GREEN BAY, Wis. — As the Barron community celebrates Jayme Closs' return, others with missing loved ones are given hope.
Victoria Prokopovitz vanished from her house in Pittsfield on April 25, 2013, according to her daughter Marsha Loritz.
"We still don't know anymore today than the day that she went missing," said Loritz.
She said the pain doesn't go away.
"When you lose a person, like in a death, you can grieve, and you can move on. You know what has happened. But when they're missing, there's constant, no answers. You are constantly wondering, constantly searching, and you just live in a state of not knowing," added Loritz.
Now, she's helping others, creating the non-profit Wisconsin Missing Persons Advocacy. Inc.
"We support families who find themselves in this situation of having a missing person," said Loritz.
Families, like Jayme Closs', searching for answers, hoping to reunite with their missing loved ones.
"It was very emotional, you know, a 13-year-old to go missing," said Loritz.
But a community holding onto hope helped bring Closs home, and Marsha said there's no reason to ever give it up.
"It's all we have. Without hope, what do you have? You don't have any answers, and all you have are questions. And so if there's nothing to show that you can't have hope, then why can't you have hope?" said Loritz.
Marsha still holds onto hope she will one day know how it feels for a loved one to come home.
