LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Though the holiday season may be a happy time for most, that isn’t the case for families who are looking for missing loved ones.
Richard Johnson, 63, and Amber Arnett, 39, both have been missing since earlier in 2023. Now, with Thanksgiving a few days away, their families are asking people not to forget about their loved ones.
“We really miss our dad,” Jessica Johnson said while crying. “It makes your easy daily tasks a struggle. Because you’re always wondering, ‘What can I be doing? What am I missing?'”
It’s been more than seven months since Johnson’s dad, 63-year-old Rick, disappeared. With the holiday season here, it’s gotten harder and harder for her to cope with no sign of him.
“I loved cooking to impress my dad. I loved hearing him tell me how good everything was,” Johnson said. “And I don’t get to hear that this year.”
The last time 6 News met with Jessica Johnson was back in July when she said her dad had disappeared on May 7 near Plumtree Apartments in Delta Township.
Sadly, Johnson is not the only person 6 News has spoken with this year whose family member has vanished.
Marty Arnett’s daughter, 39-year-old Amber Arnett, has been missing since June 25. She was last seen near the Dollar Tree on South Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Amber Arnett’s mom said it’s hard for her family to find any joy this season, but they aren’t losing hope. “We want to celebrate Thanksgiving. But she leaves a big hole,” Marty Arnett said. “And it’s the mystery of, ‘where is she?’ We will deal with whatever the outcome is. But we need an outcome.”
There is a large cash reward for tips that lead to finding Amber Arnett. The Lansing Police Dept. confirmed the case is still very active, and that lots of resources are being used to find her.
As for Richard Johnson’s family, his daughter Jessica said at this point she’s looking to hire a private investigator to help her find her dad. Johnson’s family’s GoFundMe to pay for the investigator is here.
Arnett and Johnson are not the only people from Lansing who are still missing. Some of the others are:
- 34-year-old Matthew ‘Adam’ Etheridge (last seen February 2017 in the 700 block of Prudden Street)
- 26-year-old Katie Lynn Botts (last seen in June 2020 near Saginaw St. and MLK Blvd.)
- 61-year-old Paul Allen Brady (last seen in April 2019, from an adult foster care home at 6101 Norburn Way in Lansing)
