LIBERTY, Mo. — It’s been two years of waiting for answers, but the family of Desirea Ferris hasn’t given up hope. Instead, they are asking anyone with information to come forward and bring the missing girl home.
There have been no breaks in the case, and no suspects specifically named in her disappearance. FOX4’s Sherae Honeycutt spoke with her mother, Patti Tam, about how she’s not sure if she can keep going without answers.
“I just want her home no matter what,” Tam said. “Whether she’s walking through those doors on her own two feet, or I’m carrying her, she’s coming home.”
Eighteen-year-old Desirea Ferris left a card for her mom’s birthday on her bed the first of May two years ago. A day each year she no longer considers her birthday, but a reminder of the last time she saw her daughter.
“To me there’s nothing happy about it anymore,” Tam said. “That was the last time that I saw her.”
Tam marks each day on a calendar in her kitchen hoping one day she won’t have to count them anymore.
“I don’t think I can make it through another year without her home,” Tam said. “I need her home. It takes everything I have just to get up out of bed, and just to function through the day.”
She says someone knows where her daughter is, and is begging them to come forward.
“The thought that I’ll never get to hear her say, ‘I love you mom,’ or hear her laugh, see her smile, see her big brown eyes it destroys me,” Tam said.
This year Desirea got national attention with an article in People Magazine. Her story was featured along with others of missing people across the nation. One being Pearl Pinson, a young woman from Tam’s hometown of Vallejo, Ca., who was abducted as she walked to her school bus nearly a year before Ferris went missing. Tam says she’s been in communication with Pinson’s family, and shares their pain.
Tam says each time remains are found she has hope Desi is found, but her heart sinks. Tam says when she knows it’s not her child, she knows another family lost theirs.
“It’s like you’re walking on eggshells,” Tam said. “You never know if you’re going to get the call or someone’s going to be knocking on your door. No matter what it’s still somebody’s child. No matter whether it’s Desirea or not, it’s somebody’s child, some family is going to get some horrible news.”
She says if someone would just come forward they could bring her daughter home.
“There’s people out there that knows where she’s at, but they won’t speak up. Whether they’re afraid, or just too – I don’t know. But, I know there’s people out there that know. They’ve had 731 days to speak up.”
There is a $12,500 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Desirea’s case. If you have any information on what happened to her you’re asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474- TIPS. You can remain anonymous.