He Vanished After Checking Into A Motel Alone, But He Never Checked Out
In 2021, Henry Fermino was 60 years old and living in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The father of three, who was a cab driver and worked at local restaurants, is remembered as a family man.
So, when Henry didn’t call for his son’s birthday, his sister, Trina Cardoza, realized something was wrong.
“My nephew had called me and said he hadn’t heard from his dad, and it’s not like him. For him not to call his son on his birthday, that was the alarm right there,” Trina recalled.
“We were close because he was the only one around. He loved family, holidays, birthdays. He never forgot anybody’s birthday.”
Henry didn’t just miss his son’s birthday, either; he also wasn’t around for his own on May 19, 2021. That same day, Trina reported him missing.
An investigation revealed that Henry had checked into the Capri Motel, located on State Road in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, by himself on May 8. He booked a room for two nights, but he never checked out.
The following day, May 9, he called his girlfriend at 8:00 a.m. and reportedly left a voicemail from a phone number she didn’t know. Then, Henry was spotted for the last time at about 2:00 p.m. by a housekeeper.
According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, Henry had been with another man. Yet, that man has never come forward, pushing Trina to suspect he holds answers.
“What shady thing happened that you don’t want to come forward?” she asked, “It stays on my mind. Who was he with? Somebody knows something.”
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Detective Kyle Costa with the Dartmouth police detailed how, when it came to Henry’s case, they were dealing with “substance abuse issues” and “mental health issues.” They interviewed everyone they could at the hotel to learn more about Henry’s interactions during his stay, but no additional information has been uncovered.
What impeded the investigation even further was the lack of working surveillance cameras on the hotel’s property. Nowadays, police rely strongly on video footage and other digital evidence. But the cameras weren’t functioning, so they captured no clues.
At first, it appeared as if Henry’s cell phone was missing as well. It wasn’t until one week after he was reported missing that authorities learned someone at the Capri Motel had found his phone and turned it in. Again, the device didn’t provide any leads.
Witnesses claimed to have spotted Henry crossing Route 6 on May 9, 2021. Another tip alleged Henry had been in the area of Cross Road and Reed Road on May 11, 2021.
As of November 2022, the police had conducted “three or four” searches in the woods with the help of both law enforcement and community members. Detective Costa stated the searches included dive teams, police dogs, and civilian dogs. Nonetheless, no evidence was discovered.
Henry had left for weeks at a time before. However, he always made sure to check in with his family and keep them in the loop.
“He was that close to us that he would call. He would call his son, or he would call my sister, even if [he] was somewhere he didn’t want anybody to know. He would call my sister and say, ‘Listen, I’m okay, I’m safe, I’m here, just don’t tell anybody,'” Trina explained.
While she now has a gut feeling that Henry is no longer alive, the police are refusing to give up. Detective Costa admitted to thinking there was a “seedy element” at play in Henry’s case, and there were still some people investigators wanted to talk to regarding Henry’s last known location and what he was potentially involved in.
“When you get handed cases, you have a personal attachment to them; there’s no doubt about that. Whether it’s 20 years old or 1 year old, we take them seriously, and we want to bring closure to these cases,” he said.
Henry was five foot two, weighed between 155 and 165 pounds, and had brown eyes and brown receding hair. Anyone with information regarding his case is urged to contact the Massachusetts State Police at (855) 627-6583.
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