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WILKES-BARRE — The family and friends of presumed murder victim Phylicia Thomas are distributing bumper stickers in an attempt to keep her name alive and to put pressure on investigators to solve the 14-year-old case.
Pauline Bailey, mother of Phylicia Thomas, and her friend, Judy Lorah Fisher, Thursday said they have had 25 bumper stickers made and another 25 are ordered, She said people have asked for the bumper stickers to display on their vehicles to help get the message out.
Phylicia Thomas went missing on Feb. 11, 2004. Her body has never been found and she is presumed to have been murdered. Her killers remain unknown. Her remains have never been found, despite many searches. She was 22 at the time of her disappearance.
And while nearly 16 years have passed since she was last seen at a party in Hunlock Township, the hope to find her and bring those responsible to justice remains strong.
“We hope to raise awareness by letting people know there’s been no justice in Phylicia’s case,” Fisher said. “We have not heard anything from the state police or district attorney in months. They are the people who are supposed to seek justice for Phylicia. The fact is there has been no justice for her. Have they just forgotten about Phylicia?”
District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said the investigation remains open and she asked anyone with information to contact her office or the state police.
“We would be happy to sit down with anyone and discuss the case,” Salavantis said. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for a mother to not know what happened to her daughter and the grief she and her family have been going through. I truly feel for her.”
Fisher said she has seen the effects of the unsolved case on Bailey and her family.
“It’s awful,” Fisher said. “They deserve answers.”
Bailey said the public needs to know that the case remains unsolved and that she has been given no hope that the case will be solved, She said she wants her daughter’s remains found and returned so she can give her a proper burial.
“Phylicia was savagely murdered by some very bad people,” Bailey said. “But investigators aren’t doing anything about it. There have been no arrests. Why not?”
Fisher posted a strong message on Facebook about the bumper stickers and the unsolved case.
“A mother wakes up every morning to a murdered missing daughter for over 15 years,” Fisher wrote. “We as parents can’t even imagine what that would be like. We all know where our children are. We all have a grave to put flowers on. This family has none of that.”
Fisher said there have been searches conducted by her friends and the family using specially trained cadaver dogs with no results.
Fisher also made an impassioned plea to whomever might be responsible for Phylicia’s death, asking that her remains placed where they can be found.
“We at least would be able to put Phylicia to rest and give her family closure,” Fisher said.
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