to be suspicious and the EPS Homicide Section is actively investigating,” said the spokesperson. “As the investigation remains active, I cannot share any other information outside of what has been provided in this release.”
Thomas is described as Indigenous, 5’8 and about 160 lbs., with a thin build. He is has brown eyes, short black hair and a large ‘Z’ tattoo on the front of his neck and is missing the pinky on his right hand.
EPS also said Thomas goes by the names of “Ren” or “Renegade” and was known to frequent the Whyte Ave. area.
“One year after Michael’s disappearance, we are still hopeful that members of the public might have information that could help us in our ongoing investigation. We are confident that someone out there knows something,” said Detective Sylvie Boy in a previous statement.
Pewapisconias told APTN that 14 months is too long of a wait for EPS to find Thomas.
“I’m not satisfied that there was only one media release when he was first reported missing and the next media release from EPS was one year later. That’s a lot of time and a huge time gap. I had all my faith and trust in the EPS, I think I still do but I think more can be done. I know they can’t tell us a whole lot because it is an investigation but please help us.
“Knowing nothing eats away at a person. It changes a person, it’s awful. I watched my kids change so much since their father disappeared,” said Pewapisconias.
Shortly after she reported Thomas missing, Pewapisconias was told that Thomas may have been seen at a number of homeless shelters in Edmonton, however weeks later, she was told by those shelters those reports were false.
“He wasn’t homeless, as far as we know he had a home, whenever he messaged he was in a home. He never called from shelters. He would never let me and my kids know if he was involved in any kind of (street life) activity,” said Pewapisconias.
Thomas and Pewapisconias met in 2006 and had their first daughter together in 2008 and then their son in 2009. By 2011/2012, Pewapisconias said her and Thomas decided to go their sperate ways. Thomas is from the Saulteaux First Nation north of North Battleford while Pewapisconias is from Little Pine First Nation, both First Nations in Saskatchewan.
“We haven’t been together in a long time but was always in contact with each other for our kids. We had a good relationship for the kids. When he would come down to visit his kids we would meet in North Battleford and he would see family in Saulteaux First Nation and North Battleford”, added Pewapisconias.
In a written statement to APTN, Thomas’ younger sister Donna Thomas describes her brother as a “protector” and “provider” and the second oldest out of seven siblings. She says he cared for the people he loved and was always there for them.
“He had a rough upbringing, he was in and out of the juvenile system, he did what he could to survive and help his family survive. Our parents lived with alcoholism and we grew up in poverty and most of it stems from (intergenerational) trauma that our parents endured when they were growing up. All he wanted in life was a normal life but he never knew what that was or how it felt,” said Donna.
“My brother (Michael Thomas) always messaged me, always called me just to say, ‘Hey sis, what’s up, how have you been?’”
Donna echoed Pewapisconias’ calls for the public’s help in finding her brother.
“Our mother is worried sick and needs her son home. She waits everyday for some answers or for someone to call and say, ‘We found your son.’ All we want is my brother home. He needs to be reunited with family and if he is gone, then we hope to bring him back to rest with our dad. We want Mikey home!,” said Donna.
Pewapisconias said she wishes she could do more to find Thomas but says she is trying her best to raise her children while working as a teacher aid.
“I don’t have the money to search, you need money for gas, money for rooms and then money for feeding my kids and then us knowing nothing in terms of where to begin. My kids want me to do more but I don’t know how I can do that,” Pewapisconias said holding back tears.
“My son has already had two birthdays without his dad phoning. Both my daughter and son can’t function. They’re very angry, they’re very hurt. They can’t focus when they’re at school. My daughter searches Facebook and YouTube videos on homelessness in Edmonton and Vancouver’s East Hastings, hoping that she might see somebody that looks like her dad.”
“We need him home, my kids need him home. Somebody has to know something, Michael would never just leave his kids like that, even when he was faraway he always made an effort to contact his kids.”
“How does anyone just vanish off the face of the Earth?”
Anyone with information on where Michael Thomas is, you are asked to contact the Edmonton Police Service at 1-780-423-4567 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
