Man who vanished 3 years ago just now reported missing

TAVARES, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Lake County deputies say no one has seen a local man for nearly three years, but he was only reported missing about two weeks ago. 

“Right now, it's very mysterious and quite suspicious,” said Lake Co. Sheriff’s Office Lt. John Herrell.  
 
Deputies say 36-year-old Michael Shaver hasn’t been seen since 2015. They say one of Shaver’s friends contacted them about his disappearance in mid-February. 
 
“He informed us that he had not heard from Mr. Shaver in the last couple of years at least and he felt that was very unusual and out of character,” Herrell explained. 
 
So investigators say they went to Shaver’s home near Clermont. They say they met with his wife, who said she also hadn’t seen her husband since 2015. Deputies say at first, she invited them inside to talk. 
 
“Upon speaking to her for a few minutes the conversation ended up making its way outside the home at which time she stopped being cooperative and she requested her attorney,” Herrell said. 
 
Neighbors say the sheriff’s office has been on their street a lot since then. 
 
“We had some deputies out here and they spent the night, 24/7. They came and asked me some questions and said they were looking for the guy that used to live there,” said neighbor Curt Ruhl. 
 
“Very quiet, a really nice guy and I know he really cared about his kids a lot so when I didn't see him here to get them or have them or visit them for a couple of years, I kept wondering, 'Okay, this is really strange,'” said neighbor Wilma Nicholas. 
 
Almost three years later, a search is finally underway. What happened to Michael Shaver? 
 
“Hoping that someone will hear this story and maybe know something and come forward with some information we can use going forward,” Herrell said. 
 
Shaver’s family mostly lives out of state. His sister says they miss him terribly and are looking for answers. 
 
The News Station was unable to reach Shaver’s wife for a comment.