Family Of Lisa Stebic, Who's Been Missing For 10 Years, Still Without Answers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- It was April 30, 2007 when a Plainfield mother of two was reported missing by her estranged husband after she failed to return from a workout. There's been no sign of Lisa Stebic since.
"We can't believe it's been ten years," said Melanie Greenberg, Lisa's cousin. "It's a big anniversary and the problem for our family is that the pain is still so fresh. It's extremely hard for Lisa's immediately family, her sisters and her mother to cope with the fact that there is no justice, there's been no closure and there's no resolution of this case."
Stebic's purse and cell phone were missing, but her car remained parked in the driveway of the house. Her credit cards and phone have not been used since her disappearance. WBBM's Lisa Fielding reports.
Greenberg said they know she is likely dead, but with each year that passes, they continue to be without closure.
"Especially these anniversary dates, but just any holiday or family gathering, there's a missing person at that table. There's someone missing and we don't have a relationship with Lisa's children anymore so that makes it even more difficult," she said.
Stebic's family continues to maintain a website, www.findlisastebic.net, dedicated to locating her. There's also a $75,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to discovering her whereabouts.
"The police have a new term for it. It's not a cold case, it's a stagnate case. It's extremely rare to be a prosecution without a body. We know she is dead, we know she is a victim of foul play, but our case is different than the Peterson case because Stacy Peterson was never found, but Drew Peterson was able to be prosecuted in his third wife because there was a body."
Greenberg said there will be no public memorial, but her family will take the time to remember her as they do every day, and every year that passes.
"We've never been able to have a funeral. We don't have a grave to visit. We haven't been able to mourn or respect her death in the proper way. There are only unanswered questions, no closure for our family. We don't know what happened to Lisa," said Greenberg. "It does help us keep her name alive. She is not forgotten in our hearts, but the wider community was interested in her case then years ago. I'm sure plenty are wondering why there isn't justice, why hasn't she been found? Why hasn't someone been called to account for what we assume his her murder?"
Greenberg said they always hold out hope that there will be an answer, someday.
"There's always a glimmer of hope that there can be resolution in the future. It's very difficult when I talk to Lisa's grandmother, who's 96, and cries to me on the phone. I don't know if there will ever be an answer while she's living. It's been ten years. I don't know how many more years it will be until we get answers," she said.
Lisa's husband Craig Stebic was a person of interest, but was never charged.
