Archive | Lucely Aramburo

My Childhood Memories of Lily

“This is 911 what is your emergency?” “My daughter Lily is missing and she left her purse, wallet, and phone at home!” Lily Aramburo, a close friend of the family went missing on June 1, 2007. Everyone misses her dearly, including me. Just imagine having a friend that comes to your house almost every day and then suddenly disappears.

   Right before her disappearance she had a baby boy. His name is Palden. He has brown curly hair and big brown eyes. Right now he is 5 years old. He is so sweet and adorable, he is like a little brother to me. It is heartbreaking to think that now he has no mom and his dad is nowhere to be found! Because of this, he is being raised by his grandmother, Lily’s mother. 

  Later, we celebrated her birthday, we went to her favorite spot in Miami Beach. The beach on 81st street and Collins Ave. A lot of her family and friends met us there. We wrote her name in the sand and formed a heart made of flowers. I still remember I used to go to that area of the beach and play with her there. We also released balloons with mantras (prayers) written on them. It was extraordinary to see them being released into the sky!


   The next year we held the first candlelight vigil at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove for the first anniversary of the day she disappeared. My sister and my friend Havana and I released butterflies in Lily’s memory. A lot of people came along with Power 96 and some people from the church donated water. My mom and I cut out butterflies, then we decorated them. Everyone signed it and we placed them on a poster board. Some people donated money. Money was donated because no one in the news had picked up the story so we were raising money for a billboard. Everyone was furious with that result. It is four years later and Lily is still missing.

  Lily Aramburo helped me with homework, played at the park, danced and rode bikes with me. She was an incredible friend and I will never forget her. She will always be in my heart and all the memories will stay with me. But I look forward to the day when someone can answer the question, were is Lily? Hopefully sometime soon.
*Written by my 12 year old daughter, Anastasia – Dec 2011*

Friends, please remember to tune in to Investigation Discovery on Monday December 12, 2011 at 9pm (Eastern time), Lily’s case will be featured on the show “Disappeared“.

To follow Help Find Lily Aramburo on Facebook click the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Find-Lily-Aramburo/193954499815

Please help spread the word! And help bring Lily back home. Share and if you tweet, please tag tweets with #Justice4Lily

Thank you for caring and for your continued support to Help Find Lily.

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Lily Aramburo featured on Investigation Discovery “Disappeared”

Finally, some good news to announce! I am very happy to share that Lily’s story will be aired on Investigation Discovery  “Disappeared” (my favorite show on ID!) The NBC production/filming crew came down to Miami in May and interviewed Lily’s mother Lucely, Detective Hoadley, Christen Pacheco, Private Investigator Joe Carrillo and myself. We’re so grateful to Kate, Dave and Investigation Discovery channel! The new season premieres on October 24, Lily’s episode will air in December.  

Check out Lily’s little boy behind the scenes!
Photo by Joe Carrillo

Watch the sneak peaks below of Lily’s episode on “Disappeared”.

“Disappeared: Lily Aramburo”

Twenty-four-year-old Lily Aramburo left her fiancé’s Miami condo at 2 a.m., carrying only two bungee cords. Everyone knows that Lily would not have willingly left her 9-month old son behind, was there foul play involved in her disappearance?

“Disappeared: Lily Aramburo’s Drug Relapse”

In what friends describe as uncharacteristic behavior, Lily Aramburo left her fiancé’s Miami condo at 2 a.m. without her 9-month old son and she never returned.

We are still actively seeking justice for Lily and praying for resolution. You can help bring Lily home by spreading the word and sharing this video with friends, on Facebook and other social networks. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

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Miami Dade Police Search for Lily Aramburo: Call for Volunteers!

The investigation into the disappearance of Lily Aramburo who was reported missing on June 2, 2007 has been active since Miami Dade Police Homicide took over the case. (Hallelujah!) On Friday, April 22nd, 2011 Miami Dade Police searched an area close to where Lily disappeared, by the Dadeland Village Apartments. Unfortunately, at that time the police department didn’t approve of us bringing volunteers to assist in the search. The small group of Homicide detectives, crime scene personnel and search dogs tried their best but the area was too large and overgrown.
 Dt. Miller, Sgt. Gallagher, Janet Forte, Dt. Hoadley, Ana Lanuza (I don’t know the other detectives names)
 Janet Forte, Dt. Hoadley, PI Joe Carrillo

More pictures of the search

Miami Dade Police gave us the green light to do our own search. We need at least 20-25 people to help us search the area. It is a lot of space to cover and it is totally overgrown so we’re going to need a lot of help. If you live in the South Florida area, please consider lending a hand. We’ll be conducting the search the week of May 9th. Please contact me for more information at janet.forte(@gmail.com).
We’re also planning a candlelight vigil on that week. It’s going to be an opportunity to come together as a community to show our support for Lily and her family in this time of difficulty. It’s a time to stand together in prayer and solidarity in support of Lily.
Our deepest respects and thanks to all persons and agencies involved in this organized effort to find Lily. We wish to extend our gratitude to Det. Ray Hoadley ~ thank you for your outstanding efforts, diligence and selfless dedication to Lily’s investigation and 30+ years of helping victims and making a difference in our community. We wish you a very happy and peaceful retirement. We’ll miss you! We’d also like to thank Sgt. Gallagher, Det. Miller, and the Miami Dade Police Homicide Specialized Investigations Squad members for their assistance and support in our fight to find Lily. And a special word of thanks to Joe Carrillo and partner Ana and team.

We thank all of those who continue to help spread awareness for Lily online by sharing her pictures, blog posts and updates. Please continue sharing this blog and the Help Find Lily page on Facebook. We hope it helps encourage people to come forward with information. Please help bring Justice for Lily.

Report anonymous tips to Crimestoppers 305-471-TIPS.

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Lily Aramburo Article Featured in Today’s Miami Herald!

I can’t thank David Ovalle and the Miami Herald enough for publishing this article in our hometown newspaper. We’ve been hoping and praying for so long! Thank you so much! 
Read the article below or click on the link. Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment on this blog post! And stay tuned… new post with updates coming soon!

Search continues 4 years later for missing Kendall woman
Direct link to the Miami Herald article:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/03/2148943/search-continues-4-years-later.html 

By DAVID OVALLE
dovalle@MiamiHerald.com
Homicide detectives have recently re-interviewed her boyfriend, who reported her missing one day after she allegedly left the apartment in her nightgown.
For nearly four years, Lucely “Lily” Aramburo’s vanishing has befuddled family and friends. They insisted the 23-year-old mother who disappeared in June 2007 would never have willingly abandoned her infant son.

They have mounted an Internet campaign to keep the case alive.

It seemed to has paid off. After languishing for more than two years with the Miami-Dade’s missing persons unit, the homicide bureau recently took over the case

The target of the investigation: her boyfriend, Christien Pacheco, who was among the last to see her alive.

In the past two weeks, homicide detectives questioned Pacheco twice, he said in an interview Friday. He even submitted to a polygraph, which he failed – results he disputes.

“It burns me up that they keep coming back up to us,” Pacheco, 36, said of police efforts. “We had nothing to do with her missing. She walked out of my apartment, on her own merit. She left.”

He said he is still wracked by guilt for not showing Aramburo enough affection.

Miami-Dade homicide detectives won’t discuss details of the case, but say Aramburo’s disappearance is suspicious.

“She was always in contact with her friends and her family,’’ said Miami-Dade Detective Ray Hoadley. “She isn’t the type of person who goes out on her own. She doesn’t have the temperament. She doesn’t have the resources. She isn’t the type of person to be living in a cave somewhere. It just doesn’t seem possible she’s alive.”

Raised in Miami, Aramburo was a waif of a woman who had struggled with drug abuse and depression. But relatives say she was getting her life together, and was buoyed by the birth of her son, Palden.

“He knows Lily to be in Heaven,” said Aramburo’s mother, Lucely Zaldivar, 44, who cares for the 4 ½ -year-old boy. “But he doesn’t call her Mommy.”

Pacheco is not the father of her son. The couple’s relationship was stormy and fueled by crack cocaine use.

Longing for stability and fresh out a troubled stay in rehab, she moved in with Pacheco in his one-bedroom Kendall apartment at the Villages of Dadeland.

Police have arrested Pacheco, a former U.S. Marine, on a slew of minor drug and trespassing charges since 2001. He is on two years of state probation for resisting arrest with violence and driving without a valid license.

He says he’s sober now, and keeping out of trouble.

Kelly Rae Starling, Pacheco’s ex-girlfriend and Aramburo’s friend, told The Miami New Times in 2008 that Pacheco once “lunged” at her during an argument, and she had to pull the man off Aramburo.

Pacheco denies that claim, saying the fight was between the two girls.

Starling could not be reached for comment.

The events leading up to Aramburo’s disappearance started the night of June 1, 2007. Pacheco, Starling, Aramburo and another friend known as E.J. smoked crack cocaine together, and later returned to the Kendall apartment, according to records.

Pacheco claims that Starling went to the bedroom, sparking a fight between him and Aramburo because Aramburo didn’t want her sleeping there. He said he went into the bedroom for a few minutes to talk to Starling. When he came out, he said, Aramburo had left.

Pacheco claims he looked for her that night, to no avail. “Maybe she was going outside to chill and relax for a few minutes, and she got into someone’s car and things went bad from there,” Pacheco said.

He reported her missing on June 2, 2007, telling Miami-Dade police that she had left the apartment at 2 a.m., wearing nothing more than a long white nightgown and toting two bungee cords. Aramburo, he told police, suffered from schizophrenia and had a history of suicide attempts, according to a police report.

“Were we a bunch of people messed up on drugs at the time? Yes, but we wouldn’t do anything crazy, like hide somebody’s body,” Pacheco said. “No. We’re not like that.”

There were some puzzling behavior that family members and police looked at. Aramburo’s mother says Pacheco didn’t call her until a full 24 hours later, and only to tell her he filed a police report. Pacheco says that in the drug-fueled haze of those days, he doesn’t remember when he called her.

The case was assigned to detective Aaron Mancha, of the missing persons bureau. In interview several years ago with The Miami Herald, he downplayed Aramburo’s disappearance, saying she had been sighted at the Camillus House homeless shelter in February 2008.

Miami-Dade police now say those sightings have been deemed not credible. One of Pacheco’s friends told investigators that Pacheco asked him to lie about one sighting — something Pacheco denies vehemently.

The case dragged in the initial months after the disappearance, her supporters say.

Aramburo’s friend, new media strategist Janet Forte, began a tenacious Internet campaign, starting a blog and social networking pages dedicated to the case. The sites feature links to news accounts, online videos about Aramburo and photos of vigils dedicated to the missing woman.

“I was really frustrated with the lack of help in getting the story out there in the news,” Forte said. “It was the only avenue I had to get awareness out there.”

Thanks to her efforts drumming up publicity, private investigators Ana Lanuza and Joe Carrillo, of Leverage Investigations Inc., volunteered to begin working on the case in 2008. They’re still working.

The case finally ended up in the hands of detective Hoadley, who secured a conviction last year against a North Carolina man in the 1993 south Miami-Dade disappearance of Trinity Robinson — whose body remains missing.

Detective Hoadley praised Forte’s persistence: “If not for her efforts, who knows if the investigation would have continued?”

Anyone with information can call Miami-Dade’s homicide bureau at 305-471-2400, or Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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The Last Place You’d Look: True Stories of Missing Persons and the People who Search for Them

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local Disappearance Spotlighted in National Book Release

The story of Lucely “Lily” Aramburo, a resident of Miami Dade County, Florida, is featured in the upcoming book, The Last Place You’d Look: True Stories of Missing Persons and the People Who Search for Them by Carole Moore. (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2011)

Lily Aramburo disappeared on June 1st, 2007 from Miami, Florida.

Moore interviewed the families of dozens of missing persons across the county and around the world to compile The Last Place You’d Look, which also focuses on the efforts of police, search and rescue, nonprofits and volunteer organizations.

According to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the Lily Aramburo case is one of about 100,000 active, open and unresolved missing persons cases that sit on the books in the U.S. each day. The numbers are similar in Canada, where annually more than 60,000 children are reported missing. Although many who disappear return home or are found, here’s what the numbers don’t say: They’re deceptive in that there are many they don’t count, such as those who disappear in foreign countries or the unreported thousands who fall through bureaucratic cracks, like the homeless and their children. Additionally, in the U.S. alone there are more than 40,000 John and Jane Does in cemeteries and morgues across the country, still waiting to be identified.

“Except for very high profile cases, many missing persons slip from the public memory, leaving their families alone in their grief. Can you imagine not ever knowing what happened to our mother, your brother, your child, your spouse?” asks Moore, a former police investigator and contributing editor at Law Enforcement Technology Magazine. “I wrote this book to help families bring attention to their cases.”

Often families are on their own when it comes to looking for their missing loved ones. Police may have neither the resources nor inclination to pursue an investigation involving multiple jurisdictions and hundreds of man-hours. Smaller departments often lack specialized units dedicated to searching for the missing, and many times officers are ill prepared to track missing persons.

Families are also confronted with a double-edged sword: As long as the case is open, police won’t share with them the critical information gathered in the course of the investigation. They are only allowed access when the case is closed, which means the police are no longer actively looking for the missing person.

Pursuing a missing persons investigation is both expensive and emotionally draining. Families often must travel, hire private investigators, operate media campaigns and engage in search and rescue operations. Although volunteer organizations dedicated to helping families find the resources they need provide help, a proper search is expensive and takes time.

Families are also asked to do the unthinkable: Provide DNA, dental records and fingerprints, the significance of which is not lost on those left behind. Worry and stress also take their toll. As one official at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children told Moore, he is forever haunted by a mother who poignantly shared her wish to cover her missing child with a blanket because she had nightmares about the child being cold.

The anguish of having a loved one vanish is unthinkable, yet thousands of families face this heartbreak every day.  The Last Place You’d Look provides searchers a starting point and gives readers an overview of “the club no one wants to belong to.”

For more information, or to schedule an interview, contact:

Carole Moore
Moore can be reached by email at: carolemoore_biz(@)yahoo.com
Phone: 910.388.0714
For more information, you can go to her website: www.carolemoore.com

Local Contact : Janet Forte
janet.forte (@) gmail.com

“The Last Place You’d Look: True Stories of Missing Persons and the People who Search for Them” is available for purchase at Amazon.com. You can get a preview and search the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Place-Youd-Look-Stories/dp/1442203684

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Lily Aramburo Featured in Highway Billboard and Miami New Times!

It has been a very productive and extraordinary week for the search to Help Find Lily! 

On Sunday, we learned that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement put up another highway billboard featuring Lily. This time the entire billboard is devoted to her! It’s on the Palmetto Expressway South bound by Okeechobee Road, a very busy highway that gets mad amounts of steady traffic. I was able to see it for myself this morning. Wow, it was really impressive! Check out the photos I took:

On Monday January 10, 2011, CBS4 Miami highlighted Lily Aramburo’s cold case. It felt phenomenal to finally see Lily on the news!! We’re ecstatic and very grateful to CBS4.

On Tuesday January 11, 2011, a follow up article was written by Frank Alvarado from the Miami New Times. Thank you Frank! The article is posted below. Read it for yourself and please take a minute to comment if you feel inclined! Your thoughts are important to us.

If you’d like to assist in the search for Lily, you can do so easily by sharing these articles and recent news with friends and social networks. You can also join and invite others to the Help Find Lily Facebook Page. THANK YOU so very much for caring about Lily!!! 

More than three years after she went missing, Miami-Dade Police investigators believe Lilly Aramburo was a victim of foul play. At least, that’s what an updated missing persons flyer seems to indicate. New Times wrote a cover story about the young single mother’s June 1, 2007 disappearance from the east Kendall apartment she shared with her then-boyfriend Christian Pacheco.

In December, Aramburo’s case was transferred from missing persons to homicide. And the department has assigned the case to Ray Hoadley, a veteran homicide detective who solved the cold case murder of an 18-year-old Homestead girl killed in 1993. The development has given hope to Aramburo’s closest relatives and friends.
An ongoing social media campaign started by Aramburo’s friend and Miami-based Internet marketing consultant Janet Forte generated national media coverage about the case, but has turned up few leads into what happened to the 24-year-old woman. Forte and Aramburo’s mother, Lucely Zalvidar, had grown frustrated with the police investigation, at times suggesting detectives were indifferent to finding Lilly because of her history of running away from home and drug addiction. A Miami-Dade police spokesman declined comment because of the open investigation.
“I feel very confident with the new detective on the case,” Forte says. “I believe in karma and know that whoever was involved in Lilly’s disappearance will ultimately face the consequences of their actions.”
Hoadley, a 38 year veteran, was the lead investigator in the cold case of Trinity Robinson. In 2006 Hoadley arrested her boyfriend Christopher Phillips for her murder despite not finding the body. This past September, a jury convicted Phillips based on circumstantial evidence and witness testimony Hoadley gathered. The 38-year-old, who was sentenced to life in prison, is only the second person in Miami-Dade history to be convicted of murder without a victim’s body.
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Lily in The News! Thank You CBS4

Miami Dade Police Department reopened the investigation into the disappearance and probable murder of Lily Aramburo last month. Since then, a lot has happened! (I’ll fill you in soon) And now the case has finally received local news coverage! CBS4 went out to Lily’s mother’s house yesterday morning and filmed the segment which features Private Investigator Joe Carrillo. CBS4 also interviewed the new detective on the case, Det. Ray Hoadley. The article below is taken from their website and has a few misspellings (Lily’s mom is Lucely Zaldivar) but we can overlook them. We’re just elated to finally see Lily on the news!
DANIA BEACH—-Lucely Saldina says she is not giving up, she is determined to find her daughter.
It has been more than three years since Lily Aramburu vanished, and now Miami-Dade Police tell CBS4 that they are stepping up their involvement in this troubled case, and they are also asking for the public’s help.
Aramburu was 23 when her boyfriend says he last saw her leaving their apartment not far from the Dadeland Mall. She has not been seen since.
“Lily represented everything that I knew that was good to me and always wanted,” said Saldina, whose Dania Beach apartment is filled with photos of her daughter and her grandson, Palden. Palden, 4, now lives with Saldina. “She represented happiness to me,” Saldina told CBS4’s Peter D’Oench, as she fought back tears. “Hope is always there. I just want to find out if she is out there. Is she alive?”
Bud Aramburu had a problem.
“She was involved with drugs but was getting her life together,” Saldina said. “She was going to drug court and she had everything to live for.” Her little boy, Palden, was just 6 months old when she disappeared.
“The baby meant everything to her, she has a reason to stay alive,” Saldina said. “But I am realistic enough to realize that she may not be alive… I know somebody out there knows something.”
 
While there are no clues as to what might have happened, Saldina said “I know that Lily did not just disappear. She is a human being. She is a daughter and a mother. And that must be respected.” Saldina and Private Investigator Joe Carrillo have been circulating flyers describing Aramburu; she was 4-feet and 11-inches tall and weighed just 100 pounds. Her hair is brown and her eyes are hazel. She has pierced ears, a scar on her left hand and a scar on her lower abdomen. And she has two large, distinctive music symbols tattooed on her lower back.
Aramburu also had previously broken her right wrist and back.Aramburu also has a medical condition and may need medication.
Carrillo said some key, potential witnesses have not come forward. “We’ve attempted to speak to them,” Carrillo said. “And when you’re asking for help from people who know her and they won’t help, that raises some big red flags. I think there’s people out there who know who they are. We’ve managed to identify two groups of people who are of interest to police.”
D’Oench also spoke to the lead detective in this case Ray Hoadley who has just been assigned to this case.
Hoadley has been a detective for 25 years with Miami-Dade and says that it is too early to have additional details in this cold case.
“We’d like anyone who is in her circle of friends or anyone who was around her at the time she disappeared to come forward,” said Hoadley. “There’s some people out there who we have made contact with. I don’t know if they are deliberately trying to avoid us or whether it’s just that they are out of town,” Hoadley said. “Are you eager to solve this case?” asked D’Oench. “Absolutely,” Hoadley answered.
Saldina’s daughter has been featured on billboards and posters statewide since 2007, and Saldina says she welcomes the stepped-up efforts by Miami-Dade Police.
“Solving this would mean closure,” Saldina said. “It would mean answers. Answers for my grandson when he asks what happened to his mother.”
Anyone in the public who knows anything about this case is urged to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS.
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News Update: Lily Aramburo Case Reopened

Lily’s case has been cold for a long time. It’s been a long, agonizing 3 and a half years since the night of June 1, 2007. But finally we have a news update to share. If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you may have noticed that I have had my issues with law enforcement, mainly with Detective Mancha’s handling of Lily’s case. Out of desperation, we tried (almost) everything including a week long hunger strike in order to attain police attention and coverage from local media. Nothing worked. In the process, I’ve made my share of mistakes.
The good news is, to our relief, the investigation into Lily’s disappearance has been reopened and reassigned to a new detective. Detective Ray Hoadley from Miami Dade Police Criminal Investigations Division Homicide Bureau is now lead detective. Lily’s family, Private Investigator Joe Carrillo and I have all met with the him. We are working closely together. I’m hopeful as never before. And I have absolute faith in Detective Hoadley. He’s got over 20 years of experience under his belt and has investigated many difficult cases. He’s very effective at what he does. Det. Hoadley is working daily to find the answers which will bring about a resolution to this case.
  Lily Aramburo updated flier:
Miami Dade Police Investigative Case #: 070602291858
NCIC# M497579638
NamUs MP # 1542
Once again we’re reaching out and asking anyone with information to come forward. If you believe someone you know might be involved, please call immediately and share that information. It may be nothing or it may be the missing piece of information that will help bring closure to Lily’s family and little boy. The truth shall set you free.
We know someone knows what happened to Lily and they need to step forward now, not tomorrow or next week or month or year from now – NOW! Make the call to Detective Hoadley at 305-471-2400 or you can email him at rbhoadleyjr@mdpd(.com).
If you wish to remain anonymous please contact Miami Dade County Crimestoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477) OR 1-866-471-8477. crimestoppersmiami.com You may be eligible to receive a reward.
Lily Aramburo pictures

Assist in the search for Lily by sharing this post with all your friends across the internet. Follow @HelpFindLily  on Twitter and connect with us on Facebook. And please be sure to stay tuned to America’s Most Wanted

Thank you so much for your help and continued support. Many heartfelt thanks for all your prayers for Lily and her family. We are especially grateful to those special individuals who have donated so much of their time and effort into the search for Lily; thank you Joe Carrillo and team. Thank you kindly for your dedication and hard work. And last but not least, sincere thanks to Miami Dade Police Detective Hoadley.

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Lily Aramburo Featured on Billboard for Florida Missing Children’s Day

Monday September 13th, 2010 Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse hosted the twelfth annual Florida Missing Children’s Day in Tallahassee.

During the weekend leading up to the event, advertisers with the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association (FOAA) will be donating digital billboard space throughout the state to feature children and adults from Florida that are still missing. Lamar, Clear Channel Outdoor and CBS outdoor are participating. The artwork will feature 25 missing children and adults. The billboards will run beginning today through Monday.


“The Florida Department of Law Enforcement appreciates our outdoor advertisers for partnering with us once again to broadcast the photos of missing children and adults,” said Commissioner Gerald Bailey. “It is our hope that someone, somewhere in our state will recognize one of these faces and provide us with information that will reunite them with their families.”

The following children and adults will be featured on billboards:

Danielle Bell, missing from Pensacola since Sept. 28, 2001
Tavia Bailey, missing from Pensacola since Jan. 24, 1986
Preston Mills, missing from Pensacola since June 25, 2010
Ali Gilmore, missing from Tallahassee since Feb. 2, 2006
David Jackson, missing from Tallahassee since Oct. 28, 2008
Portesha Morris, missing from Monticello since April 16, 2001
Tiffany Sessions, missing from Gainesville since Feb. 9, 1989
Shirlene Roberts, missing from Jacksonville since Sept. 9, 2009
Mark Gibson, missing from Jacksonville since March 12, 2008
Mark Degner, missing from Jacksonville since Feb. 10, 2005
Bryan Hayes, missing from Jacksonville since Feb. 10, 2005
Zachary Bernhardt, missing from Clearwater since Sept. 11, 2000
Ronkeya Holes and Masaraha Ross, missing from Haines City since Oct. 18, 2009
Jennifer Kesse, missing from Orlando since Jan. 24, 2006
Phillip Desir, missing from Palm Bay since Feb. 7, 2009
Desiree Wilson, missing from Orlando since Jan. 16, 2010
Navisha Maddox, missing from Orlando since April 15, 2008
Jacqueline Hernandez, missing from Clermont since Dec. 22, 2007
Teresa Alfonso, missing from Marathon since Sept. 3, 1974
Lucely Aramburo, missing from Kendall since June 1, 2007
(billboard featuring Lily is off I-95 & 8 St Miami)
Deelee Bohler, missing from Miami since Nov. 2, 2005
Gayle Moran, missing from Lake Palcid since July 30, 2009
Danny Mordenti, missing from Punta Gorda since May 22, 2008
Alexander Erb-Sanchez, missing from Ellenton since Nov. 4, 2008

Florida Missing Children’s Day is held each year to recognize past and present missing children and their families, to educate citizens on safety awareness, and to honor individuals in our state who have made a difference in the life of a child. Families of missing persons will travel to Tallahassee to attend the ceremony and honor the memory of their loved one.

Links
Sun Sentinel post 
Capital News Service 

South Florida friends and family, if you’re in the area please take a look at the billboard featuring Lily. It is on the West side of I-95, 100 feet South of 8th Street. According to the FDLE, the billboard will be up until October 19th. If you see it and have your phone handy, snap a picture and send it to me via (HelpFindLily(@)gmail.com). If you capture it on film or video, please share it on Facebook and Twitter – add #Justice4Lily. Please contact me if you need any assistance! Thank you for all your support. Thank you Florida Department of Law Enforcement! And a great big thank you to the advertisers for donating to this awareness campaign for Florida Missing Children’s Day.

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3 Years. Still No #Justice4Lily




It has been 3 years since Lily Aramburo, a 23 year old South Florida mother, went missing. And the question remains, where is Lily? There is no doubt that someone holds the key to this puzzle.

Lily was last seen at her boyfriend’s apartment on June 1st, 2007. The Dadeland Village Apartments in Kendall near Dadeland Mall. We know that Lily was having relationship problems. She’d been diagnosed with depression and schizophrenia. She was self medicating and suffering from substance abuse. Those last days before her disappearance, Lily and her boyfriend Christen Pacheco had been fighting a lot. 

He claims she just left. Walked out. The time was 2am. According to him, she left her cellphone and purse behind. He said she left in a nightgown and barefoot. He didn’t actually see her walking out -he had gone to the bedroom to speak with Kelly who was in bed. (But somehow) he claims she took bungee cords with her. And yet he said he thought she was just going for a walk to pick flowers.

EJ, the last person in the apartment, was sitting in the livingroom. His statements contradict Christen’s. He said he never saw Lily wearing a nightgown or pajamas and he did not see her take bungee cords. 

Christen waited  24 hours to contact police and report his girlfriend missing to Miami Dade Police Department. He made the police report before calling her mom or calling friends or anyone to inquire about if they had seen her. Isn’t that odd? Wouln’t you make a few phone calls, ask around if anyone has seen or heard from her first, before calling police? He told police that story, that Lily had walked out of his apartment barefoot, in a nightgown with bungee cords. 

A police officer took the report. Despite there being a history of police being called to that address for domestic violence, the officer failed to see any red flags. The start of our long and painful nightmare began.

If you have any information about Lily’s disappearance, we urge you to make an anonymous call to Miami Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 or 1-866-471-8477. You can also submit TIPS via their website www.crimestoppersmiami.com

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Justice for Lily Aramburo Hunger Strike: Latest Videos

Monday November 16th, Lily Aramburo’s 26th birthday marked the start of a Justice for Lily Hunger Strike in downtown Miami, Florida. 
We hung up banners and put up a multitude of signs at Government Center passing out flyers and engaging the community all week long. Most of everyone we spoke to was supportive of our efforts. Many shared their personal stories and offered encouraging words and prayers, including a Buddhist monk who prayed with us. I made sure to update everyone as much as I could via Twitter.

Early Monday morning, Lucely went on the Enrique Santos radio show. They’ve been an enormous help in our search for answers. We love their show and appreciate all their support. Take a listen here: 

Univision’s Primer Impacto came over after hearing Lucely on the radio. Watch the video below:

Telemundo was kind enough to cover our hunger strike, as well. (video posted below) We also had NBC6 and WSVN7 take footage Monday afternoon but the segments have not aired (that I’m aware of).
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Private Investigator Joe Carrillo went on the Enrique Santos Show  on Friday morning, the last day of our 5 day fast. He gave a great interview on the radio which lasted about 15 minutes. Joe offers his insight into his investigation of Lily’s case. 

Here’s Part 1 of P.I Joe Carrillo on Enrique Santos Show:

Here’s Part 2 of P.I. Joe Carrillo on Enrique Santos Show:

Miami Dade Police detectives called Joe and set up a meeting, which already took place on Tuesday November 24, 2009. I’m pleased that there is dialog between Joe and Miami Dade Police command staff. But the fight for justice continues.
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Justice for Lily Hunger Strike on Monday November 16

Monday, November 16, 2009 would have been my best friend, Lilly Aramburo‘s 26 birthday. Lily has been missing since June 2, 2007. Her plight has been featured on Nancy Grace and Americas Most Wanted.
Lily disappeared from the apartment of her heroin addicted boyfriend in the Dadeland area. Since then, her mother Lucely and I have launched an exhaustive search for her only to become disillusioned and extremely frustrated with the lack of effort of the Miami Dade Police Department. (Lucely on Lily’s 2 Yr anniversary)

Police failed to locate two witnesses that were present the night she disappeared. We’ve been working with private investigator Joe Carrillo and his team for over a year locating the two witnesses within days. A convicted killer has been identified by the investigators as a person of interest in her disappearance. After four meetings with the missing persons detectives, a convicted killer who served time for murder has yet to be interviewed even though identified and located by the private investigator. Why? Police refuse to answer the why.

Lily’s mother and I desperately need to bring attention to her disappearance and want answers from the Miami Dade Police Department. We’re both commencing a hunger strike Monday at 9:00 AM in front of the Miami Dade Government Center until we get answers.

RSVP via FACEBOOK and please join the Find Lily Aramburo Facebook Cause!

Location: Government Center
111 NW 1 Street
Miami, Fl.

View Justice for Lily Aramburo Protest Rally & Hunger Strike in a larger map

We’d like to thank all of you for supporting us in our fight to find Lily and for keeping Lily in your hearts and minds. PLEASE do not stop passing on this blog to all you know! You can also help support the search for Lily by donating to Lily’s reward fund via paypal or by purchasing a T-Shirt.

Justice for Lilly Aramburo uses Google Friend Connect to power our site’s community, please connect with us Google Friend Connect.

Anyone with information pertaining to the disappearance of Lily Aramburo is urged to contact Private Investigator Joe Carrillo at 305-926-3110 or call Miami Dade Police at 305-418-7200.
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Video of Lily Aramburo on AMW My Story

Young Mom Lily Aramburo Disappears
Lilly Aramburo has been missing since June 2007.

In the early hours of June 2, 2007, Lilly Aramburo left her boyfriend’s apartment, never to be seen again. As her family and friends have told us, she would never leave her baby son behind on her own free will.

Now, they have turned to America’s Most Wanted for help.

Lilly is described as friendly and always willing to listen and help a friend in need. A blog has been started, called Justice in Miami, to raise awareness about her case.

At 22, she was not without problems. She struggled with drugs, and may have found herself in a situation where people she knew did her harm.

Those who love her have great concerns about her not being alive when she left that house.

Private Eye Working To Find Lilly
Lilly’s friends are desperate for answers in her disappearance.

Law enforcement sources say they know the last place she was seen alive, a private home on the street.

Those who love her have great concerns about her not being alive when she left that house.

A South Florida private investigator has received some great tips that have been passed on to Miami law enforcement.

Those that know Lilly think some people might be afraid to come forward. Lilly’s loved ones want to know what may have been done to her.

Continue reading Lily Aramburo America’s Most Wanted “My Story”

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Lily Aramburo Case on America’s Most Wanted Tonight!

Friends and supporters, I am so very excited to announce that Lily Aramburo is being featured TONIGHT (Saturday September 12th) on the 23rd Season Premiere of America’s Most Wanted at 9pm (Eastern time).

Lily’s case will be on AMW’s “My Story” segment. “My Story” producer says it allows the loved ones of missing persons to submit video to America’s Most Wanted about their case, told in their own words. As the show is configured it will air 46 minutes into the show. For people that miss it, the show is always available at www.amw.com after the show airs.’

The video we submitted included shots of Lily’s mom, Lucely, Private Investigator Joe Carrillo and his partner Ana Lanuza in front of the house we think Lily may have been last, which is in Coconut Grove, Florida.


I’d like to thank Kelly of Project Jason for her kindness and support. Kelly reached out to us and let us know that AMW (America’s Most Wanted) was working on adding more missing person case features into the show. She updated the Project Jason Forum with all the details for all the families of missing loved ones to see. Giving us strength with her words: “Remember, there is always hope………”

I’ve been working diligently to get media coverage for Lily over the last 2 years. It’s been a real struggle. But it wasn’t that difficult with AMW. They gave us an opportunity to reach out to the community for help. Please help us find Lily. Someone out there knows what happened. Please call AMW’s confidential hotline at 1-800-CRIME-TV.

We are very grateful to America’s Most Wanted for the coverage. THANK YOU so much! And thanks to all our friends and supporters. Thank you for caring, for keeping Lily in your mind and prayers. Never give up on her, someone knows something.

AMW’s 23rd Season Begins Saturday Night

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Missing Persons and Nonprofit Organizations on Twitter

Do you tweet? I began using Twitter right around the time my good friend Lily Aramburo disappeared, over two years ago. I knew I had to do something. As a Social Media Strategist, I used my know-how to start a blog, created a MySpace for Lily and Facebook Cause, and turned to Twitter to create awareness and to try to get media attention for Lily. I update my network daily, sharing news, Amber Alerts and all types of information related to missing person cases, not just Lily’s case. My content comes from all over the web. My twitter handle is @yogini

Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace can be very effective in the search for missing children and adults. But Twitter is not a broadcast-only medium. It is a community. Sharing, retweeting and commenting is very important.

Help support the families of those missing one tweet at a time. One Follow or Retweet may help bring a missing person home!

Here’s a list of missing persons and support organizations for families of the missing that tweet:

@FindJennKesse

You’re invited to join the Twitter group for Amber Alerts and news related to Missing Persons. All you have to do is post an update about a missing person and add the tag #missingpeople to your Tweet.

If you’re using Twitter to raise awareness for a missing person or if you Tweet for a nonprofit organization supporting missing persons; please leave a comment with your Twitter handle.

You have the power to get people involved and ultimately generate new leads and public interest for a missing loved one.

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New Tool to Locate US Missing Persons Online

Attention Miami Dade Police, City of Miami Police, US Law enforcement, medical examiners, coroners, victim advocates, volunteers and families of missing persons:

There is an incredible online tool, the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). This online tool allows you to search records of missing persons and unidentified human remains (recovered throughout the country) in an effort to SOLVE CASES. Anyone can search the national database using characteristics such as sex, race, body features and dental information. If you have a missing loved one, MAKE SURE to have their information listed on this FREE database! NamUs has already begun solving cases!

Washington Post article, The NamUs System

“There are perhaps 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains held by medical examiners and coroners across the country, according to government estimates. A patchwork of record-keeping policies govern the related data.

With that in mind, the Justice Department has created the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a searchable database of “unidentified decedents,” in hopes of matching remains to missing persons, an estimated 100,000 of which exist in the U.S. at any given time.

The more information in a NamUs profile, the more likely a match can be made. NamUs has created a five-star rating system indicating how much information is in a file, a hint at how likely it might be that the remains can be identified.”

Early in 2009, I submitted my friend, Lily Aramburo (missing from Miami, FL since June 2007) into NamUs. All the information we had on Lily (including pictures of Lily and her tattoo) was entered; except for Lily’s dental records and NCIC number, which we did not have. Lily Aramburo NamUs profile

In February, while searching the database, I got a match for skeletal remains found in Broward County, FL. I got in touch with the Medical Examiner’s Office and they made contact with law enforcement in Miami Dade. Soon they had the two DNAs compared and were able to get a quick turn around time regarding the results. The University of North Texas and the F. B. I. both had mitochondrial DNA profiles already established. Therefore, based on their unidentified decedent’s profile and Lily’s mom’s profile, the labs came to the conclusion that it could not possibly be Lily.

A short time later, I was contacted by Tony, the Regional System Administrator at NamUs. He said his goal was to make Lily’s file as complete as possible to enhance a resolution. He offered to help get Lily’s NCIC number, as well as working on contacting Lily’s dentist. Thanks to Tony we were finally able to acquire Lily’s NCIC number! The National Crime Information Center number for Lucely “Lily” Aramburo is M497579638. (For some reason, law enforcement didn’t want to share it with us.) We are grateful to Tony and the caring staff at NamUs. Everyone has been so willing to go out of their way to help.

Everyone NEEDS TO KNOW about NAMUS. Law Enforcement and Medical Examiner’s need to know about NamUs. Please make sure to help spread the word! 

Recommended reading:

New Path To Restore Identities Of Missing

Names, the missing matched on NamUs

14 years later, missing Va. boy ID’d via national tool

Families of the missing can search from home

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Filming for AMW “My Story” on Lily Aramburo

In an effort to bring awareness to the disappearance of Lily Aramburo, our team got together yesterday to shoot a video for America’s Most Wanted “My Story”.

AMW gets hundreds of letters each month from viewers who are seeking justice. Often, AMW is their last hope and the letter they send us might be the most important they have ever written. Like each writer, every My Story is different. Yet they all share a common bond — the search for justice.”justiceinmiami.org, America’s Most Wanted: My Story, Jul 2009

(Photo courtesy of Joe Carrillo) Here is Lilly’s mother, Lucely (left) and me (right) standing in front of the house where Lily was last seen in Coconut Grove, Florida.


Private Investigator Joe Carrillo and his partner Ana Lanuza.


Lucely asking the residents of Miami and Coconut Grove for their help. If you know anything at all about the disappearance of Lily Aramburo, please report your tip to law enforcement or place a call to Private Investigator Joe Carrillo at 305-926-3110.

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2 Years Ago Lilly’s Life Changed Forever

Lily’s case remains unsolved but our resolve to find her is unwavering. We remain strong, focused and working very hard to find answers.

Sunday, May 31st, 2009, we had a Justice March and Candle-light vigil to mark the 2 year anniversary of Lily’s disappearance. Lily’s family, friends and supporters met at Cocowalk. We put on our white T-shirts, held signs and passed out Lily’s missing person posters. It was a cloudy day with bits of rain (Maybe the reason why media didn’t show?) but there was plenty of traffic and movement in the Grove. I felt sick at heart watching Lily’s mother, Lucely that day, and Lilly’s elderly grandmother with Lilly’s little boy, Palden sitting innocently in his stroller.
Lucely, Lily Aramburo's mom
Lucely, Lilly’s mother
WHAT IF

About an hour later we marched through the streets of Coconut Grove, five blocks to the location where we held the vigil; steps away from where we believe Lily’s life was taken. We didn’t know what to expect. But as our group approached 3440 Percival Ave, a City of Miami police officer arrived and parked his police car down the block. He was friendly and cooperative and stayed until the end.

Night began to fall. Lucely said a few words and thanked everyone for their support and prayers, (I tried my best to translate) candles were passed out and Lily’s grandmother said a prayer. Afterward, we had a balloon release with the help of Palden, Lilly’s 2 year old son. He released purple balloons and said “I love you mom” and “we miss you”. He’s a big boy now and is well aware of Lily’s absence.

On behalf of Lily’s family and friends please accept our heartfelt thanks to each and every person who came out and shared this moment with us. I would like to thank Private Investigator Joe Carrillo, whose continued efforts and commitment we’re so grateful for. Thank you for caring and keeping her case moving forward! Thanks to everyone who has helped in the fight to find Lily. (Including my Twitter friends, Facebook community!) Thank you to each and every person, who continues to visit this blog, your messages of encouragement and prayers give us strength during this very difficult time. We are forever indebted to you.

Please check back as we update information. Your continued support is critical to bring Lilly home! We will not let Lily’s story go away. Together we will find our missing loved ones!

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Thank You Miami Herald Crime Scene Blog!

Candle vigil to mark young mother’s disappearance to be held in Coconut Grove

From Lily

Lucely “Lilly” Aramburo, 25, was last seen June 1, 2007.

She is the mother of a two-year-old boy named Palden, and has a history of drug abuse and mental illness.

Her mother Lucely Zalvidar told a New Times reporter that while growing up in Miami she had run away from home, and had made attempts to commit suicide .

Local activists are organizing a candle vigil at 6 p.m., on May 31st, at 35 Percial Avenue, in Coconut Grove to mark the two year anniversary of her disappearance. More information at the Justice in Miami blog.

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Thank You Coconut Grove Grapevine!

Vigil and March planned for missing Lucely Aramburo

There will be a candlelight vigil and silent march tomorrow, to commemorate missing mother, Lucely “Lily” Aramburo on the two year anniversary of her disappearance.

On June 1, 2007, Lilly Aramburo, 23, left her ex boyfriends house in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. The Miami Dade Police Department’s detectives failed to interview Christen Pacheco, Kelly Starling, and “EJ” who were present when Lily disappeared.The march will start at 6 pm at CocoWalk, tomorrow, May 31. The march will go to 3440 Percival Avenue.

Francisco Alvarado, of the New Times, was the first to report on the disappearance last September.More info on the vigil and march at the Justice in Miami Blog.

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