Justice in the Heartland: The Disappearance of Michael Golub

In the quiet farming community of Johnson City, Kansas, life rarely strays from routine. But in May 2005, that peace was shattered when Michael “Mike” Golub, a 27-year-old mechanic and devoted father, vanished without a trace. Nearly two decades later, his disappearance remains one of Kansas’s most haunting unsolved mysteries.

A Small Town, A Complicated Life

Mike was known around town as “California Mike.” Though cocky at first glance, friends say he had a heart of gold and would “give you the shirt off his back.” He worked long hours as a skilled mechanic, loved his son Mikey deeply, and after surviving a near-fatal heart attack at 24, seemed determined to make the most of his second chance at life.

His personal life, however, was complicated. Mike had a tumultuous relationship with his ex-girlfriend Shannon Aler, the mother of his son Mikey. Their fights over custody were bitter. When Shannon later married Chad Floyd, a man from one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Johnson County, tensions escalated even further.

The Day He Vanished

On May 20, 2005, Mike finished work and set out to pick up Mikey for the weekend. But Shannon called with an unusual request: instead of their agreed neutral meeting spot, she asked him to come directly to her house. That decision would prove fateful.

Mike was last seen around 6:20 p.m. in Johnson, just miles from the Floyd home. He never made it to his son. The next morning, when Mike failed to show up for work or call friends, panic set in.

Five days later, his truck was found abandoned in a remote field. Mike himself was gone.

Suspicion Falls on Chad and Shannon Floyd

From the beginning, Mike’s family believed foul play was involved, and suspicion quickly centered on Shannon and Chad.

• Just days after Mike’s disappearance, Shannon repainted the porch of their home. Investigators later found Mike’s blood and DNA beneath the boards.

• Chad had purchased an untraceable rifle the very day Mike vanished.

• A window in their home had been replaced, with the repairman noting it had a hole in it.

• Phone records showed a flurry of calls between Chad and Shannon in the critical minutes after Mike was last seen.

Investigators theorized that Mike went to the Floyds’ home, where he was confronted and shot—possibly through the living room window as he stood on the deck. His body has never been recovered.

Trials, Hung Juries, and No Justice

In 2006, Chad and Shannon Floyd were charged with first-degree murder. But in small-town Stanton County, where the Floyd family wielded influence, the trials became a battle of perception.

• 2007: The first trial ended in a hung jury.

• 2008: A second trial, again in Stanton County, also ended in a hung jury.

Despite DNA evidence, financial motives, and testimony about Chad’s threats, jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. After two mistrials, prosecutors dropped the charges, citing little chance of success at a third trial without new evidence.

For Chad and Shannon, it was vindication. For Mike’s mother, Deb Golub, it was devastating.

A Family’s Grief and a Community Divided

Deb Golub has never stopped believing the Floyds were responsible. “Who in their right mind would do something like this over a child?” she asked, recalling her son’s devotion to Mikey.

The most painful loss, she says, is not only her son but also her grandson Mikey, whom she has not been allowed to see since the Floyds moved away after the trials.

Friends say the case divided Johnson City—some siding with the Floyds, others with Mike’s grieving family. Without a body, closure has remained elusive.

Still Missing, Still Unresolved

Nearly 20 years later, Michael Golub is officially classified as a missing person. His body has never been found. His family still clings to hope that justice will come—if not in court, then in another way.

“I may not get justice on this earth,” Deb said, “but eventually, yes. Shannon and Chad will get theirs in the end. Whether we do it, or God.”

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