Colleen Nick, whose daughter went missing in 1995, says the return of three Cleveland women who were reunited with their families after years in captivity, restores her hope that one day her daughter could also come home.
Nick's daughter, Morgan, went missing in June of 1995 from an Alma ball field. Since her disappearance, local law enforcement agencies have been working to bring her home.
Nick, still hoping to find her daughter, said she relies on her faith and on stories of other children found years later to keep her going.
"When we see a story like this with these girls who have been missing for ten years and we see them successfully recovered and successfully reunited with their families, it really reinforces the same message we have consistently said for 18 years: there are children waiting to be recovered," Nick said.
Law enforcement agencies employing detectives full-time to search for missing kids. Detective Kris Deason, with Fort Smith Police, said her goal in these type of cases is to always bring the kids back home.
Deason also said it's important for kids to understand just how serious these types of dangers are.
"You just have to, in general, prepare your kids that yes strangers should not always be trusted," Deason said. "Just because they may know your name or say things like that to you, you have to be very careful. Teach them not to go with someone. They're going to know if they're supposed to go with someone."
Nick said she still concentrates on the day her daughter went missing, hoping to find clues that will bring Morgan home.
"It's time for answers," Nick said. "There are people who know the truth. There are people who see things that don't look right. We can make a difference for kids and bring them home."
Investigators are still continuing to search for answers in Morgan's disappearance.