Family searches for answers two years after Renton man disappears

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21-04-2025

The Brief
It has now been two years since a young Renton man disappeared.
His family flew to Seattle to keep searching for answers.
They tell us his story, and ask the public for help if they know anything.
RENTON, Wash. - This week marks two years since a Renton man, Michael Ash, disappeared. It's been two years since his family was left with so many lingering questions. Two years of his family not knowing what happened to Michael.
"I wouldn't wish this on anyone," Kelly Ash, Michael's mom, said.
She told FOX 13, Michael is brilliant, has a Master's degree, speaks three languages, writes music and books and was even published in college. They're sharing his story once again in hopes of getting the word out and renewing any possible interest.
"The last thing he said to me was 'I love you, but I don't know when I'll see you again,'" Ash said.
She said it was obvious Michael was in some kind of distress. She and her husband flew from Massachusetts to Seattle to check on their son, but he was nowhere to be found. That was two years ago this week.
Below is a post from Renton Police in the immediate days after Michael disappeared in 2023.
"He's terribly missed," Ash said. She told FOX 13, she believes her son had some type of mental breakdown. "I think he was searching for peace. You hope one thing, to me it's pretty possible that he could still be alive at this point, but things happen, miracles happen, sometimes people show back up," Ash said.
To honor Michael, his family goes to Ron Regis Park in Renton, where some of his belongings were found two years ago. They then travel to the bottom of the Cedar River Trailhead, where his backpack was also later found. "I guess they went out there with drones and sonar and divers even I believe, boats, cadaver dogs," Ash said.
But there was no Michael. Ash and her sister, Paula Donovan, said the past two years have been horrendous, and not knowing is almost harder than knowing what happened. "We just need to know if he's still out there or if he's not. It would be everything to us to know that," Donovan said.
"If he knew how devastated people have been…I wish he knew that because I think he thought he was a little bit of an outsider and I don't know maybe that would've made a difference. I don't know," Ash said. "Come home, we love you, we'll get you help."
Michael's wife still lives here in Seattle. His mom and sisters traveled to Seattle during this time last year to honor Michael and then again, this year, but they told FOX 13, this might be the last year they come unless something changes.
If you know anything, you're asked to call Renton Police.
The Source
Information for this article comes from original interviews by FOX 13 Seattle.
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