FRANKLIN COUNTY (WSLS 10) - Friends and family of a woman who went missing in 2012 are trying to get a memorial built in her name.
Heather Hodges was last seen on April 9, 2012. Heather's friends and family have worked since then to keep her story on people's minds.
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"Heather loved to joke around," says Mindy Dent, Hodges' friend. "We would reminisce about old memories."However, they've hit a roadblock. Hodges' was found guilty of felony grand larceny back in 2008.
Under the county's policy, a memorial cannot be named for a person with a felony conviction. Hodges other friend Wendy Nichols asked the Board of Supervisors for an exception but was turned down unanimously.
"I'm angry," says Nichols. "What made me more angry was seeing that it was unanimous. It wasn't one person hearing what I had to say. We're not trying to change the rules we're asking for an exception."
Friends are not taking no for an answer. They're hoping to build a memorial somewhere even if it may be on private property. The hope is for Hodges' daughter to have a place to remember her mother too.
"Just a place to set up so when her daughter gets older she can go down," says Dent. "I feel like they shouldn't judge on her past. She's a mother, she's a daughter, sister, family friend. I wish they would let us have that memorial for her."
Organizations like Help Save the Next Girl have been proactive with helping Hodges' loved ones get an established memorial and went with Nichols to the board of supervisors' meeting for support.