'He needs to come home': Family of missing man asking for help finding him

The family of a man who's been missing for a week is desperate to have him home — and they're pleading with Islanders to help them find him.

50-year-old Perry Shantz was last seen on May 4 and P.E.I. RCMP are still searching for him.  

His wife, Michelle Egli-Shantz, is asking for people to keep their eyes open for him and his red car. 

"It's been rough," she said. 

"Some of it's like, it's not happening at all and he should be walking in the door. And we sit here and we hand out flyers and we just do what we can. People are wonderful, they're helping us. We just — we pray, we pray that he comes home. We want him home."

Egli-Shantz said she and her kids, 19-year-old Jared and 22-year-old Megan, are trying to cope the best they can.

"He's our dad, so we need him," said Megan Shantz. "He's our best friend."

'He had a lot on his mind'

The family had only recently moved to York, P.E.I., from Ontario in April and Shantz had just started a new job as a transport truck driver.

They had travelled to the Island years ago on a holiday and fell in love with it. They planned on starting a new life here and eventually retiring here.

His wife explained that Shantz had been struggling with his mental health and she believes the move had been overwhelming for him. 

She said before starting his new job, her husband had briefly worked with another company but it hadn't worked out. 

"He started second-guessing his reason for moving here and for moving the family and everything," she said.

The last day she saw him, Egli-Shantz said her husband was quiet and a bit nervous about work.

"He had a lot on his mind but he walked out the door and we said goodbye like we always do and he said, 'Every day will get better and I'll learn this job and things will be good.' And I said, 'Yeah, it will be,' and that was the last time I seen him."

Egli-Shantz believes he just needed some time away and she hopes he returns home soon.

Police still looking for car

Shantz was last seen driving his red Chevrolet Aveo, licence plate FM6, on Riverside Drive in Charlottetown, according to police. 

He was last seen wearing khaki pants, a navy-coloured hooded sweater with "Ontario Turkeys" on the front and a grey undershirt. 

The RCMP are trying to find his car to narrow down their search. RCMP said they have heard from some witnesses who think they may have spotted the car. Police have used drones to explore some of those reported areas, but have not been able to find anything. 

'He needs to come home'

Egli-Shantz said she appreciates all the RCMP are doing and she's grateful for the community support.

"I want people to know that he's a good man, he loves his family and he always puts us first," she said.

"Farmers, please check your laneways and your fields, and cottagers if you're opening your cottages — or if you're not yet — please go check your properties and see if he's anywhere, just scared and not wanting to come home because he feels upset and bad for what he's done. And it's not his fault," she said.

"He needs to come home."

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