logo
Sisters of missing Greg Monks reveal 'alarm bells' moment after disappearance

Sisters of missing Greg Monks reveal 'alarm bells' moment after disappearance

Yahoo2 days ago

The sisters of missing man Greg Monks, who disappeared during a stag do in Portugal, have revealed the "alarm bells" moment.
The 38-year-old plant mechanic from Cambuslang, near Glasgow, disappeared in the early hours of Wednesday morning, May 28, while out with mates on the Albufeira Strip.
However, he never returned. The last confirmed sighting of him was around 3:27am in the Cerro de Aguia area.
According to Google Maps, this area is around an hour and 20 minute walk from the main strip in Albufeira.
Greg's cousin Alison Fraser posted a statement on Facebook.
It reads: 'I'm Greg's cousin and I'm here in Albufeira, this is the last official sighting of Greg at around 3.27am on Wednesday, May 28.
'He was walking by the villa, circling and in the direction of the arrow. Please share, particularly with any local residents' groups.'
(Image: Alison Fraser/Facebook)
READ MORE: New image emerges of Glasgow man missing in Portugal
His parents and girlfriend, Nicole Ashleigh Kelso, have flown to the Algarve to assist in the search.
In an interview with Sky News, Greg's sisters, Jillian and Carlyn, described the family's anguish.
Jillian said: "We were contacted on Wednesday afternoon asking if there was any way we could track his phone because he hadn't come home from the night before.
"This immediately raised alarm bells. It's just not like him. He wouldn't normally do something like this.
"It had only been twelve hours since he was seen, but we were just so worried."
Initially, police didn't take the missing person report seriously due to the short time since his disappearance, but as concern mounted, Portuguese authorities escalated the search.
Jillian said police have since been 'working day and night' and 'using every resource they can' to find him.
CCTV footage has shown Greg walking alone in the Cerro de Aguia area, a quiet, rural part of Albufeira filled with trees, rocks, and cliffs.
(Image: Alison Fraser/Facebook) Jillian added: "The family flew out on Thursday evening just to try and get some answers.
"The police had said he was seen on CCTV in a residential area, Cerro de Aguia.
"He's been spotted twice walking alone on CCTV around there. It's residential and quite rural with a lot of trees and rocks and cliffs."
Describing Greg as 'quiet, hardworking, and a great godfather and uncle,' Jillian said his girlfriend Nicole is 'heartbroken and trying to keep it together.'
Carlyn added: 'He's a real family man. This just isn't like him. We're trying to hold each other up and keep fighting to find him.'
The Glasgow Times reported last week that the family has made a public appeal for anyone in the Cerro de Aguia area with doorbell or home security footage between 2am and 5am on May 28 to come forward.
READ MORE: Family of Glasgow man missing in Portugal in CCTV plea
Jillian pleaded: "If you see his picture and know anything, any tiny little bit of information, just get in touch, let us know where he last was.
Carlyn added: "If you live in the area or any of the surrounding areas and have any home security cameras or anything that could capture him travelling around, please check it."
Greg was due to fly back to Scotland on May 30, but he never made the flight.
We previously reported that a fundraiser was set up to support the family's search efforts.
The GoFundMe has already raised over £21,000.
READ MORE:
A statement published on the page reads: 'I have been asked by the family to set this up. Our son Greg Monks, 38, went to Portugal for a stag do on Tuesday, May 27.
'On their first night out, our son Greg never returned to his hotel and has now been reported missing for three days.
'We are desperately seeking Greg's safe return and need your help. There are professional search teams out looking for Greg, and the family have all flown out to try and help find him, but they don't know how long their stay will be.
'They are doing everything they can. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference in our efforts to bring Greg home.
'Thank you for your support and prayers.'
The Glasgow Times reported that Greg's disappearance had been reported to police, the hotel where he was staying, and the British Embassy in Portugal by his family.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: 'We are supporting the family of a British man reported missing in Portugal and are in contact with the local authorities'.
The GoFundMe page can be viewed HERE.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Four dead in Kyiv after Russia hits Ukraine with missile and drone attacks in 'revenge' strike
Four dead in Kyiv after Russia hits Ukraine with missile and drone attacks in 'revenge' strike

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Four dead in Kyiv after Russia hits Ukraine with missile and drone attacks in 'revenge' strike

Four people have been killed after Russia launched a barrage of drone and missile attacks across Ukraine last night. Explosions were heard throughout the city as 20 people were also injured, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack followed a warning from Vladimir Putin that the Kremlin would seek revenge after Ukrainian drones destroyed several strategic bomber aircraft in attacks deep inside Russia. Russia's ambassador to the UK partly blamed Britain for the drone attacks, which Ukraine said destroyed dozens of aircraft. Andrei Kelin claimed Kyiv was escalating the conflict with its recent attacks in an interview with Sky News. He pointed to Operation Spider's Web, the codename for the mass covert drone attack. Mr Kelin urged Ukraine to "not try to engulf World War III", according to Sky News. In a signal that he believed the attack was supported by Kyiv's Western allies, he added it involved "provision of very high technology, so-called geospaced data, which only can be done by those who have it in possession". "And this is London and Washington," he said. Kyiv's metro transport system was disrupted by a Russian strike that hit and damaged a train between stations, Kyiv's military administration said. In the Solomenskiy district, a Russian drone slammed into the side of an apartment building, leaving a gaping hole and burn marks, a Reuters photographer at the scene said. Falling concrete blocks from the building crushed cars parked below. Two police investigators were examining what appeared to be the drone's engine. Earlier in the night, Reuters reporters heard the sound of Russian kamikaze drones buzzing in the sky, accompanied by the sounds of outgoing fire from Ukrainian anti-aircraft. Reuters witnesses reported a series of explosions powerful enough to rattle windows far from the impact sites. Some Kyiv residents sought shelter in metro stations, or in underground car parks. Russian air defences also shot down 174 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt
Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt

USA Today

time6 hours ago

  • USA Today

Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt

Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Community mourns amid manhunt Show Caption Hide Caption New footage of Travis Decker released amid manhunt Travis Decker is wanted on first-degree murder charges in connection with deaths of his three daughters. A Washington state community is grieving the deaths of three young sisters who police believe were killed by their father, whose whereabouts are unknown. Paityn Decker, 9; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Olivia Decker, 5, were reported missing by their mother on May 30 after failing to return from a planned visitation with their father, 32-year-old Travis Decker. Authorities found their bodies on June 2 near their father's unoccupied vehicle near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County. Local, state and federal officials continue to search for Travis, who is wanted on charges of kidnapping, first-degree murder and custodial interference. Authorities released new photos and videos of the suspect and are asking for the public's help as the manhunt continues. Since the tragedy, the community of the Wenatchee Valley has rallied behind the girl's mother, Whitney Decker. A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $1 million in financial support for Whitney as of Thursday, June 5. "We ask for grace at this time. Whitney is grieving the unimaginable," said family friend Amy Edwards, who organized the GoFundMe page, at a news conference June 5. "When one mother cries, we all cry and hold her in our heart. Thank you for holding Whitney in your hearts now." Who were Olivia, Evelyn and Paityn Decker? Olivia Decker, 5; Evelyn Decker, 8; and Paityn Decker, 9 were three sisters in the Wenatchee Valley. In addition to playing sports and attending school in the city of Wenatchee, the three girls were involved in the local art scene through performance and dance. They performed at the Music Theatre of Wenatchee through a children's program known as "Short Shakespeareans" and practiced dance at the city's Fabulous Feet Dance Studio. Edwards, the director of the "Short Shakespeareans" program and whose daughter was on the dance team with Evelyn, said the community will forever ache with the love for the girls. "This valley helped nurture the creativity, confidence and joy that Paityn and Evelyn and Olivia shined so brightly," Edwards told reporters. "Their laughter, curiosity and spirit left a mark on all of us. They were the kind of children that everyone rooted for, looked for, looked forward to seeing and held close in their hearts. They are cherished, not just by the family, but by our entire community who watched them grow, perform, learn and love." Fellow organizer Mark Belton thanked the generosity shown for the family adding that "compassion has been a source of light in this dark hour." 'She was a really good friend' The Music Theatre of Wenatchee held a candlelight vigil on June 3 at Wenatchee's Memorial Park. Dozens of children attending the vigil knew the girls either through the dance program, sports or other programs, according to Seattle station KING-TV. "She was really nice. She was a really good dancer. I really think she was a really good friend," 8-year-old Lilly Jones, who danced with Evelyn, told the outlet. "I really miss her and I just think it was too early." Missy Jones, Lilly's mother, told the outlet she became friends with Whitney after meeting in college and reconnected last fall because of their daughters. "Those girls were her whole world. She did everything for them," Jones said. "Obviously it's hard. I've been really proud of the girls being really supportive of each other and giving each other hugs and talking about their memories of their friends." Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund

Milford High student released from ICE detention: ‘Nobody should be in here' (video)
Milford High student released from ICE detention: ‘Nobody should be in here' (video)

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Milford High student released from ICE detention: ‘Nobody should be in here' (video)

A Milford student athlete arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the weekend said the first thing he wanted to do when he got home after his release Thursday was hug his dog. Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who was arrested while driving to volleyball practice on Saturday, was released from an ICE facility in Burlington after a judge ordered he be granted bond. He said during the six days he had spent in custody, he had faced poor conditions, had no access to showers and sometimes had been given only crackers for a meal. 'It's not a good spot to be. Nobody should be in here,' Gomes Da Silva said, speaking to reporters outside of the Burlington facility after his release Thursday afternoon. The 18-year-old said he had picked up a teammate on the way to volleyball practice Saturday when another car pulled up behind him. At first, he thought it was just a normal car, until the ICE agent turned on their lights and got out. In custody, Gomes Da Silva said adult men surrounded him and he was uncomfortable using the bathroom in front of others. He slept on concrete floors using a mylar blanket. Because he speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish, Gomes Da Silva said he translated for many of the other men in the detention facility, who often asked him to read documents that they had been asked to sign before they did so. 'A lot of those papers, I would have to look back at them and be like, 'You're being deported. They're taking you out of the country,'' he said. 'And I would have to watch people cry.' Gomes Da Silva said that he had come to the United States at 6 years old, and didn't know until his arrest that he was not a legal resident. Now, he worries about his father, who he said had taught him to always put others before himself. ICE agents were looking for Gomes Da Silva's father on Saturday. Gomes Da Silva was driving his father's car when he was stopped and arrested. 'He's 18 years old. He's unlawfully in this country, and we had to go to Milford to look for someone else, and we came across him, and he was arrested,' acting ICE Boston Office Director Patricia Hyde said during a Monday press conference at the John J. Moakley Courthouse in Boston. Many of the people Gomes Da Silva met in the Burlington facility had families and children, he said, adding he wanted to be able to help them and others in the same position. 'I told every single inmate down there, when I'm out, if I'm the only one that leaves that place, I've lost,' Gomes Da Silva said. 'I want to do whatever I can to get them as much help as possible.' U.S. Representative Seth Moulton, D-6th Massachusetts District, said that Gomes Da Silva had 'done more to demonstrate and uphold American values' in the few minutes that he spoke to reporters than the entirety of President Donald Trump's administration. U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss, D-4th Massachusetts District, agreed and criticized the federal government's widespread arrests of undocumented immigrants who have no criminal histories. 'This is about dignity and freedom and due process. This administration is not making Americans safer and is not keeping the promises that Trump made on the campaign trail,' Auchincloss said. 'What he is doing is upending law and order. He's making communities feel less safe, and he's not upholding the core American promises.' After speaking to reporters with Gomes Da Silva, Moulton and Auchincloss went inside the ICE facility to see the conditions for themselves. The two U.S. Marine Corps veterans said it was worse than anything either had personally seen during their military service. They saw some of the cells in the facility, each of which had about half a dozen people and no windows, Moulton said. 'When we were going on hikes in the Marine Corps, and you'd have a thin mat to sleep on at night ... that's more than they have here,' he said. 'So for anyone like Marcelo, who's actually expected to stay here, to sleep here with no beds, not what anyone else would call a blanket, sparse food, no windows. It's obviously completely inappropriate, I would say inhumane, for long-term detention.' The Burlington facility is not typically used as a detention center, they explained, but for processing people who have been arrested, so most are only there for less than 24 hours. However, Gomes Da Silva was kept there longer after a judge issued an order to stop him from being moved out of state. Auchincloss said there were approximately 45 people, both men and women, in the facility during his visit on Thursday, though he added that Gomes Da Silva told him more people had been moved out of the building that morning. In a statement, Gov. Maura Healey said she was 'relieved' that Gomes Da Silva was returning home. 'This has been such a traumatic time for this community, and I hope that they find some solace in knowing that the rule of law and due process still prevail,' she said. 'Marcelo never should have been arrested or detained, and it certainly did not make us safer. 'It's not okay that students across the state are fearful of going to school or sports practice, and that parents have to question whether their children will come home at the end of the day,' she continued. 'In Massachusetts, we are going to keep speaking out for what's right and supporting one another in our communities.' Members of the community have staged a number of protests against Gomes Da Silva's detention, including after the Milford High School graduation, the day after his arrest. He said Thursday that he was grateful for the support. 'It showed me that a lot of people understand that it's not as easy as just taking someone, putting them in the detention center and sending them off to their country. There's more than that,' he said. 'There's family, there's love, there's community.' However, Auchincloss pointed out that not everyone in ICE detention has that support. 'We just don't know how many other kids like Marcelo might be wrapped up in the system and just don't have a community rising up to protest against what's happening,' he said. 'I think there are a lot of people who are just being forgotten.' 'He's going to be set free' — supporters of Milford teen arrested by ICE cheer release Milford High School student detained by ICE now in solitary confinement, lawyers say Mayor Wu defends calling ICE 'secret police' after Mass. US attorney's criticism Worcester city councilor faces criminal charges in connection with ICE arrest Judge denies ICE transfer of Milford student out of Mass., meeting with lawyer granted Read the original article on MassLive.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store