The Tribune

By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

LOVED ones have sent out tearful but hope-filled birthday wishes this week for a 91-year-old patriarch who has been missing for nearly two years.

Yesterday, Martin Lundy told The Tribune his family clings strongly to the faith his grandfather Charles Lightbourne instilled in his offspring, that all things are possible with God, even his return.

"All things are possible with God," Mr Lundy said, "and that was something that he taught his family. Faith and belief in God. As a testament to who he was, we have to keep the faith that he will be found. The family is still desperate for answers and we wish him a happy birthday wherever he is."

Mr Lightbourne's 91st birthday was on Monday. His mysterious disappearance on August 6, 2016 followed a series of harrowing events including a savage beating from an intruder and a later diagnosis of dementia.

"Two weeks after his birthday he was attacked," Mr Lundy said. "Someone came on his property and attacked him. He said the individual was laughing while throwing rocks and broke a shovel over his head. They beat his left eye out of his head. It was terrifying and from then we monitored him closely. One of my aunts came in to stay with him. She was putting stuff on the boat, and he was left by himself on the property - when she came back home he was gone."

The attack was so gruesome that Mr Lightbourne lost his left eye and suffered huge gashes on his head and nose from being repeatedly hit with a shovel and a piece of wood.

He was diagnosed with dementia following the incident, according to his daughter Laurel Lundy, who spoke to The Tribune shortly following his disappearance in 2016.

"Since the incident in February, he's been diagnosed with dementia, and he's not been himself since then," she said at the time.

"You know he lost his eye in that attack. He hasn't really accepted it because he believes he's going to see again. And so he holds on when he moves, because he doesn't really see that well.

"But when he's having episodes of delusion, he doesn't know who he is.

"Daddy doesn't sleep out," she added. "This is now two nights he slept out."

Now nearly two year's later, Mr Lundy said the family continue to hope for his safe return.

"There has been no word from him, no sign," Mr Lundy said.

"He had recently been diagnosed with a mild form of dementia but he never did this before, he still had his wits about him. He would have been 91 on Monday (February) the 12th.

"So we're wishing him a happy birthday, wherever he is," he added, "we're still praying and hoping."