Billie Dunn Sits Down with KTAB
By: Lane Stone
Updated: May 5, 2011
The mother of missing Colorado City teenager Hailey Dunn still believes her daughter is alive and will one day come home.
Dunn still can't hold back the tears when she talks about Hailey, 13. It's been nearly five months since she went missing.
"I think somebody came and took my daughter," said Dunn.
Since Hailey disappeared in December 2011, Billie's life has changed dramatically. She's become a public figure and faces harsh criticism through a Facebook movement.
"As if my life isn't horrible enough with my daughter missing, I have to have people making up rumors about me or criticizing anything that I do and it's not fair," Dunn said. "I wish people would look for my girl as hard as they look for me."
Some of her harshest critics question why it appears she hasn't been out looking for Hailey.
"If I knew she was in Europe, I would walk and I would swim to Europe," Dunn said. "I don't know where she is. I'm not going to look for a body ever. I never will go and look in fields or creeks for my girl."
Billie says she contributes to the search in other ways, by talking to the media and handing out flyers. She revealed a new one she's been working on with a national search group.
Billie hasn't worked since Hailey went missing. She says he needs to go back to work, but after her arrest for drug possession in March she's had a hard time finding a job.
"These very minor, insignificant, misdemeanor charges that they filed have been a major cause of the nursing board having some pause in reinstating her license," explained John Young, Dunn's attorney. "We are defending those charges vigorously."
Meanwhile, Billie says she holds on to hope and is comforted by daily reminders of her missing daughter.
"Just a week ago I pulled into my carport and saw where she wrote in marker on a beam, 'I love my family'," explained Dunn. "She wrote on my mirror 'I love you, Mom'. Things like that make me feel really good."
Billie says she's is still in touch with her former live-in boyfriend, Shawn Adkins. He's the only named suspect in the case. Billie says she does not believe Adkins had anything to do with Haley's disappearance.
Dunn still can't hold back the tears when she talks about Hailey, 13. It's been nearly five months since she went missing.
"I think somebody came and took my daughter," said Dunn.
Since Hailey disappeared in December 2011, Billie's life has changed dramatically. She's become a public figure and faces harsh criticism through a Facebook movement.
"As if my life isn't horrible enough with my daughter missing, I have to have people making up rumors about me or criticizing anything that I do and it's not fair," Dunn said. "I wish people would look for my girl as hard as they look for me."
Some of her harshest critics question why it appears she hasn't been out looking for Hailey.
"If I knew she was in Europe, I would walk and I would swim to Europe," Dunn said. "I don't know where she is. I'm not going to look for a body ever. I never will go and look in fields or creeks for my girl."
Billie says she contributes to the search in other ways, by talking to the media and handing out flyers. She revealed a new one she's been working on with a national search group.
Billie hasn't worked since Hailey went missing. She says he needs to go back to work, but after her arrest for drug possession in March she's had a hard time finding a job.
"These very minor, insignificant, misdemeanor charges that they filed have been a major cause of the nursing board having some pause in reinstating her license," explained John Young, Dunn's attorney. "We are defending those charges vigorously."
Meanwhile, Billie says she holds on to hope and is comforted by daily reminders of her missing daughter.
"Just a week ago I pulled into my carport and saw where she wrote in marker on a beam, 'I love my family'," explained Dunn. "She wrote on my mirror 'I love you, Mom'. Things like that make me feel really good."
Billie says she's is still in touch with her former live-in boyfriend, Shawn Adkins. He's the only named suspect in the case. Billie says she does not believe Adkins had anything to do with Haley's disappearance.
