Post by Scumhunter on Jan 26, 2015 13:50:11 GMT -5
(Above: Michael Blasingame (fugitive) photo credit: amw.com archives)
(Above: Eitan Blasingame (missing), circa 2008 at age 2 Photo Credit: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's missingkids.org website)
(Above: Eitan, age-progression to age 8, circa 2014. Photo Credit: missingkids.org)
Admin Note #1: According to missingkids.org, Anyone having any information should contact 1-800-THE-LOST or the Plano Police Department (Texas) at 1-972-941-7900 or United States Marshals Service (Plano, Texas) at 1-214-705-9850
UPDATE: As of January 16th, 2019, anyone with information on this case can also call or text "In Pursuit" on the Investigation Discovery channel at 833-378-7783 and/or submit a tip at the show's website: www.InPursuitTips.com
Ok, I lied for a third time when I said I was done profiling kidnapping cases from AMW for the time being- because I found yet another high-profile case that should be on the site (not that lesser profile cases shouldn't be, but ones with a lot of publicity or were major AMW cases should be reflected as the more public cases have a better chance at resolution). Michael Blasingame (a.k.a Michael Tan) is another alleged parental kidnapper, and he was aired on the January 22nd, 2011 episode of AMW on Fox. Below is the archived description of his case:
Worldwide Manhunt Is On For Father
From Plano, Texas, to Malaysia, the manhunt is on for 28-year-old Michael Gary Blasingame.
U.S. Marshals say that on March 18, 2008, Blasingame was supposed to return his then-18-month-old son, Eitan, to his mother, Diana Huynh. But leading up to that day Blasingame, would not return Diana's calls. Diana got worried and called police.
A month later, Diana was granted sole custody of Eitan, but by then Blasingame and Eitan were long gone.
U.S. Marshals are concerned about Eitan's well-being and believe the child is traveling with an unstable man through countries that are training grounds for terrorists, such as Yemen, Ethiopia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Fugitive Uses Internet Skills To Taunt Cops
Blasingame is computer-savvy and spends countless hours on the Internet. He once owned and managed a cyber cafe, but the business didn't go well and he left it in serious debt.
Cops say Blasingame usually spends his time on chat rooms meeting people from other countries - mostly translators who want work on their English skills. In fact, right after Eitan was born in 2007, Blasingame met a translator from Madagascar on the internet, and decided to travel to Madagascar with the family. Diana Huynh, Eitan's mom, says once they arrived in Madagascar they stayed at the translator's house. Blasingame tried to start businesses there, but everything fell through. Soon Eitan got sick, and Diana decided to return to the United States.
That's when Diana decided to divorce Blasingame. Diana says that Blasingame knows how to build websites and has tried to set up on-line businesses multiple times, but hasn't been successful.
So it was no surprise that once Blasingame found out he was a wanted man, U.S. Marshals say he used his own MySpace account to taunt investigators. Cops say that on April 18, 2009 Blasingame posted the following messages:
"The will of God cannot be changed. Not by TV stations, or police departments, or guns, or bombs....”
"To day that I threatened you is absolutely ridiculous. That I threatened my son or myself...Why? My son is with me. I am not sad, I am happy. We don't have a penny to our name. But yet we have never skipped a meal or slept in the street."
"If you want to come for me. Then come."
U.S. Marshals say that was the last communication they had with Blasingame.
The Religion Factor
Cops are very intrigued by Blasingame’s beliefs. Back in 2000, Blasingame once attended a Christian seminary school in Dallas and also used to go to a Chinese church. That's when Diana Huynh and Blasingame first met.
But in 2006, when Diana and Blasingame started dating, Diana says Blasingame had completely changed and "had put God on the shelf.”
Things would take another turn when Blasingame found out Diana was pregnant. Diana says Blasingame wanted to convert to Judaism, saying that he had always believed in the Old Testament and questioned the new one. He's obsession with converting into Judaism led him to start learning Hebrew. He also has the Star of David tattooed on this right shoulder and has stated that eventually he would want to live in Israel.
Blasingame is originally from Lafayette, La., and cops say that while he lived there, he was part of a gang.
It is this kind of unstable behavior that has cops extremely worried. They say Blasingame is a selfish man who only cares about his personal agenda and has no regard to Eitan's health and safety.
Thoughts? A few more clues are that Blasingame loves country music such as Garth Brooks and Keith Urban. He smokes cigarettes, and speaks English, French, and Chinese. Also a way to identify his missing son Eitan is he is said to have a small tissue lump under the skin behind his left air.
Michael and Eitan could be anywhere in the world, but according to authorities Michael has had contact with people in the Lafayette, Louisana and Dallas, Texas area since his abduction. Wherever they is, abductions work just the same whether it's the man or woman that took the child- not letting the child see his other parent is not in his benefit and will only further damage him.
Caution should be advised. Michael Blasingame has threatened to harm Eitan should his mother try to locate him, and is also considered armed and dangerous. So if you know where they are, be very careful, but call the Department of Public Safety or US Marshals numbers provided at the top of this page.
web.archive.org/web/20130802034245/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=74621
www.charleyproject.org/cases/b/blasingame_eitan.html
UPDATE: As of July 22nd, 2018, Eitan is still listed as missing and Michael Blasingame is still listed as his at-large abductor on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's missingkids.org website:
api.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1110848
Admin Note #2: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
