TJ
05-14-2003, 11:29 AM
http://www.pal-item.com/news/stories/20030510/localnews/278011.html
The family of Niqui McCown is determined to keep the case of their missing sister and daughter alive until it is solved.
They made sure of that Friday with a news conference at Scott Boys Club, asking questions of police, calling for more media coverage and once again asking for anyone with information to come forward.
Alive or not, they just want her back.
"All of us talked, and we just would like to see the media give our story the same attention as that of Laci Peterson,'' said McCown's sister Tammie Hughes. "When you don't have a lot of money you don't always have the same advantages.''
Peterson was a Modesto, Calif., woman who disappeared and whose body and the body of her unborn son were found after weeks of intense media coverage.
McCown has not been seen since July 22, 2001. She was doing her wash in a coin-operated laundry on South E Street in Richmond on that summer afternoon. Then she vanished.
On Friday, the McCown family members, 15 in all, lined up to join in the call for public help.
"We haven't given up. We won't give up,'' said Niqui McCown's mother, Barbara McCown. "This is mostly to notify the public that we're still searching.''
Other family members questioned if police had done enough and why the FBI had not been called in. But they mostly wanted to keep Niqui McCown's name in the news.
"Somebody is listening who knows something,'' said McCown's sister Michele Luster. "Media exposure helps bring people home. Anything can help.''
Richmond Police Det. Roger Redmond, who is leading the local investigation, also attended the news conference, along with several television and radio stations from Dayton, Ohio, and the area.
Redmond said the investigation has reached a "stalemate,'' but he said police have made a lot of progress in the last 22 months.
"We are a whole lot closer than we were almost two years ago,'' Redmond said. "But we are nowhere near conducting an arrest.''
Redmond said police still are investigating Niqui's fiancÈe, Robert Webster, and two Dayton area men, "who had a direct connection with Niqui McCown.''
"We will not stop pursuing this until we can put this case to rest,'' Redmond said. "I think this (news conference) is good for the family and good for the public. It may spark interest.''
Family members had nothing but praise for Redmond.
"He is becoming like one of the family,'' said Niqui McCown's brother, James Hampton. "He's done an excellent job. (Police) fumbled the ball and he picked it up and is running with it.''
Barbara McCown said the news conference helped the family find strength.
"I felt good about today,'' she said. "We stood together as a family today. Somebody did something to Niqui, but we're letting them know they did not destroy the family. In fact, it has brought us closer together."
The family of Niqui McCown is determined to keep the case of their missing sister and daughter alive until it is solved.
They made sure of that Friday with a news conference at Scott Boys Club, asking questions of police, calling for more media coverage and once again asking for anyone with information to come forward.
Alive or not, they just want her back.
"All of us talked, and we just would like to see the media give our story the same attention as that of Laci Peterson,'' said McCown's sister Tammie Hughes. "When you don't have a lot of money you don't always have the same advantages.''
Peterson was a Modesto, Calif., woman who disappeared and whose body and the body of her unborn son were found after weeks of intense media coverage.
McCown has not been seen since July 22, 2001. She was doing her wash in a coin-operated laundry on South E Street in Richmond on that summer afternoon. Then she vanished.
On Friday, the McCown family members, 15 in all, lined up to join in the call for public help.
"We haven't given up. We won't give up,'' said Niqui McCown's mother, Barbara McCown. "This is mostly to notify the public that we're still searching.''
Other family members questioned if police had done enough and why the FBI had not been called in. But they mostly wanted to keep Niqui McCown's name in the news.
"Somebody is listening who knows something,'' said McCown's sister Michele Luster. "Media exposure helps bring people home. Anything can help.''
Richmond Police Det. Roger Redmond, who is leading the local investigation, also attended the news conference, along with several television and radio stations from Dayton, Ohio, and the area.
Redmond said the investigation has reached a "stalemate,'' but he said police have made a lot of progress in the last 22 months.
"We are a whole lot closer than we were almost two years ago,'' Redmond said. "But we are nowhere near conducting an arrest.''
Redmond said police still are investigating Niqui's fiancÈe, Robert Webster, and two Dayton area men, "who had a direct connection with Niqui McCown.''
"We will not stop pursuing this until we can put this case to rest,'' Redmond said. "I think this (news conference) is good for the family and good for the public. It may spark interest.''
Family members had nothing but praise for Redmond.
"He is becoming like one of the family,'' said Niqui McCown's brother, James Hampton. "He's done an excellent job. (Police) fumbled the ball and he picked it up and is running with it.''
Barbara McCown said the news conference helped the family find strength.
"I felt good about today,'' she said. "We stood together as a family today. Somebody did something to Niqui, but we're letting them know they did not destroy the family. In fact, it has brought us closer together."