TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It's been 12 years since Marlana McElvaine went missing in September of 2010. She was just 27 years old and a mother of two, caring for a newborn and a toddler.
Her case remains unsolved, her 40th birthday would have been on Wednesday.
"So tomorrow we celebrate her birthday and she's not here," Dian McElvaine said. "You have no closure and there's just this void in our hearts. We go on, we do the things, we have to do, but we have no answers and we're just hoping that someday ... we can give her the proper goodbye that she deserves."
She was last seen at the home that she lived in with her boyfriend and children. Authorities later found her car abandoned in a rural area with the keys in the ignition and her work identification inside.
"Very shortly, I'm going to be declaring her deceased because I do not think that she's just somewhere," Dian McElvaine said. "She never would have left her family - left her kids. She wouldn't have left her life."
Marlana had moved into her boyfriend's home just a few weeks before she went missing. He since has been arrested and is behind bars for unrelated crimes. Her sister Janean says she last saw her sister at a party a few weeks prior but never talked to her after that.
"I had actually stopped talking to her that last time that I saw her because I knew she was gonna go back to her ex," Janean McElvaine said. "Because I knew it was a bad relationship. I was around and I witnessed enough to know how bad it was. How much domestic violence there was because I witnessed it. I had to go pick her up many times from the abuse."
With no new leads, her family hopes by sharing their story someone will come forward with information that will lead to closure.
"I think we all know what happened but we just need someone to come forward and, you know, give us some answers," Janean said.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME.
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Denelle Veselik is an anchor and investigative reporter for KGUN 9. It's been her dream to tell your stories for the past decade. She is extremely curious and wants to continue to use her storytelling for the greater good. Share your story ideas and important issues with Denelle by emailing denelle.veselik@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter.
