Faith and prayer is what guided them throughout their search.
The answer however, may not have been one they expected, or wanted.
"It's been really tough, but the community has been so helpful," said Destiny Rivera, Reiter's younger brother who flew in from New York.
Now it's Michele Reiter's image and memories that help her friends and family cope.
Her old work apron bears the signatures of the many co-workers who did their best to find her and bring her home.
It's just not they way they imagined she'd come back.
"Every time I had a bad day I'd go to her, I'd cry, scream and yell," said Jacqueline Carnes, a close friend of Reiter's and former co-worker.
They would all agree the 39 year-old was taken from them much too soon.
None of them had even the chance for for a final goodbye.
She was planning on coming to New York, wow, this week or next," said Rivera.
The memorial service was held at Riverside park, one of Reiter's favorite spots in Brownwood.
It's also one of the last places where she was seen.
She may have been found, but her case isn't over just yet.
"We want the person who's responsible to be brought to justice and I think that's definitely going to happen," said Rivera.
Now they're left with a mixture of emotions as they begin to accept the reality that shes never come back and hope for justice.
"A lot of anger going through, not towards her, but to the person that did this," said Kendra Franke, a friend of Reiter's for more than three years.
It's the kind of closure no one wants- but at least now the search is over.
As we've reported, writer's ex boyfriend Lanny Bush has been questioned about her disappearance.
An affidavit KTAB news obtained, shows that he admitted to seeing her the day she was last seen alive, but Bush has not been charged with her death.
The answer however, may not have been one they expected, or wanted.
"It's been really tough, but the community has been so helpful," said Destiny Rivera, Reiter's younger brother who flew in from New York.
Now it's Michele Reiter's image and memories that help her friends and family cope.
Her old work apron bears the signatures of the many co-workers who did their best to find her and bring her home.
It's just not they way they imagined she'd come back.
"Every time I had a bad day I'd go to her, I'd cry, scream and yell," said Jacqueline Carnes, a close friend of Reiter's and former co-worker.
They would all agree the 39 year-old was taken from them much too soon.
None of them had even the chance for for a final goodbye.
She was planning on coming to New York, wow, this week or next," said Rivera.
The memorial service was held at Riverside park, one of Reiter's favorite spots in Brownwood.
It's also one of the last places where she was seen.
She may have been found, but her case isn't over just yet.
"We want the person who's responsible to be brought to justice and I think that's definitely going to happen," said Rivera.
Now they're left with a mixture of emotions as they begin to accept the reality that shes never come back and hope for justice.
"A lot of anger going through, not towards her, but to the person that did this," said Kendra Franke, a friend of Reiter's for more than three years.
It's the kind of closure no one wants- but at least now the search is over.
As we've reported, writer's ex boyfriend Lanny Bush has been questioned about her disappearance.
An affidavit KTAB news obtained, shows that he admitted to seeing her the day she was last seen alive, but Bush has not been charged with her death.
