“it’s a great comfort. We get some relief coming out here to these events. It gives me a lot of support, and I feel like I’m not alone.”
SAN ANTONIO — SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Families connected by loss, unanswered questions and trauma gathered Saturday for San Antonio’s 3rd annual Missing Persons Day, an event aimed at providing support and keeping unresolved cases in the public eye.
The event was hosted by Search and Support San Antonio, a nonprofit that works with families of missing people and victims of unsolved crimes. It brought together relatives from across the city and other parts of Texas who share the experience of searching for loved ones — and of navigating grief without closure.
“It’s a connection that these families didn’t want to have,” organizers said, “but through their pain and grief they are united in supporting one another.”
Among those attending was Valerie Mendoza, whose 27-year-old daughter, Katelyn Vara, disappeared on Aug. 6, 2024. Vara left her home on Maria Elena Drive on San Antonio’s West Side to attend a medical appointment. She made it to the appointment but never returned home.
“It was exactly 18 months since she’s been gone,” Mendoza said. “There’s not a lot of answers.”
Vara’s case reflects the experiences of many families at the event — loved ones who vanished without explanation and investigations that remain unresolved.
Organizers say the gathering is about reminding families they are not alone.
“They’re united by a bond that you don’t want any family to have,” one organizer said. “But we are here to support them.”
Juanita Diaz has leaned on that support for years. Her mother, Pauline Diaz, has been missing for 15 years after leaving her job at a Southeast Side H-E-B grocery store. She was never heard from again.
“We’re the only voice that these people have,” Diaz said. “We keep publicizing them so the public knows their loved ones are still missing — and that these families are not going to give up.”
The event also included families affected by unsolved murders. Eddie Gonzalez attended in memory of his daughter, Megan, who went missing in November 2020. Weeks later, her burned body was found in a field in southwest Bexar County.
“It’s a great comfort,” Gonzalez said. “Coming out to these events gives me support and reminds me I’m not alone.”
In addition to emotional support, families had access to resources on new technologies that may aid in searches or help survivors cope with trauma.
Families traveled from other Texas cities to attend, including representatives connected to the case of Jason Landry. Landry disappeared in December 2020 after leaving his San Marcos apartment en route to Missouri City.
His vehicle was later found near Luling, but he was never located.
Cyndi Lay, a family advocate and leader with the Jason Landry Search Team, said seeing rows of photos of missing people was overwhelming.
“Each one of them represents a missing person,” Lay said. “Each one is someone lost out there, and families still looking for them. It’s very emotional.”
Organizers say the annual event is as much about remembrance as it is about awareness — ensuring that the missing are not forgotten and that families continue to be seen and supported.