ROANOKE, Va. – For Trina Murphy, nothing has ever been the same since her niece, Alexis Murphy went missing five years ago.
“It's like being on a pendulum of hope and devastation,” Murphy said at the Virginia’s Missing Person’s Day event on Saturday.
Jill Harrington founded Help Save the Next Girl nine years ago after her daughter, Morgan went missing and was later found murdered.
She said this gathering is a chance for the community to show its support for families of missing people.
“I know that for our family, our survival was the outpouring of love from the community,” Harrington said.
Those searching for a missing loved one got to share their struggles, talk one-on-one with forensic professionals, and update photographs of their missing family member.
“It really means everything to be in the presence of other people who have gone through it,” Murphy said.
Harrington put a tree memorial on display in honor of the 630 children and adults reported missing in Virginia.
“We are hoping to be able to provide some matches and bring resolution and closure for some families,” Harrington said.
If you have a missing person in your family, Officer David Morris of the Roanoke City Police Department encourages you to keep an open line of communication with the investigators.