Sierra LaMar vanished nearly three years ago, but it’s become common knowledge that she was allegedly murdered by Antolin Garcia Torres, even though her body has never been found. Her loved ones have reportedly grown weary with the years-long effort to find her remains, according to The Santa Cruz Sentinel . That’s why they’ve decided to stop the weekly searches that have taken place since her 2012 disappearance. This news has been met with sadness from those who have dedicated their lives to looking for the Morgan Hill cheerleader.
When Sierra vanished she was last seen leaving her home to walk to her school bus stop — a destination to which she never arrived. She was reported missing the same day she disappeared, but many hours after she had missed school, since her parents had not been notified until late in the afternoon.
NBC News shares the timeline in Sierra’s case, which details her case from the morning she disappeared until the arrest of Antolin Garcia Torres (AGT). Over a course of three months in 2012 it became apparent that Sierra was not a runaway, but the victim of a violent kidnapping and murder. Still, she was missing, and the searches for her kept going every single week while the only suspect in her case remained silent.
Sierra’s father Steve LaMar addressed the many volunteers who have helped look for the missing Morgan Hill teen over the past three years. He expressed his sorrow at the fact that she’s still not been found after all this time, while acknowledging that there are no more places for them to logically search.
“It’s hard for us to do this. We’ve kind of become a big family. It’s sad, but we have so much thanks to all the people who have been helping us for the past three years.”
LaMar acknowledged that most of the tips that come in anymore aren’t useful or noteworthy, which has made the search for Sierra go stale. Meanwhile, investigators with Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office have confirmed that they are still looking into the teen’s disappearance and presumed death. Sargent James Jensen acknowledged that it is sad that the volunteer searches are ending, since they’ve been the most active in searching for Sierra all this time .
“We want to thank them for their efforts, and we are still following up on leads that come in.”
Will Sierra LaMar ever be found? It’s hard to see an ending in sight for this case while AGT remains behind bars awaiting trial. He has remained silent since his 2012 arrest, refusing to enter any plea, and refusing to acknowledge the charges against him. Meanwhile, prosecutors must build a case against him without a body.
[Photo: Morgan Hill Times ]
