Missing Man: Gilbert Paul Caravallo -- HI -- 10/06/2004

[Kelly]

Missing Person: Gilbert Paul Caravallo
 
Date of Birth: 02/05/1969
Missing Since: 10/06/04
Missing City: Pearl City
Missing State: Hawaii
Age at time of disappearance: 35
Gender: Male
Race: Portuguese/Puerto Rican
Height: 6'
Weight: 225 lbs
Hair Color: Black
Hair (other): Curly, wears mustache and goatee
Eye Color: Brown
Complexion: Tan
 
Characteristics: Tattoos: "Gilbert C" on his back, and a mystical wizard on his right upper arm
 
Circumstances: Gilbert lives in Pearl City, Hawaii with his Mother, Paulette. The last time that she saw him is when she left for work on October 6, 2004.
A friend had come over to their home on the 6th and they decided to walk to a nearby store. On the way to the store, another friend picked up the two men. According to the friend, they returned to the home later on. Gilbert was not heard from or seen since that day.
 
Agency Name: Honolulu Police Department
Agency Phone: 808-529-3394
Case Number: 04-420282

Print a poster: http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_GilbertCaravallo.pdf

Family Website: http://www.findgilbert.com

[Kelly]

http://starbulletin.com/2007/10/06/news/story04.html

Missing man pains kin

By Gene Par
10/6/07

Paulette Caravallo has been living a mother's worst nightmare.

Today marks the third year that her son, Gilbert Paul Caravallo, has been missing.

He lived with his mother in Pearl City. On Oct. 6, 2004, she was cooking breakfast, and he helped to make some potatoes. After breakfast she left for work, and that was the last time she saw her then 35-year-old son.

"Believe it or not, it's even worse than death, not to have closure," the 59-year-old mother said yesterday. "I just keep thinking that maybe one day he'll pop in, but in my heart I know that's impossible."

Today the family makes its annual visit to the Royal Summit Trail in Waiau, where Caravallo loved to hike. Each visit has gotten harder to bear.

"It's just been this ache, it's so hard to describe," his mother said. "I guess this week is the hardest for me. We live on an island. How could somebody just vanish?"

In the afternoon of Oct. 6, 2004, a friend came to the house, and he and Caravallo walked to the store. Another friend picked the two of them up, and after going to the store they returned home. The first friend left Caravallo and the driver alone.

 The family questioned the driver, who initially claimed he did not see Caravallo. He later said he dropped him off at the house, claiming he forgot, according to the family.

"That's our only lead and that's where it ends," said Caravallo's sister, 27-year-old Jonette Lui. "The police questioned him, he denies it (involvement in the disappearance) and I guess there's nothing we can do about it."

Lui said the family has tried to do their own investigation, but to no avail. There are no other witnesses. She and her mother fought tears as they described their frustration.

Caravallo was charged with reckless endangerment for shooting a firearm at the Royal Summit Trail. The family said he was only expected to pay a fine and was willing to go to court.

"He didn't even have a bank account," Jonette said. "He didn't have the means to pack up and move elsewhere. He left his only ID at home."

Detective Philip Camero, a Honolulu Police Department missing-persons investigator, said the case is still open and there have been no developments. Foul play has not been ruled out.

"I wish we could resolve this case, along with all of our missing-persons cases," Camero said, "not only for the victim, but for the family as well."

The family has tried to cope with the loss and lack of closure in different ways. Another sister, Janey Lee in California, penned a book titled "Gilbert C: Hurry Home! I Just Want to Say I Love You," which was published this year.

In it she writes about the emotional limbo the family has gone through, as well as the futile search efforts.

"Before it was almost where my behavior became sort of self-destructive," Lee, 34, said. "I woke up one morning in May with this burning desire to write a book. With the grace of God, I was able to do so in two months."

Lee said she hopes the book will offer some support to families going through similar situations.

Paulette Caravallo said she focuses on her work as a bartender at Henry Loui's Restaurant. She hopes that the community does not forget about her son, even though he is an adult.

"There are a lot of adults out there that people have no clue what happened to them," she said. "Everybody talks about the young ones, of course. People have to understand that no matter how old you are, there are people who love you."

[Kelly]

http://www.santaclaraweekly.com/631.html

Santa Clara Woman Publishes Book about Missing Brother

By Cynthia Cheng
11/14/07
 
On October 6, 2004, Janey Lee Caravallo's 35-year old older brother, Gilbert, left his house in Hawaii and never returned home.
 
Desperate to locate her missing brother, Caravallo sought help from the local media, government agencies, and even the White House. In spite of her efforts, Gilbert Paul Caravallo could not be found. Tormented over her brother's disappearance, Caravallo decided to write a book. She began writing in May and completed her book in two months.  GILBERT C.  Hurry Home!  I Just Want to Say I Love You...was released in September. 
 
"The book is about everything I've experienced, everything I know about his disappearance," says Caravallo. "It talks about how everything that has occurred in my lifetime has prepared me for what I'm experiencing now. I feel my main purpose in life now is to help others in similar situations."
 
Her brother's disappearance isn't the first time Caravallo has experienced loss in her family.
 
"Our father was murdered in 1974 and I was only ten months old at the time," says Caravallo. "Five years ago, I returned to Hawaii.  My older sister and I and Gilbert went to visit my father in the cemetery. I can't recall the last time the three of us had even done that." 
 
Although Caravallo doesn't have distinct memories of her father, she can recall many experiences she has shared with her brother, many of which are mentioned in her book.
 
"The last time Gilbert and I spoke on the phone- that was Sept 22nd of 2004," says Caravallo. "That was our last phone conversation. It was a nonchalant conversation, but I'm grateful we got to tell each other that we loved each other before we hung up."

Caravallo is appreciative of the media's mindfulness towards locating missing children and women. Gilbert C. Hurry Home!  I Just Want to Say I Love You...highlights her sentiment that missing men deserve the same kind of attention given to children and women.
 
 "For a man who's missing, most people would think he just went off to do something or he was in some kind of trouble," says Caravallo. "Men [who are missing] tend to be ignored [by the media] and that's unfortunate." 
 
While writing the book, Caravallo had to relive the painful experience of losing her brother. But she admits that the writing was therapeutic for her because it helped her focus on a project that would help keep the memory of her brother alive.
 
"It's sort of out of sight, out of mind with many of my relatives," says Caravallo. "A lot of people don't know how to acknowledge his disappearance, so it's not mentioned. If I never see Gilbert again, I want him to know that in my heart, I did the best I could to make people aware of his disappearance."
 
Visit www.gilbertc.net to purchase GILBERT C.  Hurry Home!  I Just Want to Say I Love You!

[LoriDavis]

[LoriDavis]

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20081011_whatever_happened_to.html

No leads on missing man after 4 years
By Gene Park
POSTED: 02:30 a.m. HST, Oct 11, 2008

Question: Whatever happened to case of Gilbert Caravallo, a Pearl City man who went missing four years ago?
Answer: Caravallo was last seen on Oct. 6, 2004. Since then, police have had no leads as to where he may be.

"I would've thought that he'd be home by now," said his sister, Janey Lee Caravallo, who lives in California. "It's devastating, traumatic and I'm empty. I never thought that in a million years I could ever feel this way in my life."

Gilbert Caravallo, who was 35 when he went missing, helped his mother make potatoes during breakfast at their Pearl City home. Then he left the house, and it was the last time he was seen by family.

Caravallo apparently returned to the house when no one else was home. Later, a friend came to the house, and the two men walked to a store. As they were walking, another friend picked the two of them up, and after going to the store, they began to return home. The first friend left Caravallo and the driver alone.

The driver initially claimed he did not see Caravallo that day, but later said he had dropped him off home, claiming he had forgotten about the trip to the store. That's where the trail ends.

Caravallo would be 39 years old today. He was described as 6 feet tall, about 220 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He has "Gilbert C" tattooed on his back and a wizard tattoo on his right upper arm.

Caravallo's mother, Paulette Caravallo, is in California this week. On Monday, Janey Lee Caravallo went to get a tattoo of her brother's name redone, bringing her mother along.

"I didn't think she'd be able to do that," she said. "My mother is doing better than expected. We're not discussing it often. I don't want to bring it up or talk about it."

The Caravallo family has set up a Web site, www.findgilbert.com, with photos, an anonymous tip line and family contact information.

"It just saddens me to think that there's a strong possibility I may never hug my brother again," Janey Lee said.

[Kelly]

Gilbert has been placed on Project Jason's 18 Wheel Angels campaign. A special poster has been made for him and can be downloaded and printed for placement. More information about the program, and the link for the poster can be found here:

http://projectjason.org/18wheel.shtml

In addition to the campaign, Gilbert was also featured in a national trucking publications, either Independent Contractor or TruckJobSeekers. These free magazines are distributed in truck stops nationwide and have a circulation of about 150,000.

Independent Contractor and TruckJobSeekers are two of Target Media Partner's many publications. In partnership with Project Jason, they each feature two missing persons each per month. You can pick up your free copies at a local truck stop, but if it's far from you, you may want to call and ask if they carry that magazine. These are NOT with the regular for purchase magazines.

We hope this helps in the search for Gilbert. Please consider printing and placing a poster in businesses in your community.



Thank you.

Kelly, Project Jason

[Kelly]

A story written for the 18 Wheel Angels Campaign by Janey, Gilbert's sister:


MONDAY March 30, 2009 --“I sit here struggling to find the words to describe what I have become and to explain the deterioration of my life as a result of my brother, Gilbert's, disappearance.  It has been nearly 5 agonizing years, and my soul has been ravaged!  So many thoughts race through my head trying to convince myself that I'm not a loser or a failure for not finding my brother.  I have tried everything possible to locate him, and have accomplished nothing!  I have been on the news numerous times, the stories on Gilbert's disappearance are countless, and then there are the letters!  (The FBI, The President, America's Most Wanted, The Chief of Police, The Governor, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Montel Williams, etc.)  You name it, but it doesn't matter!

All I want is to go back in time, or to eliminate the year 2004 from history.  I will never forget the phone call from my mother.  It was October 9, 2004.  Her words are still imbedded in my mind, as if it were yesterday.  "Janey, I haven't heard from Gilbert in 3 days."  I knew then like I know now that it would be my worst nightmare come true!

When my mother left for work on October 6, 2004, she never would have imagined that it would be the very last time that she would see her only son.  Perhaps her only consolation is that she got to cook a meal together with him.

We have attempted to recreate the scenario of that dreadful day as best as possible.  As my mother left for work, she reminded Gilbert to put the chicken curry in the refrigerator after he had eaten, so it wouldn't spoil, and so she could have some for dinner later in the evening.  He said, "Not a problem."  And, they said their usual goodbyes.

Later in the day, Gilbert's friend, Larry, came over to hang out with him.  They decided to walk to a nearby store. On the way to the store, another friend, Hans, stopped and picked Gilbert and Larry up. Gilbert and Larry jumped into the pick up bed of Hans' red Nissan. After going to the store, they returned to Gilbert's residence to figure what they wanted to do the rest of the day. Larry stayed a brief while longer before departing.

Unfortunately, my mother waited several days before contacting the police.  Looking back, I realize that this was a huge mistake!  She truly believed that Gilbert was coming home and didn't want to create any havoc in his life by alerting the police.  Even though Gilbert had never done this before, she just wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.  Perhaps she was in a bit of denial, and couldn't address her own fears.

A week after Gilbert's disappearance, my mother questions Hans, as he was one of the last confirmed to be seen with Gilbert.  Her interrogation didn't go that well, and Hans nonchalance still doesn't sit well with me. 

Hans told my mother, "I haven't seen Gilbert in a couple of months." She replied, "Don't lie! People saw you with him last week." Hans responded, "Oh yeah, I forgot, but I dropped him off at home."

THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS. THE LAST TIME THAT GILBERTS CELL PHONE WAS USED WAS OCTOBER 6, 2004 AT 4:22 PM.
IF ANYONE OUT THERE KNOWS ANYTHING, PLEASE  CONTACT DETECTIVE PHIL CAMERO at 808-529-3394.

I have come to the realization that I will probably never see my brother again; however, I will not give up on hope.  There isn't a day that goes by without him crossing my mind.  I dream about him frequently, and encourage everyone to love your family! You never know how much time you have together!

I would like to share a letter that I wrote to Gilbert.  It is also in my book "GILBERT C.  HURRY HOME I JUST WANT TO SAY I LOVE YOU!"

Dear Gilbert,

I miss you so much that it hurts. The pain that I feel is
beyond description.  I'm so sorry for giving you grief during our
last Thanksgiving dinner.  That is probably the only regret that
I have in my life.  I can't wait until you get home. We have so
much catching up to do.  Everything is pretty much the same with
me.  As usual, there is nothing exciting to report.

You've missed out on so much during the last few years.
There have been quite a few ups and downs.  Unfortunately, mom
suffered a heart attack in November of 2004.  Aunty Linda passed
away in December of 2004.  Aunty Anne also left us in January
of 2005.  It's such a shame that you didn't have the opportunity
to say goodbye.

On a positive note, I have some wonderful news for you.  Our
family has expanded.  We have a nephew now!  Jonette had a
baby boy on March 2, 2006.  His name is JonPaul.

When you're finally settled in, I'll fly you out to visit with
me.  We shipped dad's bike to California.  It's in a million pieces,
so you better get to it quickly.  George wants to build it with you.
I also can't wait to take you to your first NFL game.  I guess
for you, I'll even tolerate any race of your choice!

Also, I never told you this, but you're supposed to walk me
down the aisle.  I love you with all my heart!
Hurry home!  I just want to say I love you . . .
Janey

I urge anyone who knows anything to please help.  You too could face a similar situation in life, so please step forward and do the right thing.  I also want to thank everyone who has assisted, listened, or encouraged me during this troubling time!


Janey Lee Caravallo
WWW.FINDGILBERT.COM
WWW.GILBERT.NET

[Kelly]

AAN Annual Poster Notify Sent to AAN Subscribers   Code 71

Help us find the missing: Become an AAN Member and receive notifications about missing persons via email.

Click here to become a part of the solution: http://www.projectjason.org/awareness.shtml

[Kelly]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Family of Missing Man Asks for New Clues on the  5th Anniversary of His Disappearance
 

Pearl City, HI—( October 6, 2009) - It has been  5 years since Gilbert Caravallo disappeared without a trace, and the family and authorities are reminding people to keep an eye out for him.
 
According to  Gilbert's family, he was last seen at her home by his mother.  She last saw him when she left for work on October 6, 2004. A friend had come over to their home on the 6th and they decided to walk to a nearby store. On the way to the store, another friend picked up the two men. According to the friend, they returned to the home later on. Gilbert was not heard from or seen since that day.
 
Gilbert has a tattoo of "Gilbert C" on his back, and a mystical wizard tattoo on his right upper arm and wears a mustache and goatee.
 
Janey Caravallo, family spokesperson, and sister of Gilbert, pleads ""Hurry Home!  I Just Want to Say I Love  You..."  Caravallo wrote a book detailing the story of her brother's disappearance and the impact on her life. In her book, she states "Sorry to say. This is my reality, and my life has changed forever. There is no foretelling of what lies ahead for me, as the missing person is not just anyone. It happens to be my only brother. Just saying it aloud is extremely perplexing. My brother, Gilbert, is missing."
 
Gilbert is described as Portuguese/Puerto Rican  with brown eyes.  At the time of his disappearance, he had  black hair, was  6’ and weighed 225 pounds.
 
Photos of Gilbert are available for download at http://www.projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=2440.0
 
Media is also asked to remind the public to print and place posters of Gilbert, which can be found at http://www.projectjason.org/aan/AAN_GilbertCaravallo.pdf   Additional information is at http://findgilbert.com/
 
Anyone with information about Gilbert is urged to contact the Honolulu Police Department at (808) 529- 3394.
 

About Project Jason
 
 Project Jason, founded in 2003, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the families of missing persons, and creating and increasing public awareness of missing people through a variety of outreach and educational activities. Project Jason brings hope and assistance to families of the missing by providing resources and support. The organization is based in Omaha, Nebraska. The organization has disseminated more than 14,500 personal ID kits in English and Spanish, has helped distribute more than 50,000 posters, and 4,750 photo buttons, of missing persons, and has assisted more than 400 families of the missing. Project Jason has also been directly involved in the recoveries of numerous missing persons. Project Jason offers extensive online resources as the first and only assistance organization to offer free, professional counseling to families, and the first nonprofit of its type to open an office in the popular virtual world, Second Life. Project Jason relies solely on corporate and private donors and currently requests the public’s help to sponsor a number of ongoing programs. (Nonprofit: IRS 501 (C) (3) Non Profit Charitable Organization - EIN# 20-0256753.) For more information about Project Jason’s objectives, activities and services, go to http://www.projectjason.org
 
# # #
 

[Kelly]

Gilbert Caravallo and Kayla Berg are Project Jason's featured missing persons for October of 2009. The image you see below, with links to their news and information threads, is on the main page of the Project Jason website. This is one means of awareness for their cases, and with a high average of daily hits to the site, we'll reach many with their stories.

If your missing loved one is not registered with us for services, please click here: http://www.projectjason.org/report.shtml

[Jenn]

NamUs Profile for Gilbert: https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/549

[Shannon]

http://www.khon2.com/news/local/story/Family-of-missing-man-offers-50-000-reward/erJtsxeYUUmQLcQZpCa27w.cspx

Family of missing man offers $50,000 reward

Reported by: Manolo Morales

Published: 10/06/2011 6:05 pm
Updated: 10/06/2011 6:25 pm

Family members are asking for help in finding a Pearl City man who disappeared seven years ago.
They are now offering a $50,000 reward.

Gilbert Caravallo's mother and sister placed flowers and a card at the gate of the entrance to the trail above Royal Summit in Aiea. It's something they've done every year. On October 6, 2004, Gilbert and another man were seen about to go hiking on the trail. No one has seen or heard from him since.

"When something like this happens, you just wonder how can it happen? We just really want to make sense of it, it's been a nightmare,” said sister, Jonette Caravallo.

Family members say the man with Gilbert was someone who they thought was a good friend. But Jonette says he first denied he was with Gilbert.

"Then he was told that there was a witness that saw him there and he said oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I dropped him off at home,” said Jonette.

The man was questioned by Honolulu Police but nothing ever came of it.

All other leads have turned up nothing.

"When you have no body or nothing to work with and the person is just gonna blatantly lie what else can they do I guess if they have nothing to work with,” said Jonette.

Gilbert Caravallo was 35 years old when he was last seen. He's six feet tall, weighs 225 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. With help from donations, the family is able to offer $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in Gilbert's disappearance.

"We believe that somebody must know something and we're hoping that they'll come forth and give us the answers,” said Jonette.