Latest news with #MichaelFrison
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Mother of Brit who vanished in Italy a year ago during trip with woman he met online says she has received mystery messages
The mother of a British tourist who has been missing for a year after vanishing in Sardinia has been sent messages saying: 'I tried to believe it was an accident.' Michael Frison, 26, from Chard in Somerset, disappeared in rural Luras on July 13, 2024 while staying with friend Niomi Orlandini, 27, from Jersey. His mother, Cristina Pittalis, said that the pair had met online in July 2023 and seen each other in person just once before he asked her to join him on the Italian island. While in Sardinia, Ms Orlandini called Ms Pittalis to say her son had come back from a walk in a confused state, rested, and then ventured off again without returning. The mother-of-two told The Sun that she has now received 'anonymous and disturbing Facebook messages' from someone she believes may know more. The messages, she said, 'reference guilty, fear, and the ability to remain silent.' 'I tried to forget. I tried to believe it was an accident. But the fear… it doesn't go,' one message read, according to The Sun. Ms Pittalis has since moved back to Sardinia, where she was born, in the hopes of finding Mr Frison, but says she has found nothing to explain his disappearance. Earlier this week, she told Sky News that she was living a 'never-ending nightmare' and called for Interpol to intervene. Mr Frison, who grew up in Bristol, flew from Bristol Airport to Olbia on July 2 last year to celebrate his 25th birthday and his grandmother's 70th. He asked his friend to join him on the island and cancelled his return flight home to stay with her for another week. Ms Pittalis understands that they left the grandparents' home together on July 12 and went to volunteer on a farm in return for food and lodging. They stayed in a tent near the German couple that owned the land. Mr Frison went missing on July 13. He is understood to have gone for a walk and returned 'confused', with symptoms of heatstroke. He left on another walk and never came back. Ms Orlandini found his clothes, including his trainers, nearby. 'Human beings do not disappear from the face of earth without leaving traces unless […] something extremely bad happened to them,' Ms Pittalis told Sky News. She said it was 'completely out of character' for him to leave barefoot, and assessed it 'extremely unlikely' he was suffering from heatstroke. He had lived on the island before and knew the climate, she said. Ms Pittalis previously said the last message she received from her son was the night before he went missing saying he would call her the next day. The mother revealed in October it was 'out of character' for her son to vanish without contacting his family. She said she has had no response from Ms Orlandini since she left the island but insists 'I'm not accusing her of anything'. She previously pleaded to her son's friend, as she believes she may have details regarding his whereabouts. 'I need you, Niomi. I need your help. You've done nothing wrong,' Cristina pleaded in October: 'However, you were the last person to be with Michael.' A fundraiser has been set up to try and raise funds to get volunteers out to Sardinia in the search for Mr Frison.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Mum of missing Brit receives chilling mystery messages year after he vanished on Sardinia trip with woman he met online
THE DISTRAUGHT mum of a Brit who disappeared while camping with his girlfriend in Sardinia has been sent chilling messages saying: "I tried to believe it was an accident." Michael Frison, 26, vanished without trace last July while staying with Jersey-born Niomi Orlandini - a woman he met online. 10 10 10 10 Cristina, 49, has launched a campaign to find him but Niomi has since also disappeared. The mum-of-two from Chard, Somerset, has now received 'anonymous and disturbing Facebook messages' from an account that she believes is "someone with insider knowledge.' The cryptic messages 'reference guilt, fear, and the inability to remain silent.' They read: 'You cannot live a lie without it finding you eventually. 'I've seen it in nightmares. 'This isn't about blame, it's about the silence that eats away. 'I tried to forget. I tried to believe it was an accident. But the fear… it doesn't go.' Cristina previously told The Sun that she can 'relate' to Jay Slater's mum Debbie Duncan - and blames local Italian police for failing to investigate properly. She said: 'I can't even imagine how Jay Slater's mum would have felt when her son went missing and she couldn't communicate in Spanish. 'I can communicate with the police and they have been useless.' Tragic last vid shows tourist, 26, smiling next to pal at summit before deadly plunge in active volcano crater Cristine explained that her son Michael had flown from Bristol Airport to Olbia on July 2 last year, before driving to his grandparents home in Sassari to celebrate his 25th birthday and his grandma's 70th. Niomi, 27, asked to join him on the trip and he cancelled his return flight to the UK in order to stay with her for an additional week. According to his mum, the pair left Michael's grandparents home on July 12, and went to volunteer on a farm in the Gallura hinterland, where they would work in exchange for food and accommodation. Mum-of-two Cristine says the trip from her parents' place to the site they stayed at was a '70 mile journey', and the area was surrounded by 'rugged terrain and deep vegetation'. The pair arrived on an area of land, owned by a German couple, on the same day they left, with Michael and Niomi staying in a tent about '100 metres away' from the couple, who were in a campervan. Cristine said that was the last day she heard from him: 'He texted me saying he was going to sleep and that he'd call me tomorrow. He ended it with a heart emoji.' A snap taken from the scene shows clothing and a water bottle in the area where they camped. Heartbroken mum Cristina has grown increasingly frustrated over the Italian authorities' reluctance to share key information about Michael's disappearance with British cops. 10 10 The Foreign Office has stated it cannot intervene in the investigation unless Italy formally requests their assistance. Italian police have yet to locate or question Niomi, believed to be the last person to see Michael alive. She has not co-operated with the authorities or his family, and is thought to have moved to Thailand where her mother is from. Cristina explained that police in Britain advised her to tell the Italian authorities to seize Niomi's passport, which they did not do, and that they got offended when she tried to tell them how to do their jobs. The crucial passport error may have allowed Niomi to vanish with a raft of questions left unanswered. She added that she has also not been given a family liaison officer, and claims Italian police have kept her in the dark. The worried mother additionally raised her concerns about Niomi, saying she has not spoken to her sisters since she left, though they keep telling her that she is a 'lovely girl'. Efforts to track down Niomi's family in Jersey have failed. Cristina said: 'I'm not looking for a culprit, I'm looking for my son - I'm not accusing her of anything. 'But the fact she is not responding is quite mysterious and very strange.' The mum added: "Human beings do not disappear from the face of earth without leaving traces unless something extremely bad happened to them.' The mother has been left questioning why Niomi would not respond to her appeals for help or check in for an update on the search. 10 10 10 Cristina, who lost her husband seven years ago and is now juggling the search for Michael with looking after her youngest son, 11, said she's going through an 'unimaginable mix of emotions'. She said: 'It's destroyed our lives. 'Not knowing where Michael is and what happened is unbearable. 'Feeling the worst and holding onto hope for the best - it's an overwhelming sense of helplessness.' She says she feels 'drained' by the emotional and physical toll of his disappearance, and vowed: 'I am determined to find him, even in my grief I will not stop fighting for him. In her desperate efforts, Cristina has 'given up everything', abandoning her promising career in social work in order to dedicate her time to finding Michael and downsizing her home. She said: 'I am leaving the house because I can't afford to live here and balance going between here and Italy.' Cristina added that her second son is home educated and has developed separation anxiety. She praised Michael as 'such a kind and truly special soul'. She said: 'He feels so deeply not just for himself but for others - he notices when someone is struggling. 'He offers a kind word and a helping hand. "It's a never-ending nightmare. "There's no real accountability... I am here and I am broken." A GoFundMe campaign launched by Michael's pals in the UK has now reached £10,000 in the effort to help find the missing Brit. By James Moules, Foreign News Reporter THE mother of a Brit man who went missing in Sardinia a year ago has said she's been "broken" since his disappearance. Michael's mother Cristina Pittalis has told Sky News of her anguish over what happened to him. "I'm trying not to lose my mind," she said as she recounted the last time she heard his voice. "He was in a rush but absolutely clear in his speech, I didn't detect any confusion in his state of mind." Cristina, who is from Somerset, told the broadcaster: "Human beings do not disappear from the face of earth without leaving traces unless … something extremely bad happened to them." Her son had reportedly gone for a walk, and returned in a confused state and showing signs of heatstroke. After this, he went for a second walk - from which he never returned. His clothes and trainers were later found close by. Michael's mum told Sky News is was "extremely unlikely" he would suffer heatstroke as he had lived on the island before. It would also be "completely out of character" to wander off barefoot and leave his belongings behind, she added. She has now moved to Sardinia along with her other son, 11, in an attempt to look for Michael. Cristina, who is originally from Sassari in the island's northwest, said she is "extremely worried because there are no traces of Michael". Although a local investigation into his whereabouts is ongoing, Michael's mum wants Interpol to step in to help with the search. "It's a never-ending nightmare," she said. "There's no real accountability... I am here and I am broken."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
'My only mission is to find my missing son'
The mother of a 26-year-old man who went missing in Sardinia a year ago says she is living a "constant nightmare". Michael Frison, from Chard in Somerset, went missing while visiting his family on holiday in the northern part of the Italian island on 13 July, 2024. After a year of tireless efforts to find her son, his mother, Cristina Pittalis, relocated to Sardinia with her 11-year-old son to continue searching for Michael and she urged Interpol to investigate. "I certainly would have never imagined to find myself here today still talking about Michael being missing," she said. "It's devastating. It's a constant nightmare. It's like living in limbo." Mr Frison, who grew up in Bristol, had gone to Sardinia to celebrate his 25th birthday with relatives. He had also been volunteering on a farm in the northern part of the island. More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset On the day he went missing, Mr Frison had reportedly gone for a walk and had come back in a "confused state", with symptoms of heat stroke. He then went for a second walk and never returned. The next day, his clothes were found "neatly folded up" nearby, his mother said. "It's all very mysterious," said Ms Pittalis. "All I know is that a person cannot just literally disappear from the face of the Earth." She said it was "extremely difficult" to believe that her son would have wondered off on his own in such "impervious land" without his clothes and his belongings. His clothes were taken in for forensic analysis in May and the results are expected no sooner than September 2025. A criminal investigation led by the Italian authorities is ongoing, but Ms Pittalis, has asked for Interpol to step in to try and find her son. The BBC has contacted Interpol for comment. In the past year, mountains, rivers and caves have all been searched to try and find Michael. "I need to find Michael," said Ms Pittalis, who added she would not give up. "My only mission is to find my son." Ms Pittalis asked for anyone with information to step forward, including a woman from Jersey she believes may have answers that could help the investigation. "It's almost like living in Groundhog Day - a repetition of the same day every day," she said. "Every time when the night comes, we just hope to find some clues and have good news or a phone call to say that Michael's been found. "That never happens. So the new day just starts and you carry on because you have to." Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Mum of man missing in Sardinia 'living in limbo' 'Don't be afraid' says mum to son missing in Italy Mum's search in extreme heat for missing son in Italy Desperate plea to find 'kind' son missing in Sardinia
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Mum lives 'constant nightmare' after son disappeared in Sardinia
The mother of a 26-year-old man who went missing in Sardinia a year ago says she is living a "constant nightmare".Michael Frison, from Chard in Somerset, went missing while visiting his family on holiday in the northern part of the Italian island on 13 July, a year of tireless efforts to find her son, his mother, Cristina Pittalis, relocated to Sardinia with her 11-year-old son to continue searching for Michael and she urged Interpol to investigate."I certainly would have never imagined to find myself here today still talking about Michael being missing," she said. "It's devastating. It's a constant nightmare. It's like living in limbo." Mr Frison, who grew up in Bristol, had gone to Sardinia to celebrate his 25th birthday with had also been volunteering on a farm in the northern part of the island. On the day he went missing, Mr Frison had reportedly gone for a walk and had come back in a "confused state", with symptoms of heat then went for a second walk and never returned. The next day, his clothes were found "neatly folded up" nearby, his mother said."It's all very mysterious," said Ms Pittalis."All I know is that a person cannot just literally disappear from the face of the Earth."She said it was "extremely difficult" to believe that her son would have wondered off on his own in such "impervious land" without his clothes and his clothes were taken in for forensic analysis in May and the results are expected no sooner than September 2025. 'Living in Groundhog Day' A criminal investigation led by the Italian authorities is ongoing, but Ms Pittalis, has asked for Interpol to step in to try and find her BBC has contacted Interpol for the past year, mountains, rivers and caves have all been searched to try and find Michael."I need to find Michael," said Ms Pittalis, who added she would not give up. "My only mission is to find my son."Ms Pittalis asked for anyone with information to step forward, including a woman from Jersey she believes may have answers that could help the investigation."It's almost like living in Groundhog Day - a repetition of the same day every day," she said."Every time when the night comes, we just hope to find some clues and have good news or a phone call to say that Michael's been found."That never happens. So the new day just starts and you carry on because you have to."
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Mum of Brit, 25, who vanished in Sardinia a year ago says she's living through ‘never-ending nightmare'
THE mother of a Brit man who went missing in Sardinia a year ago has said she's been "broken" since his disappearance. Michael Frison suddenly vanished on the Italian island, where he had just arrived to do volunteer work on a farm, in July 2024. 5 5 A year on from his disappearance, Michael's mother Cristina Pittalis has told Sky News of her anguish over what happened to him. "I'm trying not to lose my mind," she said as she recounted the last time she heard his voice. "He was in a rush but absolutely clear in his speech, I didn't detect any confusion in his state of mind." Michael, 26, vanished on 13 July 2024, just the day after he arrived on the Mediterranean island. Cristina, who is from Somerset, told the broadcaster: "Human beings do not disappear from the face of earth without leaving traces unless … something extremely bad happened to them." Her son had reportedly gone for a walk, and returned in a confused state and showing signs of heatstroke. After this, he went for a second walk - from which he never returned. His clothes and trainers were later found close by. Michael's mum told Sky News is was "extremely unlikely" he would suffer heatstroke as he had lived on the island before. It would also be "completely out of character" to wander off barefoot and leave his belongings behind, she added. Terrifying vids show flash floods surging through Italian towns leaving 1 dead She has now moved to Sardinia along with her other son, 11, in an attempt to look for Michael. Cristina, who is originally from Sassari in the island's northwest, said she is "extremely worried because there are no traces of Michael". Although a local investigation into his whereabouts is ongoing, Michael's mum wants Interpol to step in to help with the search. "It's a never-ending nightmare," she said. "There's no real accountability... I am here and I am broken." Cristina said that "during the past 12 months, the area was constantly searched, through woodland, caves, mountains" - but nothing was found. She is also calling for a woman from Jersey who is believed to have been with Michael in the days leading up to his disappearance to come forward with any available information. One of her friends previously set up a GoFundMe to help with the search that raised more than £10,000. The money was aimed at supporting various costs including travel, legal fees and awareness campaigns. Cristina further told Sky of the impact Michael's disappearance has had on his younger half-brother Emanuele. Emanuele's father died back in 2017. "He's devastated," she said. "The three of us were extremely close, the two of them, they used to do everything together." She added that for him "it's horrible, he lost his father and now he lost his brother." 5
