Michael Pak: What Happened to Shannan Gilbert’s Driver?

With Netflix’s ‘Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer’ delving deep into the way the search for a missing woman brought to light the harrowing work of a serial killer, we get a documentary unlike any other. That’s because it shines a light upon not just the investigations into the matter and the different people involved at every step of the way but also how the alleged killer was eventually arrested. Amongst those connected to the matter is Michael Pak, the driver for 23-year-old New York-based sex worker Shannan Gilbert, whose disappearance gave way for the whole truth to come out.

Michael Pak Once Led an Ordinary Life

It was in 1969 that Michael Pak was born as Minjae Pak or Michael Min Chul Pak in Korea as one of three kids, only to primarily grow up in the US as the entire family relocated in 1974. The truth is they sadly lost his father in the early 1970s, driving his mother to soon make the hard decision of leaving everything they knew behind in the hopes of better future opportunities. She subsequently worked a few odd jobs before landing the position of a manager in a supermarket, through which she was able to provide for her kids and instill in them the importance of hard work.

That’s how Michael was able to graduate from the renowned Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, New York, without any issues in 1987, following which he chose to pursue a Bachelor’s in History. The 18-year-old seemingly did not want to move too far away from home, so he actually enrolled at the State University of New York at Binghamton, from where he earned his degree in 1993. However, instead of following a career path related to his educational background, he initially heeded his mother’s footsteps before finally evolving into a writing technician at AIG Insurance in 1998.

Michael Pak Was Convicted of Human Smuggling in 2004

According to reports, while Michael didn’t find it too hard to adjust to the corporate world, the constant hustle and bustle of the Big Apple was taking its toll on him in every way imaginable. Therefore, once he tied the knot with a woman named Jisuk Son in 2004, he became stuck on the idea of moving to the other side of the nation for sunnier days as well as new opportunities. That’s when he was contacted by someone who allegedly promised him $3,000 plus a flight to Los Angeles in exchange for his assistance in fully handling travel arrangements for a Chinese migrant.

Michael reportedly believed that all he had to do was help someone from China navigate their way into the United States by being there for them in person and directing them to the right flights. Yet, when the time for the job came, he allegedly found himself with a ticket to Sri Lanka and instructions to where there for a man, who was taken away by officials as soon as they stood in line for customs. The authorities subsequently detained him, too, but once it came to light that he was indeed a United States citizen, he was released and allowed to get on his return flight to California.

As per reports, Michael did receive the funds he was promised, so he agreed to go through the process all over again when asked a short while later, only to unsurprisingly be re-detained at customs. However, this time around, he was questioned much more extensively, which is when he realized that what he was doing was illegal, and he even faced a criminal indictment upon returning to the US. He was arrested, charged, and convicted of passport misuse as well as the illegal transportation of individuals, for which he was ultimately sentenced to six months in federal prison.

Michael Pak Claims He Has No Idea What Happened to Shannan Gilbert

Michael’s 2004 legal troubles turned his entire world upside down as it resulted in not only his wife filing for divorce but also him having to rebuild his life from the ground up without any real backing. He did have his family, with whose support he managed to settle back down in Manhattan, New York, and secure a few odd jobs, but he had to climb up the professional ladder again all by himself. So, he went from serving at a local pool bar to landing a position at Grand World Insurance, and then, he slipped back down again and became a driver for Manhattan’s Prestige Escort Agency.

It was here that Michael first encountered Shannan Gilbert, and they soon developed a personal standing of sorts that enabled her to call him at any time to be her personal driver if she wanted to work. That’s what happened on the late evening of April 30, 2010, so he picked her up in Manhattan before eventually making his way to the suburban community of Oak Beach in Long Island to meet a client. According to his own accounts, he was in the car around 4:50 am when the client stepped outside and knocked on his window to tell him that Shannan was refusing to leave.

Michael admittedly went in to see what was wrong, just to realize the 23-year-old looked extremely paranoid and scared, only to freak out even more when he tried helping by saying he would drive her back home. That’s when Shannan ran out, according to reports. Her driver-turned-friend allegedly did look for her for at least an hour, following her to other people’s homes as well as near bushes as she screamed she was afraid for her life. He claims she ran away whenever he caught up, and then, when he eventually couldn’t find her anymore, he turned the car around and went home.

Michael Pak Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life These Days

When the investigations into Shannan’s disappearance actually commenced, Michael Pak was among the first to be interrogated since he was undeniably one of the last people to see her. He reportedly told the authorities everything he witnessed, but he couldn’t tell them precisely what had transpired that made the young woman so paranoid in the first place. The fact that Michael required significant specification in some questions and some of his answers were unclear made him look suspicious for a while, but officials soon cleared him for good.

According to reports, he even passed a polygraph test, which has since turned him from a possible suspect to a non-party witness for all intents and purposes. Thus, today, the now 56-year-old understandably prefers to lead a life well away from the limelight, surrounded by only his loved ones in Flushing, New York, where he now happily resides.