When she was being silly, Misti Whitfield would call her mother, Sharon Ardelean, “Mommy.” When she was sad, it was “Momma,” and when she was trying to get her attention, it was “Sharon.”
But mostly, Whitfield referred to her mother as “Moms,” because she represented both a mother and father figure in her life.
It’s been 156 agonizing days since Ardelean has heard any of those names from her daughter. Whitfield was last seen May 1, at or near Nautical Marine, in Tampa. At first, Ardelean, her husband, Mel Ardelean, and Tampa Police Department investigators believed she was missing. Whitfield had battled drug addiction for 18 years and had been to rehab multiple times. The Ardeleans have custody of one of Whitfield’s five children.
But, as the hours ticked away into days, which then multiplied into weeks, the heavy truth began to suffocate any semblance of hope: Misti Whitfield had been murdered.
With the help of private investigator Brad Sparkman, the Ardeleans had their story publicized on television stations throughout Tampa Bay. Hundreds of friends and family members showed their support at a candlelight vigil June 4, in Plant City. In July, friends hosted the “Mission to Find Misti” event to raise funds to keep the search alive.
Five months have passed since Whitfield was last seen. And although the search parameters have since narrowed, the family still feels miles away from an answer.
LIVES CHANGED
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” Mel Ardelean says. “You don’t want to get anywhere near something like this.”
Sharon blots her tears away with a tissue.
Their home is quiet and still. A table and chairs sit on the back patio. At one time, that was Command Central, with friends coming by to man computers, enter keywords into Google searches, scour Facebook for any crumb of evidence. But, as those loved ones understandably slipped back into their own lives, after all the TV cameras packed up and left Plant City, the Ardeleans were left with their home. Quiet. Still.
With no clear direction but an overwhelming need to move forward, the Ardeleans have spent the past five months jumping at every lead. They’ve received hundreds of calls, texts or other messages with supposed information. They have driven by as detectives have dug into a back yard looking for Whitfield’s body. They have met random tipsters, who claim they know the location Whitfield’s body, at all hours of the night. Mel Ardelean is on a first-name basis with most of the prostitutes working Nebraska Avenue. He acquired a gun and a permit to carry it.
They are convinced Whitfield’s killer is somewhere in a huge three-ring binder sitting on Tampa Police Department Det. Scott Bullard’s desk. But, with only six homicide detectives for the entire department, the Whitfield case is just one of many.
A few weeks ago, the Ardeleans hired Tampa-based private investigator Ed Busquet, a retired police captain.
“We said, ‘Let’s make one last-ditch effort to try to find her body,’” Mel Ardelean says. “This is all we can do. It is agonizing.”
RUNNING ON EMPTY
Before Whitfield’s disappearance, the Ardeleans had their eyes on retirement. They had purchased an RV and sold one of their two businesses, Big Dog’s Patio. They hoped to one day buy the Plant City home they were renting.
But, all those plans disappeared the day Whitfield did. The Ardeleans sold the RV to pay for the first private investigator and used their savings to pay for the second. Sharon Ardelean also owns and runs Cuzzins Bar, but she hasn’t been able to make it through a whole night of work since her daughter went missing. On good days, she can muster up enough courage to take herself to work. But, at some point, emotions overcome her, and Mel Ardelean will drive to the bar to pick her up.
Sharon Ardelean uses Whitfield’s Facebook page to write to her daughter every day. It’s a coping mechanism — and a way to keep Whitfield’s friends informed, without having to field the waves of phone calls.
“We just can’t live like this any more,” Sharon Ardelean said. “I want my kid back.”
Her husband agreed.
“Some people called us crying, needing comfort,” he said. “We had to say, ‘We’re sorry; we can’t help you.’ We just don’t have enough left in the tank.”
As the investigation continues, the Ardeleans are convinced Whitfield was murdered somewhere in Plant City — and that her body is buried somewhere here, as well.
“The person is in that three-ring binder,” Mel Ardelean says. “But, someone’s going to have to roll on someone else.”
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
HOW TO HELP
The Ardeleans still can use help following leads and searching for information. If you can help, call Mel Ardelean, (813) 716-9598.