A mum’s grief

By Melissa Meehan
THE mother of slain Pakenham man Michael Griffey fears she will die before his murder is solved.
His body was discovered in the garage of his family’s Ahern Road home more than five years ago, on 2 January 2006.
Police believe he may have been murdered up to five days before his body was found.
Mr Griffey was a well-known and liked man about town, with more than 300 people attending his final farewell, but many still want to know what happened.
Nola Antonio turns 70 this year, and says the only thing she needs is closure.
Speaking from her Wendouree home, it is clear her son’s death has taken its toll – it is no surprise.
“You don’t forget, you can’t,” she said.
“It’s always with you and it’s times like this (talking about his death) that revives all the feelings again.
“But if I had closure, in my heart is where it would stay.”
Five years since his murder, Nola says she holds little hope of getting the closure she so desperately seeks.
“Not now, it’s been too long, I think they got away with it,” she said.
Nola can still remember when she first heard the news of Michael’s death.
“I was actually in bed, I heard a man from Pakenham had been found dead, but it didn’t register until police knocked on the door at 7am,” she said.
“As soon as I saw them it hit me.”
Nola, fighting back tears, recalled her special relationship with her son, who last saw him when he visited before Christmas.
They went out for dinner, along with his sister Katrina and her partner and had plans to visit his holiday house in San Remo after Christmas.
“That was the last time I saw him,” she said.
“They are good memories, but now that’s all I’ve got.”
Together with her daughter, investigating police and friends, Nola has renewed the call for those in the community who may have information on her son’s murder to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.