A Michigan family of four who mysteriously vanished last week—after the patriarch called police in a paranoid panic—has been found alive and unharmed in Wisconsin.
The saga began about a week ago, when authorities in Fremont, Michigan, received a 911 call on Oct. 16 from 51-year-old Anthony Cirigliano, who was displaying “paranoid” behavior, including spouting odd statements about the 9/11 terror attacks. According to a 911 call obtained by WOOD, Cirigliano accused unspecified people of trying to “erase” him for the information he knew about the attack.
“It is related to September 11th and people want to erase me from the face of the Earth. I am not crazy,” he said, citing an officer he knows personally who could testify to his mental stability. “I am a Christian, I just need some help, and then the U.S. government will take it from here.”
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A wellness check at the family’s home, which lasted nearly an hour and involved an officer speaking to Cirigliano and his wife, Suzette, ended up being the last time family and friends saw the family. Cirigliano, his wife, and their two sons— Brandon, 19, and Noah, 15—then vanished, leaving Suzette’s mother, who suffers from dementia, behind.
“We don’t see any signs of violence, we don’t see any signs of foul play right now. There’s no signs of struggle inside the home,” Fremont Police Department Chief Tim Rodwell told WOOD after the disappearance. “But everyone we’ve talked to … they all describe this to be extremely abnormal behavior from Tony and Suzette.”
The family was eventually found safe in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, around 11 a.m. Sunday, Fremont police said, and each family member has been questioned.
“They are still of the opinion that people are after them, but the elements of the investigation do not meet the criteria for protective custody,” police said. “The family member that was requiring full-time care is being cared for by other family members.”
“We wish to thank all of those individuals who assisted in the investigation by calling in tips and sharing the information to help locate this family,” police said.
