Sharon Murch’s daughter, Michaela Joy Garecht, was kidnapped 24 years ago. Sharon blogs about her thoughts and daily life at Dear Michaela.

Yesterday, in a post titled Michaela’s Light, Murch wrote about Michaela’s continuing presence, her continuous life, in a way I can’t possibly describe. I will excerpt a small piece here, and I urge you to read Sharon’s own words about the love and light Michaela continues to bring to the world.

The tragedy happened in that moment on November 19, 1988, when she was kidnapped. After that moment, all roads had to lead through one level or another of hell. But if, if this turns out to be Michaela, we can figure that her suffering wasn’t long, that she didn’t cry herself to sleep, that her heart didn’t ache for home, because she was home.

We have to honor her, her person, her life, and her death if that is what happened, and let her continue to inspire love and faith and hope in our hearts.

Sharon continues to search for Michaela. She continues to hope for her return. Michaela’s case was in the news again this week in connection with a terrible and high-profile  case. Read Sharon’s story about Michaela’s possible link to the Shermantine/Herzog case here. Very briefly, the FBI is currently running DNA tests on bone fragments that were found in relation to the “Speed Freak Killings.” Murch writes:

Herzog had been previously linked to Michaela’s case by his partner in crime, Wesley Shermantine, because he looked like Michaela’s kidnapper (although Shermantine later stated that he “doesn’t know anything about that Hayward girl”). The age range of the victim, combined with the limited period of time in which these bodies had been buried, also limits the possibilities as well. There are not that many missing girls from this area of the country that it could be.

These tests should determine definitively whether or not the bone fragments are Michaela’s. Three years ago, there was a possible break in the case that ultimately did not lead to answers. Perhaps this new path, as heartbreaking as it is, will lead somewhere. Murch believes that it might:

It’s quite a leap to go from posting information to help Michaela find help in the UAE to saying in the next blog that I believe it’s likely that evidence has been found that Michaela is not alive, but yes, that is what I am going to say. Part of the reason I say this is because it is simply a logical conclusion. Part of it is that it just feels like it is. In my heart, I have been expecting something to happen. I didn’t know what. I didn’t know it would be this, but I was just expecting something.

Here is Sharon’s message to Michaela.

If you have any information, please call Inspector Robert Lampkinat the Hayward Police Department(510) 293-7079Robert.Lampkin@hayward-ca.gov

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