Friends Mourn Possible Loss, But Continue To Hope
By: Brendaliss Gonzalez
Updated: September 26, 2012
The body found in Coleman County on September 24 has not yet been positively identified and Brownwood police say they have nothing more to say about the remains being those of a missing Brownwood woman.
Many of Michele Reiter's friends are beginning the process of coping but are still holding hope.
Putting on a smile just might be one of the most difficult things she's had to do.
"Looking for her, not knowing if she suffered out there wherever she was," said Jacquelyn Carnes, a friend of Reiters for more than a year.
Just yesterday Carnes found out her friend whose been missing for more than two weeks may have been found, but not alive.
"That's the only thing that I was worried about," she said, "I didn't want her to suffer, I didn't want her laying in a field somewhere hurt."
She along with many other of Reiter's friends have been searching all over Brownwood for any kind of answers.
Except, this was an answer they didn't want to hear.
"It's a shock, I cant believe it would happen to someone like her, more less anybody else, but, I mean so close to home," said Carnes.
It seems to have brought up more questions than anything else.
"I don't understand why, why, this shouldn't have to happen to anybody," said Kendra Franke, who previously worked with Reiter and knew her for more than three years.
Officials say they're still waiting for the autopsy results to determine whether that body found is indeed Reiters, until then, many of these signs around Brownwood store fronts aren't coming down.
"I can't take it down. I don't know if its just cause it has her face on it and the autopsy hasn't come back yet, so there is that still me wanting to say, okay, it's not her," said Franke who hasn't taken down the missing persons poster from the store she works at in downtown Brownwood.
Those uncertainties are a glimmer of hope for Carnes.
"I mean, I can just hear her talking to me telling me that everything's going to be okay," she said.
And hope is really all Carnes can do to help keep up that smile.
Police say they have a lead in the investigation but are releasing few details.
Many of Michele Reiter's friends are beginning the process of coping but are still holding hope.
Putting on a smile just might be one of the most difficult things she's had to do.
"Looking for her, not knowing if she suffered out there wherever she was," said Jacquelyn Carnes, a friend of Reiters for more than a year.
Just yesterday Carnes found out her friend whose been missing for more than two weeks may have been found, but not alive.
"That's the only thing that I was worried about," she said, "I didn't want her to suffer, I didn't want her laying in a field somewhere hurt."
She along with many other of Reiter's friends have been searching all over Brownwood for any kind of answers.
Except, this was an answer they didn't want to hear.
"It's a shock, I cant believe it would happen to someone like her, more less anybody else, but, I mean so close to home," said Carnes.
It seems to have brought up more questions than anything else.
"I don't understand why, why, this shouldn't have to happen to anybody," said Kendra Franke, who previously worked with Reiter and knew her for more than three years.
Officials say they're still waiting for the autopsy results to determine whether that body found is indeed Reiters, until then, many of these signs around Brownwood store fronts aren't coming down.
"I can't take it down. I don't know if its just cause it has her face on it and the autopsy hasn't come back yet, so there is that still me wanting to say, okay, it's not her," said Franke who hasn't taken down the missing persons poster from the store she works at in downtown Brownwood.
Those uncertainties are a glimmer of hope for Carnes.
"I mean, I can just hear her talking to me telling me that everything's going to be okay," she said.
And hope is really all Carnes can do to help keep up that smile.
Police say they have a lead in the investigation but are releasing few details.
