The last stop of the day and the last stop in Virginia is being hosted by Virginia State Coordinator Madonna Layne and some of the missing families. We've had stops with Madonna before and I know some of these families but not all. This stop was organized around 5 missing persons from both Virginia and West Virginia. Madonna did a spectacular job organizing, she had a radio station playing music, and face painting. Tents were set up with large banners and tables, poster boards highlighting some of the missing from both Virginia and West Virginia, and a CUE area. Missing Melanie Metheny's parents had a tent set up and were cooking and giving out hot dogs and popcorn that was being popped there.
Today Madonna is wearing two hats, her CUE coordinator hat and her daughter of a missing person hat. I know that must be very difficult and she seemed to do it with ease. Talking about her mom and taking good care of her families all at the same time. Shawn White, another Virginia State Coordinator was also on hand to help.
First the cases I'm familiar with, Annita Price, Melanie Methany and Bethany Decker. Madonna's mom, Annita has been missing for 40 years, since Madonna was a little girl. Annita went missing in 1974 in West Virginia. She was 26 years old at the time. Madonna and her brother were left without a mother to raise and nurture them. I'm not sure how many years I've known Madonna, I admire how well she can communicate her mother's story, her strength and tenacity, her advocacy, and for me her quiet calming presence. Melanie Methany also went missing in West Virginia. In 2006, the 21 year old mother of 3 was last seen dropping her children off at daycare. She was reported missing when she failed to pick them up that evening. 4 days later her abandoned vehicle was found wiped clean of fingerprints. It had been at that location since at least 2:00 on the day of her disappearance. Her parents also have a nonprofit in her name Melanie's Hope (Help Our Pets Endure). Bethany Decker disappeared in Virginia in 2011. The 21 year old mother was 5 months pregnant and was last seen at her apartment. Her car remained parked at the complex. I first met her family last year I believe. Her grandmother, the sweetest woman, told me that when she retires and has time, she's going to volunteer with CUE. I'm hoping after our conversation she does it now and I think she will.
Madonna spoke for the family of Jerry Plaster since he had no relatives at the event. Jerry was 27 in 1988 when he went missing in Virginia. The father of Dwayne "Kiddie" Chick spoke, actually he also spoke in Charlottesville. Dwayne disappeared in Virginia in 2005 at the age of 33. I was drawn to him at both locations and there is one image of him that I took with him holding his son's missing person poster that I find particularly haunting. Although this was the first time I met the family of Missing Samantha Clarke I was already aware of her case from CUE, Samantha went missing at 19 years of age in 2010 in Virginia. She woke her brother before she left her home to tell him she would be back but she never returned. This was the first time her mother got to meet Monica and she was raw with emotion. Monica brought Janeane and I over to speak with her, encourage her to become proactive instead of reactive. She told me that she's been this way since the first day and it's been 4 years. Adding to her predicament is the recent increase in media attention this past year because Samantha's case is linked to the disappearance of Alexis Murphy. There are phone calls on the night she went missing from the perpetrator convicted in Alexis' case. We need to do a better job of putting away evil on the first case so other families don't have to suffer the same plight.
Elisa
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