Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the kidnapping of Michaela Joy Garecht, who was abducted on November 19, 1988, at the age of nine. Read Michaela’s story on the myspace page maintained by her mother, Sharon Murch, here.

Michaela was kidnapped when she and a friend went three blocks to our neighborhood market one sunny Saturday morning. They had ridden scooters to the market, and when they came out one was missing. Michaela spotted it in the parking lot and went to get it. When she bent over to pick it up, a man jumped out of the car next to it, grabbed her from behind, threw her in his car, and took off with her. Michaela’s friend witnessed the kidnapping and went immediately for help. In spite of an immediate police response, Michaela has never been found, and neither has her kidnapper. It has now been over eighteen years.

Today, Sharon wrote, “However many years have passed, we have not given up, and the police department investigation is still active. This is a case that will never grow cold.”

If you have information, contact missingmichaela@gmail.com, or the Hayward Police Department at 1-800-222-3999. Here is the poster of the suspected kidnapper.