Category Archives: Find Sierra Search Center

Sierra LaMar: Anatomy of a Search Day 59

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Wherever I go and whatever I do things and events are in a constant state of change. Hopefully they are evolving, growing and getting better. Sometimes they are in decline or seemingly dormant, but even majestic mountains and ancient glaciers change with the season and over the ages. However, when I am at the Sierra Search Center progress seems to be stuck in time. The faces of the volunteers are the same, although they may reflect heightened levels of grim determination. The search assignments become redundant although the lush green hills that were searched in April now glimmer golden in the sun.

 

This case is getting inside people’s heads. As improbable as it may seem, they dream about Sierra returning home, even walking through the big double doors of the Search Center. They struggle with their own emotional well-being as a child that most of them have never met is somewhere out there. They feel guilty that her best possible scenario has her distressed, hopeless and afraid. Some volunteers have taken to dark moods; some to drink. However, there are no social services available to these good men and women, so they put their heads down and try to move inexorably forward.

 

The arrest of Garcia-Torres, the punk who victimized her, had a positive vibe despite the Sheriff’s contention that she was dead. It reenergized Sierra’s troops, suggested new search sites, and seemingly brought us that much closer to the truth.  However, that was 10-days ago and nothing further has happened. That’s the nature of professional criminals. They know how to work the system; when to talk and when to keep their mouths shut. In other words, if it isn’t self-serving there is no reason to talk. If Sierra is alive and under his control, then it must be assumed that she has been alone since his arrest which means that she is hungry.  we still don’t know where the vivacious 15-year-old cheerleader is.

 

People who are not already invested in this case are avoiding it like the plague. We got our first taste at a Giants game about a month ago. As volunteers were handing out flyers at the ticket gate, they were being blown off by fans who said, “Why bother she’s dead,” or “I’ve got no time for this.” Even now, as saturated as this case has become in this community, there are still those who profess to know nothing about it. They must live under rocks.

 

By 10:00 a.m., more than 80-volunteers have been dispatched to search for Sierra. Somebody dropped off breakfast burritos, and as always the kitchen ladies have laid out a spread of bagels and other pastries, loaded with carbs, to provide the energy burst that is so needed in these dog days.

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Sierra LaMar: Anatomy of a Search Day 20

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Milestones

By Krystine Dinh

Sierra’s search center was buzzing.

Today was productive. Though it has almost been a month since Sierra’s disappearance, over 300 volunteers came ready to search. Brian, armed with new search assignments, successfully dispatched 34 search teams to Morgan Hill. It was a cold day, but the sun shined bright. If Sierra’s nearby, I thought, at least it isn’t raining.

Today may have been productive, but not easy. The month milestone is approaching in two days. That means 31 days of unanswered prayers. 31 days without Sierra: A month too long.

We are people of milestones. Together, we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, weddings, promotions, graduations. Then there are those who are tied together by milestones of a darker kind – deaths, tragedies, kidnappings, murders, abductions. Dates forever branded in your memory. For Polly’s family:  October 1st. Our family: May 27th. Now, Sierra’s family: March 16th.

At points throughout the day today, I found myself angry – disgusted at the monsters that have imposed those dates upon us. Those days will never just pass by without notice. For Sierra’s family, March 16th will never be just another day.

One reporter said to me, “I heard there were over eight families here who have gone through a similar situation. Can you tell me about them?” I was almost paralyzed by that question – where do I start? We are connected by milestones of tragedy – ragged, pained threads that bind us together. Given the choice, we would have much rather lived in ignorance – our families untouched and our loved ones unharmed. But, here we are.

As the month milestone approaches, I pray for all the strength in the world for Marlene, Steve, Danielle, Rick, Ashley, Connie, Keith, Sierra’s cat Chester, and the rest of her family, so they may find solace in each other on Monday the 16th. I pray for persistence and leadership for the volunteers so they may continue their efforts as time continues. I pray for safety for our search teams.

I pray for Sierra – for her life, her warmth and her safety.  I pray that one day we will celebrate another milestone – the day she returns home to her family.

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Sierra LaMar: Anatomy of a Search Day 17

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Most days I lie awake in the wee hours of the morning trying to figure out what happened to Sierra. Was someone familiar with her patterns lying in wait, knowing that she was isolated and vulnerable at 7:15 a.m.? Or, was it a family friend with evil intentions who just happened to be there on the cold, wet and windy morning who offered to drive her to school? If so, is that individual spending time at the search center, and have I shook his hand…repeatedly? It wouldn’t be the first time. In Polly’s case, and this was verified when we did a records check, the killer’s brother in law was lurking around our search center one day. Are any of the volunteers acting out of character? I really have no way of knowing since I have only known them for a couple of weeks. Was it a schoolmate, jealous that the popular new girl was commanding attention meant for her, or perhaps a boy with his own adolescent motivations? I really should try to get some sleep, because without more information we will never know the elusive answer to this very troubling riddle.
 Today the search was managed and organized by the community. I was the only member of KlaasKids who was able to make the drive to Morgan Hill to help out. It was cold and wet, not unlike the day Sierra stepped out of her home four weeks ago and vanished in the mist. Only that’s not what really happened.
 Brian, who emerged as a leader from the beginning is assuming incident commander status. He is briefing new volunteers and assigning search teams to returning volunteers. Roger, Dave, and Ernie are briefing and debriefing the teams. The data entry ladies are organizing the massive amounts of information flowing through the center so that law enforcement will be able to easily analyze the data. The registration ladies keep the flow into the center smooth, steady and organized, and wheelchair bound Keara is keeping the flow of supplies stocked so that no one is wanting. Like heavenly angels the kitchen ladies ensure that everybody has a meal to eat. Like the miracle of the fishes and loaves, the impossible task of feeding large numbers of hungry people with limited inventory, has never run dry. I love these people; these search junkies who are there day after day, because they make my job look easy.
 The temporary debate regarding volunteer burnout was for naught. All in all, 182 searchers were sent out on 15 search parties today. Searches for missing persons, particularly children, are driven much more by a sense of urgency than a probability of volunteer responses. During my first conversation with Sierra’s family I tried to explain that it would take some time to organize those first searches. They were incredulous that we weren’t able to send search parties immediately. That was a difficult conversation for me because I understood exactly what Steve, Marlene and Danielle were feeling: there is no more time to lose. Well, nothing has changed. We are just farther down the road without any idea where Sierra is.
 My experience is that the numbers of volunteers will dwindle over time. That is going to happen regardless of whether searches are scheduled once a week or every day of the week. However, that is a gradual process that has not yet begun. There is still a sense of urgency in the community and I think that we should continue to take advantage of opportunity.
 It is a matter of relativity. In almost every other case that I have worked, and I am sure that the KlaasKids team will back me up on this, 500+ volunteers turning out to search is unprecedented. However, in Sierra’s case it is status quo. It has happened in virtually every search that has been conducted thus far. Should this week or next week’s numbers dwindle to 200 or even 100 volunteers, we still a significant number of people to cover significant real estate. After all, as much as we are trying to find Sierra we are also eliminating areas where she is not.
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Sierra LaMar: Anatomy of a Search – New Beginnings

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The KlaasKids Foundation is organizing more volunteer searches for Sierra LaMar, the 15-year-old missing teenager from Morgan Hill, California, on Saturday, April 7, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PDT, and on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PDT. 
Steve and Danielle LaMar
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and his wife Elizabeth will participate in Saturday’s search, as well as other 49ers players.
 Volunteers are being asked to report to the Find Sierra Search Center, located at Burnett Elementary School at 85 Tilton Road in Morgan Hill.  Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, and must register — with photo identification — at the search center.  “Dress appropriately for the weather, wear long pants and sturdy, covered toe shoes. We need people who can do foot searches as well as individuals who are willing to work in the Find Sierra Search Center. We are also looking for donations of food and office supplies.
Anyone not intending to volunteer with the search for Sierra is highly discouraged from attending, and will be denied access to the site.
Sierra’s Family, The KlaasKids Foundation, The Laura Recovery Center, and Child Quest International would like to thank everyone who has volunteered so far.  The KlaasKids Foundation is continuing to assist law enforcement and the LaMar family with future searches.
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Sierra LaMar: Anatomy of a Search Day 6

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On the Other Side

 

This routine is familiar. I woke up at 6AM, prepared to make a long drive to a search center that promises an even longer day. Media trucks are parked outside, but our family is not the one they’re looking to hound now. A long line forms outside with volunteers eager to help. Most are not familiar faces, but their presence is calming. The emotions that come with every search are difficult for me to comprehend – filled with anxiety, but unbeatable hope, exhaustion but perseverance. But this time, I’m on the other side. I’m a volunteer – one of the many- simply looking to make even an ounce of difference in the effort to bring Sierra home.
 “Whatever it takes”, I tell myself – the same phrase I repeated in my head over and over when Michelle went missing last May.
 The first time I met Sierra’s family, I was speechless. What is there to say that would suffice? They are facing a nightmare every minute of the day; they wake up each morning wondering where Sierra is and every night hoping Sierra is alive, fed, safe, warm, trying to find her way back. And on top of all of that, they have to use whatever brain power they have left to coordinate a national effort to bring Sierra home.  I came to the LaMars’ searches knowing that it has only been six months since I faced the same emotions, fought with the same demons – hoping that I would be strong enough now to help others be strong.
 And now I remember. I remember that searches give you an acute sense of how many compassionate people exist – their hearts big enough to give love to people they have never met.
 It amazes me every time. Today, more than 650 volunteers of all ages to came to Morgan Hill to help search, flier and promote fundraising efforts. 70 search teams were dispatched, extending the search radius to 20 miles from Sierra’s home.  Teenagers helped make signs and tie bows. Restaurants, grocery stores donated large amounts of food and water. The most passionate volunteers found themselves in significant roles within the Search for Sierra – whether that be making phone calls or braving poison oak as searchers.
 At searches, everyone is working toward something much, much bigger than themselves. And despite the ugliness that surrounds Sierra’s disappearance, searches remind you that there remains so much good in the world.
 I am in awe of the community that is pulling together for Sierra. I hope this sends a loud, clear message to the abductors, sex offenders, human traffickers, perpetrators, kidnappers, murderers and rapists – that they will not and cannot take our loved ones without a fight. That, if you take one of ours, we are not staying silent.
 From what I have learned, Sierra is a fighter – always sticking up for her friends, speaking her mind, relentlessly showing her loved ones that she cares for them. So, I pray that her community continues to show up for her the way she would for all of them. Together, we can and will bring Sierra home – whatever it takes.
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Join The Search for Sierra LaMar!

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Sierra LaMar was walking to catch a school bus in Morgan Hill, CA on March 16, 2012 when she disappeared. “It’s like she literally vanished,” said Sierra’s mother Marlene LaMar.

Despite well-coordinated searches by law enforcement, Sierra is still missing. Sierra’s mother has called on the KlaasKids Foundation to organize a community volunteer search. The Friendswood, TX based Laura Recovery Center will assist in the Find Sierra Search effort. The search is also being aided by San Jose, CA based Child Quest International, Inc.

 Brad Dennis, Director of Search Operations for the KlaasKids Foundation has announced that volunteer searches will begin on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 8 a.m.  The Find Sierra Search Center is located at Burnett Elementary Schoolat 85 Tilton Avenue in Morgan Hill, CA.

Individuals who would like to participate in the search for Sierra should check in at the Burnett Elementary School between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27th. Searches will be conducted throughout the week, commencing at 8:00 a.m. daily through and including Sunday, April 1, 2012.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and bring photo identification. “Dress appropriately for the weather, wear long pants and sturdy, covered toe shoes. We need people who can do foot searches as well as individuals who are willing to work in the search center,” explained Dennis.  “We are also looking for donations of bottled water and office supplies.”

For more information about the search or information on how you can donate supplies, volunteers can call Tricia Griffiths at (801) 560-1933, or email info@klaaskids.org.

The KlaasKids Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) (3) public benefit corporation determined to stop crimes against children and assists families of missing children. Please visit www.klaaskids.org for more information. 
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