One Year Later History Repeats Itself For Hailey Dunn Searchers
By: Brendaliss Gonzalez
Updated: March 22, 2013
Each flower, every stroke of fresh paint adds to the somber reminder of an unfinished story.
"You feel like you didn't go far enough, we should have gone farther," said April Wehba, a volunteer searcher for Hailey Dunn who went missing from Colorado City in Dec. 2010.
It's also an eery reminder of exactly one year ago this day.
When the same volunteers gathered at the same spot, the Hailey Dunn memorial, wondering whether human remains found in Big Spring were those of the missing teen.
"We're numb, you know, we don't know what to do," said Terry Newcomb, Wehba's mother who has joined her in searching for Dunn.
Now, they're at it again, this time replacing the stuffed animals they were once putting up with flowers and wondering whether human remains found near Snyder belong to Hailey.
"We want to know if it's her now, where we can lay her to rest where she, she needs to be home," said Wehba, who traveled from New Mexico.
"We still don't know who that is, and I'm just hoping this one doesn't go as long either," said Newcomb.
Neither of them knew Hailey personally, but for the past two years, they've driven hundreds of miles and shed countless tears, for a girl they've never felt so close to.
"She's part of our family, I mean, it's a child that we've never met and we want to hug her so bad," said Wehba.
Now there's a new bloom of hope with the Hailey Dunn memorial garden.
It's something that's helped ease some of the anxiety as they wait for any kind of news.
"We've been in this for 27 months and if it's something, some news that we need to hear, we want to hear it together," said said Newcomb.
No matter how sad this deja vu feels, there's one thing they don't mind repeating, the fact that they once again have each other.
"We're uplifting Hailey's hope again for more hope," said Wehba.
The family currently staying at the former Dunn home tells us they've volunteered with the upkeep of the garden.
Anyone can stop by to donate a potted plant.
The volunteers say they'll be staying in Colorado City to wait until the remains found in Scurry Co. are identified, however, they will most likely have to return home periodically.
"You feel like you didn't go far enough, we should have gone farther," said April Wehba, a volunteer searcher for Hailey Dunn who went missing from Colorado City in Dec. 2010.
It's also an eery reminder of exactly one year ago this day.
When the same volunteers gathered at the same spot, the Hailey Dunn memorial, wondering whether human remains found in Big Spring were those of the missing teen.
"We're numb, you know, we don't know what to do," said Terry Newcomb, Wehba's mother who has joined her in searching for Dunn.
Now, they're at it again, this time replacing the stuffed animals they were once putting up with flowers and wondering whether human remains found near Snyder belong to Hailey.
"We want to know if it's her now, where we can lay her to rest where she, she needs to be home," said Wehba, who traveled from New Mexico.
"We still don't know who that is, and I'm just hoping this one doesn't go as long either," said Newcomb.
Neither of them knew Hailey personally, but for the past two years, they've driven hundreds of miles and shed countless tears, for a girl they've never felt so close to.
"She's part of our family, I mean, it's a child that we've never met and we want to hug her so bad," said Wehba.
Now there's a new bloom of hope with the Hailey Dunn memorial garden.
It's something that's helped ease some of the anxiety as they wait for any kind of news.
"We've been in this for 27 months and if it's something, some news that we need to hear, we want to hear it together," said said Newcomb.
No matter how sad this deja vu feels, there's one thing they don't mind repeating, the fact that they once again have each other.
"We're uplifting Hailey's hope again for more hope," said Wehba.
The family currently staying at the former Dunn home tells us they've volunteered with the upkeep of the garden.
Anyone can stop by to donate a potted plant.
The volunteers say they'll be staying in Colorado City to wait until the remains found in Scurry Co. are identified, however, they will most likely have to return home periodically.
