NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Florida – Heather Riggio vanished from North Miami Beach, Florida, in May 2007, but her family is not giving up hope that she could still be found alive one day.
Tuesday evening, Heather’s was the second missing person’s story spotlighted on “The Nancy Grace Show: America’s Missing,” a two-month series where Nancy Grace will spotlight 50 missing persons cases.
At the time she disappeared Heather was only 20 years old. She had her entire life ahead of her.
Heather was visiting a relative in North Miami Beach, Florida, and was last seen on May 6, 2007, getting into a white SUV-type vehicle driven by an older male. She has not been seen or heard from since.
“I am sicken daily by the not knowing of where my granddaughter is and as time passes, it seems people have forgotten, we cannot forget” said Sybil Chierico.
Since Heather disappeared her family has made every attempt to keep her name and face out in the public, but have run out of ideas and energy.
In their search for help they found and contacted the non-profit organization, Community United Effort “CUE” Center for Missing Persons (CUE Center), less than three months ago.
The CUE Center is located in Wilmington, North Carolina, and has helped over 9,000 families coping with the loss of a loved one. Additionally, their services are free to families who reach out for help.
“We immediately featured Heather on our national road tour telling her story in eleven states and making people aware of her. Surprisingly many had no knowledge of her case,” said CUE Center Founder, Monica Caison.
The tour “On the Road to Remember” annually features cold cases of missing persons. This year, the group traveled close to 3,000 miles, leaving behind a trail of DVDs, press kits, t-shirts, flyers, bumper-stickers, and visiting over twenty host rally spots which involved the media at all levels.
The purpose of the tour is to remind communities of the 109 unsolved cases featured on CUE Center’s tour line-up.
The CUE Center is now conducting an awareness campaign for Heather’s story and has launched a website for her family which can be located at http://helpfindheatherriggio.com.
Tipsters can remain anonymous and can leave confidential information by clicking the form on her site. Visitors can also download a poster from her site and help by getting involved.
In addition, Heather Riggio’s story and photo is currently featured on the website for the TV show “Americas Most Wanted”, in an effort seek new information to aid law officials in the investigation.
Cases such as Heather’s, that have gone unsolved an extended period of time, need to be presented to the public in a new way. Which is what the CUE Center is doing for Heather, and others.
“We must start over in the awareness effort, to gain new information and ultimately locate a new area to search”, said Caison.
The hope, Caison said, is to eliminate where Heather is not, and to find where she might be.
Anyone with information on Heather Riggio’s disappearance or location is asked to contact the North Miami Police Department at (305) 948-2940.
Police are still offering a reward of up to $3,500 for information leading to a resolution in Heather’s case.
Description of Heather:
Name: Heather Riggio
Nickname: Kitty
NMissing from: North Miami Beach, Florida
Missing since: 05/06/07
Classification: Endangered Missing
Age at Disappearance: 20
Date of Birth: 03/11/87
White Female
Height: 5’1
Weight: 110
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde
Tattoos: Black nautical star on back; picture of a Betty Page pin-up girl on leg; words “love hurts, love heals” on her backside
Clothing: Last seen wearing a pink top, jeans, and high heel shoes
Identifying Characteristics: Pierced ears, lip/tongue
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Click here for links to more Spotlighted missing persons cases.
This author has teamed up with the CUE Center in the “Spotlight for the Missing” series.
The Community United Effort “CUE” Center for Missing Persons was founded in 1994 to aid cases of missing persons nationwide, and is funded entirely by donations and staffed by volunteers.
CUE is focused on finding the missing, advocating their causes, and supporting their families, and has helped more than 9,000 families since its inception. You can contact the CUE Center for Missing Persons on their 24-hour line at (910) 232-1687 or (910) 343-1131.
TIPSTERS can also contact CUE through email at cuecenter@aol.com or on the web http://www.ncmissingpersons.org
Continue reading on Examiner.com: ‘Spotlight on the Missing’: Heather Riggio, family still holds out hope – National missing persons | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/missing-persons-in-national/spotlight-on-the-missing-heather-riggio-family-still-holds-out-hope#ixzz1BanHSfts
