DUBAI // Police have warned people against taking part in a large-scale search for Kerry Winter in Dubai, claiming they would get in the way of the formal investigation. Up to 3,800 people have been invited via a dedicated Facebook page to help to look for the events executive, 35, who has been missing since Aug 20. As many as 500 people are expected to turn up at 9am today at the Mall of the Emirates top floor car park. From there, they will fan out looking for clues to Ms Winter's whereabouts in a search organised by her family and the community group Volunteer in Dubai.
Police, however, say this could be counterproductive. "There is no need to have a massive search party as we are doing all that is possible," a senior police official said. Ms Winter's family say they are determined to do all they can. "We have not had much interaction with the police and they are trying to cancel the search event saying that we will get in their way, but we have to be bullish to put an end to all this uncertainty," said Kurt Winters, the missing woman's brother. "We need to be more proactive because we can't continue feeling like this."
Dahi Khalfan Tameem, the chief of Dubai police, said a British male was still being held by police. "The man admitted to hitting the woman and not killing her, but our search for her is on going," he said. The Briton told Dubai police and Ms Winter's family that she was alive and well when he left her two weeks ago. But friends and colleagues said Ms Winter told them the man was stalking her before she vanished.
The man being held is believed to have flown to Britain two days after Ms Winter's disappearance and returned to Dubai three days later, when he was arrested. On Aug 20, neighbours saw Ms Winter, who is originally from Durban, South Africa, being beaten with a baseball bat outside her villa in Al Barsha, Dubai. She was then bundled into the back of her car. Ms Winter, who moved from Johannesburg to Dubai seven years ago, has not been seen since.
Her car - a silver Ford 4x4 - was found abandoned on Monday night in the Marina area. shafez@thenational.ae