Tiffany Sessions, 19, 2-9-89 Gainesville, FL

[annalyzer]

http://cbs4.com/local/Tiffany.Sessions.Missing.2.930450.html

Feb 9, 2009 10:43 am US/Eastern

20 Years Later: The Search For Tiffany Sessions

Tiffany Sessions Disappeared Feb. 9, 1989
She Was A Junior At The University Of Florida
Cold Case Investigators Continue To Work The Case

http://llnw.image.cbslocal.com/31/2009/02/09/175x131/tiffany.jpg
Tiffany's photo is shown age progressed to 39 years. She was last seen jogging on February 9, 1989 in Gainesville, Florida.
National Center For Missing and Exploited Children

GAINESVILLE (CBS4) ― During the winter of 1989, at the University of Florida in Gainesville, a young woman left her apartment to go for an early evening jog but she never returned. Her name was Tiffany Sessions and she disappeared without a trace twenty years ago today. To mark the 20-year anniversary of the case, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office is holding a news conference.

Sessions' father, a Miami real estate developer-turned missing children advocate, Patrick Sessions told CBS4 News partner The Miami Herald that police are expected to reveal new tips in the case; one from a man in jail, who Sessions said had information that would be hard to come by without "some exposure to the case," stated the Herald.

Tiffany, who would now be 40, disappeared on February 9, 1989. When she left for her jog, she was carrying a black Sony Walkman, but had left her keys, wallet, and identification at home. For days, crews searched the area looking for clues but came up empty. There was no sign of a struggle, no Walkman, no evidence, not anything. More than 2-thousand leads have been investigated over the years but still nothing but conflicting stories and unsubstantiated theories.

Patrick Sessions has never given up the search for his daughter, who was 19 years old the last time he saw her. In his never-ending search for Tiffany, Patrick has launched the "Official Tiffany Sessions" Web site on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance.

Visitors to the web site can leave tips for investigators, learn more about Tiffany's disappearance and the site also acts as a resource for other parents and friends coping with the disappearance of a loved one by providing phone numbers and links to missing persons organizations.

There's also a reminder about the $25,000 reward being offered by the Sessions family for information leading to the remains of Tiffany and the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her abduction.

[annalyzer]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/894835.html

New leads pursued in Tiffany Sessions case

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2009/02/09/08/14-0209sessions.embedded.prod_affiliate.56.jpg
Tiffany Sessions disappeared while jogging 20 years ago in Gainesville.

The 20th anniversary of UF student Tiffany Sessions' disappearance will be noted Monday with a news conference announcing new leads.

Posted on Monday, 02.09.09

GAINESVILLE ~ On Monday, 20 years since University of Florida student Tiffany Sessions disappeared, the Alachua County Sheriff's Office will announce new leads.

Sessions' father, Patrick Sessions, who lives in Miami, said he had not been fully briefed on the leads, which will be discussed at a 10 a.m. news conference, but that they were more solid than others pursued since 1989. Still, he told The Miami Herald he does not expect to find out exactly what happened to her.

One of the new tips is from a man in jail, who Sessions said had information that would be hard to come by without ``some exposure to the case.''

Sessions said he does not expect to find Tiffany alive. He just wants closure.

Tiffany, who would now be 40, left her Gainesville apartment for an evening jog and never returned. During the first week she was missing, her father was joined by a 1,000-person search party.

'You never know when somebody who has moved to Washington state, has totally forgotten about Tiffany, reads about it again and says, `You know, I should've called the cops because there was this guy that was really weird and I should've told them,' '' Sessions said.

The fact that the investigation has continued, he said, is ``encouraging because at some point a case gets stale and people have done all they can do.''

To remind people of Tiffany, Sessions also launched a website, www.tiffanyses sions.com, to make it easier for anyone with information to come forward.

He said he hoped the reminder about the $25,000 reward for information leading to the remains or abductors would bring forth something useful soon.

''It's a terrible anniversary to go by,'' said Sessions, 62. ``Twenty years and we don't know what happened to her. . . . I'd like some closure to find out what happened to Tiffany, and I don't have any reason to believe whoever did it still isn't out there.''

[annalyzer]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/18672439/detail.html

20 Years Later, Search Continues For Missing UF Coed

POSTED: Monday, February 9, 2009
UPDATED: 11:02 am EST February 9, 2009

http://www.news4jax.com/2009/0209/18672517_240X228.jpg
Tiffany Sessions

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- When missing person Tiffany Sessions disappeared from Gainesville without a trace 20 years ago, there was no Amber Alert, no Web sites displaying pictures of missing kids, and no social media to spread the word across the country with a few keystrokes.

Tiffany Sessions is still missing, her case is still open, and her father -- Miami-based real estate developer-turned missing-children advocate Patrick Sessions -- is leveraging social media tools to help police find missing children and especially the daughter he last saw when she was 19-year-old student at the University of Florida.

Tiffany, who would now be 40, went out for a job on the evening of Feb. 9, 1989 and never returned. Her father was joined by 1,000 people in a search the first week after she disappeared.

Refusing to give up on his daughter, Sessions is launching the Official Tiffany Sessions Web site, and investigators said they have developed new leads.

"This is still a viable case with several new leads being developed and explored," said Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, who was Gainesville Police Department's public spokesperson when the UF coed disappeared in 1989. "This 20-year anniversary of Tiffany's disappearance is a time to remember and recommit ourselves to resolving as many unsolved missing persons and murder cases as possible."

A $25,000 reward is being offered by the Sessions family for information leading to the remains of Tiffany Sessions and the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her abduction.

"There was no Facebook when Tiffany was in college. No cell phones to trace her whereabouts. No MySpace pages to investigate," Sessions said. "I am launching this Web site in hopes that someone out there knows where Tiffany is or can offer new leads that will help us find her. We believe social media can play a vital role in finding missing children everywhere, including Tiffany."

In addition to serving as a vital resource for Tiffany's case, the Web site will also act as a resource for other parents and friends coping with the disappearance of a loved one by providing phone numbers and links to missing persons organizations.

Session, Darnell and others are gathering at a news conference in Gainesville on Monday. This story will be updated after that event and there'll be complete coverage on the local station beginning at 5 p.m.

(video at link)

[annalyzer]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/895586.html

Police take fresh look at leads in Tiffany Sessions case

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2009/02/09/08/14-0209sessions.embedded.prod_affiliate.56.jpg
Tiffany Sessions disappeared while jogging 20 years ago in Gainesville.

Posted on Monday, 02.09.09

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office, which recently took over the cold case of missing UF student Tiffany Sessions, said Monday they are taking a fresh look at information from the 20-year-old case.

After a Monday new conference marking the 20-year-anniversary of Sessions' disappearance, Sheriff Sadie Darnell said since the agency took charge of the investigation again in 2007, they are pursuing two leads reporting suspicious persons in Gainesville.

One lead reports a suspicious person and a vehicle description. The other reports a suspicious person who lived near Sessions' apartment.

''So that's promising,'' Darnell said.

Darnell said the leads were recently discovered by detectives in the sheriff's office cold case unit as not having been completely looked into.

Tiffany, who would now be 40, left her Gainesville apartment between Williston Road and Archer Road for an evening jog and never returned. That was in 1989.

One of the recent tips came from someone in jail.

The missing girl's case was printed in 2007 in the first issuance of cold case playing cards to jails. The regular deck of cards features information and pictures of missing people with an 800 number to call, in hopes that it will remind inmates of information they may have heard.

The recent leads are still not complete and the sheriff's office needs more information.

''We're asking people . . . to revisit back in time and see if there's anything they remember from that time,'' Darnell said. ``Call it in. However dated it is.''

[Faith]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hunkjq6AXWI&eurl=http://tiffanysessions.com/&feature=player_embedded

[Faith]

Tiffany Sessions (http://tiffanysessions.com/category/tiffany-sessions/)

Message from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (http://tiffanysessions.com/2009/01/30/message-from-alachua-county-sheriffs-office-sadie-darnell/)

Posted on 30 January 2009
An intense amount of work has been done in the last two years on the Tiffany Session’s case by the Alachua County Sheriff Office’s Cold Case Unit.
“It is still a viable case with several new leads being developed and explored by members of the Unit. This twenty year anniversary of Tiffany’s disappearance is a time to remember and recommit ourselves to resolving as many unsolved missing persons and murder cases as possible.
It is my hope that our efforts in this case, in addition to solving a crime, will bring a measure of comfort to the Session’s family. We hope our dedication to this case will honor the tragedy they continue to endure and some day give them answers to the haunting questions about their loved one’s place or demise. Tiffany remains forever young and forever a constant reminder to our community of the love and support of a family during her life and in her absence.
We remain steadfast partners with her family in solving this case.”
Sheriff Sadie Darnell




http://tiffanysessions.com/

(http://tiffanysessions.com/2009/01/30/message-from-alachua-county-sheriffs-office-sadie-darnell/#respond)

[annalyzer]

http://www.wflxfox29.com/Global/story.asp?S=9814409&nav=menu98_3

Cold case unit investigates missing female jogger


Associated Press - February 9, 2009 4:44 PM ET

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Cold case detectives are pouring over 3,000 leads in the case of a University of Florida student who disappeared while jogging in 1989.

The Alachua County Sheriff's office updated the case Monday, 20 years after Tiffany Sessions disappeared. Since 2007, cold case detectives have been flying across the country following up leads and interviewing possible witnesses. Two leads involve suspicious persons in the area the night Sessions disappeared.

Lt. Stephen Maynard didn't want to give false hope about the leads, saying authorities are still waiting for a break in the case.

Sessions family is offering a $25,000 reward and launched a Web site dedicated to finding her.

Patrick Sessions pleaded for tips from the public, "I really need your help."


On the net:http://tiffanysessions.com/

[packy]

It would be so good if they could get new tips and we never know when or where they will come up.

[sarahhod]

Posted on Tuesday, 02.10.09

GAINESVILLE

Sheriff says leads in Tiffany Sessions case are `promising'

BY ILEANA MORALES

The Alachua County Sheriff's Office, which recently took over the 20-year-old case of missing University of Florida student Tiffany Sessions, said Monday they are taking a fresh look at information in the case.
After a news conference marking the 20th anniversary of Sessions' disappearance, Sheriff Sadie Darnell said that her agency, which took charge of the investigation again in 2007, is pursuing two leads involving suspicious people in Gainesville.
One involves a suspicious person and a vehicle description. The other is about someone who lived near Sessions' apartment.
''So, that's promising,'' Darnell said.
The sheriff said the leads were recently discovered by detectives in the sheriff's office cold-case unit as not having been completely investigated.
Tiffany, who would now be 40, left her Gainesville apartment for an evening jog and never returned. That was in 1989.
One of the recent tips came from someone in jail.
The missing woman's case was used in 2007 in the first issuance of cold-case playing cards to jails. The regular deck of cards features information and pictures of missing people with an 800 number, in hopes that it will remind inmates of information they may have heard.
The recent leads are still not complete and the sheriff's office needs more information, the sheriff said.
''We're asking people . . . to revisit back in time and see if there's anything they remember from that time,'' Darnell said. ``Call it in. However dated it is.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/896383.html

[sarahhod]

20 Years Later, Search Continues For Missing UF Coed

http://images.ibsys.com/2009/0209//18672517_200X190.jpg

WJXT-TV
updated 5:56 p.m. ET Feb. 10, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - When missing person Tiffany Sessions disappeared from Gainesville without a trace 20 years ago, there was no Amber Alert, no Web sites displaying pictures of missing kids, and no social media to spread the word across the country with a few keystrokes.
Tiffany Sessions is still missing, her case is still open, and her father -- Miami-based real estate developer-turned missing-children advocate Patrick Sessions -- is leveraging social media tools to help police find missing children and especially the daughter he last saw when she was 19-year-old student at the University of Florida.
Tiffany, who would now be 40, went out for a jog on the evening of Feb. 9, 1989 and never returned. Her father was joined by 1,000 people in a search the first week after she disappeared.
Refusing to give up on his daughter, Sessions is launching the Official Tiffany Sessions Web site (http://tiffanysessions.com/), and investigators said they have developed new leads.
"This is still a viable case with several new leads being developed and explored," said Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, who was Gainesville Police Department's public spokesperson when the UF coed disappeared in 1989. "This 20-year anniversary of Tiffany's disappearance is a time to remember and recommit ourselves to resolving as many unsolved missing persons and murder cases as possible."

A $25,000 reward is being offered by the Sessions family for information leading to the remains of Tiffany Sessions and the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her abduction.
"There was no Facebook when Tiffany was in college. No cell phones to trace her whereabouts. No MySpace pages to investigate," Sessions said. "I am launching this Web site in hopes that someone out there knows where Tiffany is or can offer new leads that will help us find her. We believe social media can play a vital role in finding missing children everywhere, including Tiffany."
In addition to serving as a vital resource for Tiffany's case, the Web site will also act as a resource for other parents and friends coping with the disappearance of a loved one by providing phone numbers and links to missing persons organizations.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29100526/

[sarahhod]

20th anniversary of the disappearance of Tiffany Sessions (http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/2009/02/20th_anniversary_of_the_disapp.php)

Posted on: February 9, 2009 4:02 PM, by Abel Pharmboy (http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig)
http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/age%20progressed.jpgTwenty years ago, University of Florida junior, Tiffany Sessions, disappeared (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/spotlight/news-article.aspx?storyid=81135) from her townhouse complex in Gainesville, Florida. What happened to her remains a mystery today.
The photo to the left shows Ms Sessions on the left as she appeared in 1989 with the photo on the right age progressed to how she would've appeared last year.
Please accept my apologies in advance for those put off by yet another bit of disproportionate public attention given to the fate of a pretty blonde young woman gone missing. While a graduate student, I lived for two years in the same complex as Tiffany up until five weeks before she disappeared. Along with a few dozen other UF students, we shared the same running route that bordered the pasture of the university's agricultural institute, out to Williston Rd., and then near the I-75 interchange. Some thought that she was abducted (http://tiffanysessions.org/) somewhere along her run, particularly with the proximity to this major north-south interstate, but others say she was last seen talking with someone in a car in the complex parking lot.

Her mother, Hilary Sessions, ha[s] viewed more than 170 dead bodies in the 240 months (and unfortunately, still counting) since she disappeared. [source (http://mylifeofcrime.wordpress.com/2007/05/01/update-tiffany-sessions-disappearance-new-information/)]
Her father, Patrick Sessions, last week launched a website and blog (http://tiffanysessions.com/) dedicated to collecting news stories and clues about the missing woman, who would now be 40 years old. This morning at 10 a.m. EST, the Alachua Country Sheriff's Office was to have held a news conference (http://cbs4.com/local/Tiffany.Sessions.Missing.2.930450.html) potentially releasing information on a new lead in the case.
When this blogger thinks of all he has done over the last 20 years, including becoming the father of a priceless daughter, he feels a tremendous sense of loss for Tiffany's family - for what Tiffany was to them and what she would have become. Several other UF families have experienced the loss of their children but none have had to live with two decades of uncertainty (http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=60023).
We still remember. And we wish for Tiffany's family closure and much peace.
From Patrick Sessions:"I'm hoping that you all will think about this and if you were in the Gainesville area or have any information about what happened to Tiffany, or if any of your friend's do, to please go to the links on the site and let the appropriate people know," Sessions said. "I really need your help and I really appreciate if you could pass this on. We can use social media to help solve this case and bring hope to many parents with missing children."Deputies are asking anyone with information about this incident or any other missing persons orhomicide case to call Detective Bob Dean at the Alachua County Sheriff's Office at (352) 367-4161. Callers can also remain anonymous and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest by calling Crime Stoppers at 372-STOP (7867). For those that prefer the internet, anonymous tips may be left on the web site at http://www.alachuasheriff.org (http://www.alachuasheriff.org/).
ALACHUA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
SADIE DARNELL, SHERIFF
P.O.BOX 1210 GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA 32602
OFFICE (352) 367-4050 - FAX (352) 374-1816

[nanabillie]

This poor Mother viewing over 170 bodies to try and identify her own daughter. I don't see how she does it. God bless her and let them find what happened to Tiffany.

[Faith]

College student went for a run, never came back



NEW YORK (CNN) -- Tiffany Sessions was a 20-year-old junior studying economics at the University of Florida in Gainesville when she decided to go out for a run. She never came back.


Sessions left her off-campus apartment about 6 p.m. February 9, 1989. She told her roommate she'd be back shortly and took her Walkman with her.

It was the last time anyone would see her.

That was 20 years ago, a time when no one had cell phones, Blackberries or Web sites to aid in tracking a missing or abducted person.

The only clues came from people who recalled seeing a young woman fitting Sessions' description walking down the main street just before dusk.

Sessions' jogging route usually took her down Gainesville's main street to a small dirt trail that cut through the woods. The loop was 1½ miles each way and took her about an hour.

Police and family believe that she was abducted near the woods. After extensive searches, no clues were found: not her remains, not her Walkman, not the clothes she was wearing.

"Much of the area in the last decade has been paved over, with new construction, making a search today very difficult," said Detective Bob Dean of the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. However, investigators are still searching and working this case actively.

Searchers were out as recently as late December, seeking clues with newer technologies.

"We have used ground sonar equipment, even," Dean said.

Over the years, there have been some possible suspects -- people who came forward and confessed -- but police have ruled them out as credible suspects.

One potential suspect was a man who was in jail for killing a 5-year-old girl. He'd written a letter to police, claiming he was responsible for Tiffany Sessions' disappearance.

But when questioned later by police, he denied writing the letter, even though handwriting analysis indicated that he had.

"Although police don't think so, I still believe this guy could have something to do with my daughter's disappearance," said Patrick Sessions, Tiffany's father.

According to Patrick Sessions, who has been closely involved with the police investigating his daughter's case, the man who confessed was a sex offender who had been released just a month and a half before Tiffany Sessions disappeared.

The cold case unit of the Alachua County Sheriff's Office has taken over this case. Patrick Sessions observed the 20th anniversary of his daughter's disappearance by making renewed appeals through the media.

Police and family urge anyone with more information about Tiffany Sessions or information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for her disappearance to call the tip line at 352-367-4161.

A $25,000 reward is offered.

Tiffany Sessions was last seen wearing red sweatpants, a white sweatshirt with the word "Aspen" on it, a gold Rolex watch and a black Sony Walkman. She was 5'3" and weighed 125 pounds at the time of her disappearance. She has blonde hair and brown eyes

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/24/grace.coldcase.sessions/

[Faith]

# Story Highlights
# Tiffany Sessions went out for a run February 9, 1989, and disappeared
# She was jogging in Gainesville, Florida, where she attended college
# Police never found a trace of her; woods have been paved over
# Have a tip? Call 352-367-4161. A $25,000 reward is offered

[texanne]

This just reminds me how thankful I am for the smart minds that came up with all the technology that helps us track and find the missing now.....plus DNA technology. All this has served to at least give a family closure in these long missing cases. I pray this girl's family will find that peace. Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone were to recognize the age progression photo?

[Faith]

Hope, help fade for the missing

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/media/photo/2009-07/48204816.jpg
On the outskirts of Gainesville in 1989, search team members check a map. Tiffany Sessions has never been found. (Orlando Sentinel / July 21, 2009)

Cases grab the spotlight, but resources for finding missing children and adults dry up and fade away as money and interest wane.

Long before Caylee Marie Anthony, Jennifer Kesse and Jessica Lunsford became household names in Central Florida, 20-year-old Tiffany Sessions walked out of her apartment near the University of Florida and never returned.

Like the more recent disappearances, Sessions' case made national headlines. Hundreds of people volunteered to help find her.

Eventually, Sessions' relatives became advocates for missing persons. Her mother even directed a nonprofit dedicated to the issue.

But earlier this year — a month after the 20th anniversary of Sessions' disappearance — that organization folded because of a lack of money.

"It's heartbreaking I couldn't keep the charity alive," Hilary Sessions said. "It's disheartening that we are not going to be able to help all of these families who really depended upon us."

Sessions' group — Child Protection Education of America — isn't the only such Florida organization to disband.

The Central Florida-based Missing Children Center also closed recently.

If these long-standing groups can't survive, what's to come of the other missing-persons organizations in Florida, where nearly 47,000 children were reported missing last year?

Police work with some groups

When Tiffany Sessions disappeared, only one Florida group, now defunct, would take on her case because she wasn't a child. Even the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children — co-founded several years earlier by John Walsh, whose 6-year-old son, Adam, was abducted from a South Florida mall — wouldn't help.

Today, a year after Caylee Anthony was reported missing, missing-persons organizations large and small serve in a variety of ways. Some distribute fliers, launch ground searches or lend a listening ear. Others focus on prevention efforts.

Caylee's case brought Texas EquuSearch and Kid Finders Network to Orlando. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement works closely with A Child is Missing, a South Florida-based group whose key function is to deliver phone alerts about missing people.

Orlando-based Child Watch of North America helped organize a search for Kesse, who was 24 when she was abducted from her Orlando condo Jan. 24, 2006.

Orlando police Sgt. Barbara Jones said that was the first time OPD worked with Child Watch. She commended the group for its work on that case.

Law-enforcement officials say the services some missing-persons organizations provide are beneficial because exposure is key.

But investigators cautioned that not all missing-children's organizations are created equal.

Some are legit and provide valuable assistance to families and law-enforcement. Other groups or people, however, may have intentions other than simply finding a missing person.

It's unclear exactly how many organizations exist in Florida that are devoted to missing-person's issues.

The Association of Missing and Exploited Childrens Organizations — made up of nonprofits in the United States and Canada that provide services to families with missing and exploited children — has strict requirements before allowing membership. Among them is being in continuous operation for the previous two years.

Only two Florida nonprofits are AMECO members: A Child is Missing and the Jimmy Ryce Center for Victims of Predatory Abduction.

Fundraising proves difficult

Times are tough for many nonprofits of all missions, said Maria-Elena Augustin, programs coordinator for the Center for Public and Nonprofit Management at UCF.

To thrive during tough times, nonprofits should make sure their services are not only focused, but vital.

"Not just [a mission] that you believe in, but [one] your community believes in," Augustin said.

And that can be difficult for missing-children's organizations.

"The missing-children's issue is not a very jazzy issue," said Sessions, whose group worked on more than 450 cases. "People only come to an organization like this when they have a missing child."

A variety of challenges make it difficult for these groups to thrive. Fundraising is hard because the subject is negative, Sessions said.

"It's a lot easier to fund-raise for a pet that's been abused by an owner ... because you feel sorry for that pet. But you forget these are our children, and we need to take care of them," she said.

Current cases also influence public sentiment. Sessions said Casey Anthony's indictment on a first-degree-murder charge in the death of her toddler daughter doesn't translate well for missing-persons groups.

There are other more basic challenges.

Founding members of some groups, thrust forward by emotion and often well-intended, don't have the business acumen necessary to run a nonprofit, said Sherry Friedlander, executive director of A Child is Missing.

"They'll set up a foundation ..., and the money is generally wasted," she said.

Anthony case made impact

Sherri and Dennis Milstead, founders of Kid Finders Network, learned it first-hand. After the Milsteads volunteered in Caylee's case and featured her photo on their mobile billboard, the couple received harsh criticism.

"We took such a beating from the case in Orlando, it really put a hurting on us," Sherri Milstead said. "We're still being trashed over it."

Today the Milsteads' billboards are parked. Kid Finders, she said, doesn't have any money.

What should they do?


B.J. Jimenez, whose nephew Zachary Bernhardt disappeared from his Clearwater home nearly nine years ago, said organizations like hers — the A-Z Missing Children's Outreach Center — exist because needs are not being met.

Several months after Caylee was reported missing, her family organized a foundation in her name.

Caylee's grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony, said they launched their nonprofit to help families understand their rights and provide them with information on the resources available to them.

"We basically had to figure out on our own what to do," the Anthonys said via an e-mailed statement. "There is so much going on that they do not know what to do or who to trust. We had no idea what community resources were available to us, or what our rights were."

The Anthonys' goal is to help families get emotional, financial and spiritual help.

Jimenez said the other reason people launch missing-children's organizations is for the simple fact no one wants his or her child to be forgotten.

Zachary, she said, would no longer be the 8-year-old depicted in original fliers but a 17-year-old youth. She wonders who has seen his age-progressed photo. She wonders who will look for Zachary now.

"If his picture's not out there, how's anybody going to know? ... It doesn't go away with us. We need this. The families and our children, we need this."


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-looking-for-missing-kids-072209,0,928027.story

[Faith]

Mother of daughter missing for 20 years finds renewed hope

Last Update: 7:10 pm

http://wfts.img.entriq.net/img/dp_thumbs/thumb_1251499746231_0p27410708581696535.jpg

VALRICO, FL -- It was 1989 when Tiffany Sessions, a 20-year-old University of Florida student with a smiling face and feathered-blonde hair, was last seen.

Though two decades have passed, Tiffany's mom, Hilary, works everyday to search for missing children like her daughter.

"Make sure that you keep it going," Hilary said. "Because once you give up, the chances of getting your child back are very slim."

Inspiration for Hilary to continue with her work came this week when Jaycee Dugard's story broke out of California: 18 years after she was kidnapped as an 11-year-old girl, police found her alive, saying her captor had two children with her.

Officials say Dugard and the children were kept in a secret backyard shed. The woman has since been reunited with her mother.

"I was totally ecstatic that miracles do happen," Hilary remembered.

For years, Hilary ran Child Protection Education of America, which not only featured her missing child, but even the now-discovered Jaycee Dugard.

Lack of funding caused her to shut down the non-profit, but her ongoing mission for missing children, for finding her "Tiffy", has renewed hope. Maybe she'll eventually meet the woman her daughter has become.

Hilary's hope has only grown.

Tiffany's 41st birthday is coming up in October. Hilary kept her daughter's bedroom just as it was in 1989, with optimism that she'll one day set foot in the room again, seeing it was exactly as it used to be.

"Because you never know when that call's going to come through and I certainly hope that my call comes through."

Even though Hilary's organization has shut down, her website is still up and running. It has plenty of information about missing children. Visit www.find-missing-children.org

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Mother-of-daughter-missing-for-20-years-finds/_m04JYOvu0qQ7ey77A86mw.cspx