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Missing Elderly Man Found In Mexico
Written by Jennifer Gayle
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
IT WAS A JOURNEY THAT NOBODY EXPECTED MR PHILIP KNEIFL TO TAKE BUT HE DID, AND ENDED UP ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED MILES DEEP INTO CENTRAL MEXICO. MR KNEIFL SUFFERS FROM DIMENSIA AND WHILE HIS WIFE WAS ON A MISSION TRIP TO GALVESTON, PHILIP WHO WAS AT HOME, WANTED TO VISIT HIS SISTER IN WITCHITA KANSAS BUT NEVER ARRIVED.
IT WAS WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER TWELTH, WHEN PHILIP KNEIFL WAS LAST SEEN IN VICTORIA, BUT WAS REPORTED MISSING ON FRIDAY THE FOURTEENTH. HIS WIFE ON A MISSION TRIP, NEVER EXPECTED HER HUSBAND TO PICK UP AND LEAVE.
MR. KNEIFL WANTED TO TAKE A ROAD TRIP TO VISIT HIS SISTER UP NORTH. BUT INSTEAD, HE ACCIDENTLY DROVE SOUTH, TOWARDS MEXICO. WHILE TRYING TO DRIVE TO WICHITA KANSAS, KNEIFL MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO AUSTIN. GETTING ON I-35, BUT HEADING SOUTH TO LOREDO.
BEFORE ENTERING MEXICO, KNEIFLE WAS PULLED OVER BY LAW OFFICIALS HERE, IN ZAPPATA FOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS. RELEASED AND THEN PULLED OVER AGAIN IN ROMA. BUT AT THE TIME HE WAS PULLED OVER, KNEIFL HAD NOT BEEN REPORTED MISSING YET. THEN HE CROSSED THE BORDER, NOT ONCE BUT THREE TIMES. LEAVING MEXICO EVEN WITHOUT A PASSPORT.
"On two occasions with in the hour, he went into Mexico, returned into Texas and back into Mexico, which show signs of disorientation," says Sheriff O'Connor.
BY NOW KNEIFL WAS 1600 MILES FROM HOME, THEN HIS SISTER GOT A PHONE CALL. KNEIFL HAD RUN OUT OF GAS AND PICKED UP BY A FAMILY WHO TOOK HIM IN.
"They found a phone number in his wallet that had his sister number which enabled to call her. And she contact us and that's when we began to track his journey," says Sheriff O'Connor.
KNEIFL ARRIVED BACK HERE IN VICTORIA EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. OFFICIALS HAVE SPOKE WITH THE FAMILY ABOUT PROJECT LIFE SAVE. A SERVICE THAT HELPS TRACK PATIENTS OF ALZHEIMERS AND DIMENSIA.
THERE WAS A LITTLE ISSUE WITH MR. KNEIFL NOT HAVING HIS PASSPORT WHEN OFFICIALS WERE TRYING TO GET HIM ON A PLANE BACK TO THE U.S. BUT IS NOW HOME WITH HIS FAMILY.
