Tiairra Garcia's Mother Searches for her Body

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Story Published: Aug 27, 2008 at 7:16 AM PST

By Rudabeh Shahbazi

YAKIMA COUNTY-- Tiairra Garcia's family and friends spent the day searching for her remains. The 19-year-old disappeared more than two months ago. Police believe she is dead, but her body has yet to be found.

Tiairra's mother, Donna Garcia, accepts that this is now a recovery effort, no longer a rescue. She is taking every tip, any clue, and running with it.

"Someone told me she was here, so I came to check it out," she said, as she scoured an empty field.

"We don't know where to look, and it might be the farthest spot from her, but at least we're trying," said Tiairra's friend, Latanya Thomas.

The group of about ten left at dawn to comb the fields, marshes and composts of Yakima County, after Donna Garcia heard a rumor Tiairra's body had been dumped around there. They trekked through rain, mud and garbage, trying to get inside the mind of Tiairra's killer. They dug through mounds of compost, looking for any signs of a body.

"The whole time, we'd be like, OK, if we were in a hurry, where would we carry her?" said Ali Beltran, another friend of Tiairra's. "Would we carry her here, how would you do this? Would you go through a field? Kind of put yourself in their shoes and think like a criminal."

Four people have been arrested in connection with Tiairra's disappearance, including her boyfriend, Ashone Hollinquest. Tiairra's family is convinced other people were involved in her murder, but are not speaking out.

They got their hopes up a few times, when dirty clothes, shoes and sheets surfaced beneath the rubble. But each clue led nowhere.

"It's just frustrating, because there's not no closure at all," said Parrish Calhoun, who is dating Donna Garcia.

They aren't giving up. Donna Garcia says at this point, if anyone finds her Tiairra, it will be her.

"I've got to find her," she said. "I can't keep waiting and waiting. I don't want to wait years. I've got to find my daughter."

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