ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Community members gathered in Melrose Park on Saturday to honor cold case victims, including Arieanna Day, who went missing at three months old, five years ago, and still has not been found.
The case of Arieanna Day has reached people across the nation, Leah Ficklen traveled from Indianapolis to attend the vigil.
“We haven’t forgotten about Arieanna Day, we have not forgotten, won’t give up. We will search, we will search we will be detectives, we will pray, we will protest, we will do whatever we can,” said Ficklen.
She first heard about the case from social media. she said it hits especially close to home for her.
“I lost two daughters, and I would have loved to know my two daughters,” said Ficklen.
Arieanna was reported missing in 2018 at just three months old. After a series of investigative efforts, her case remains unsolved. Mallory Thornton is an activist from North Carolina who has been following this case since the beginning.
“I’m going to continue to push, and push and push and make sure her name stays out there,” said Thornton.
She says as a mother herself, she felt she had to do something.
“I feel like it’s impossible for anyone not to care, like everyone should be out here,” said Thornton.
In February, Thornton even hired a private investigator, Jemarh Fuell, to work on this case. Fuell says seeing community members rally around Arieanna is a sign of hope in her investigation.
“Seeing that she still has the support, and the pulse of the community is a big thing,” said Fuell.
Fuell says the biggest thing people can do to help, not only in this case but in any investigation, is to report any information they have to authorities.
“Just don’t be afraid to say something, I think that the generation that we’re in right now where the younger people think that it’s a bad thing to open up their mouth and say something,” said Fuell.
Supporters at the event say they will remain vigilant in the fight to find out what happened to Arieanna Day.
