South Florida families of missing people meet with law enforcement agencies dedicated to finding them
MIAMI — May is dedicated to people who have been reported missing and never found.
South Florida families who underwent the pain had a chance Saturday to meet with law enforcement agencies who work to reunite them with their lost loved ones and even their remains, like David Gonzalez, whose sister disappeared 10 years and is seeking closure.
"My husband's younger sister Noemi Gonzalez has been missing since February 12, 2014," said Liz Gonzalez, who joined her husband David at the event.
The event, which took place at Florida International University, was held by different local law enforcement agencies who work toward solving these cases. They had pictures, sketches, and flyers from years ago, including a large billboard that told the stories of people missing — some of them who hadn't been seen in decades.
"We are committed to that goal — that we reunite families," said Miami-Dade Police Sgt. Carl Geaont.
But now, these agencies are ready to hear from loved ones because the number of unresolved cases is overwhelming.
"We have cases going back to the '50s, cases in the '70s, that could be unidentified at the moment and we're still trying to maintain our efforts of identifying loved ones," said Ernest Louis, who works for the Investigation Bureau Medical Examiner Department of Miami-Dade County.
Officials like Geaont and Louis were very eager to listen, come up with different strategies and discuss how each other works.
"The heartache of not knowing where your loved one is, after all this time and not knowing what has happened to her is terrible, obviously," Liz said.
The Gonzalezes lived in New Jersey while David's sister Noemi was living in North Miami Beach in 2014, the last time they heard from her.
"We miss her every day," Liz said. "She was such part of our family."
"[Noemi] always wanting to do things for her brothers and sisters," David added. "We always wanted to spend time together."
The Gonzalezes eventually moved to South Florida and now support Miami-Dade's Missing and Unidentified Unit. Although this is a reminder of a decade of pain, they continue coming.
"Trying to get closure and trying to find answers as to where my sister might have been," David said.
"The message for people who have missing loved ones would definitely be 'don't give up,'" Liz added. "Because they may not be here, but they need your voice. They need you to speak up for them."
If you have any information on a missing person or if you need to get in contact with the Miami-Dade Police Department and its Special Victims Bureau's Missing Persons Squad, call (305) 715-3300.