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() The family of a Missouri mother missing for 25 years has renewed hope in the search for Nicole Gray.
Gray went out to buy Christmas presents in 1999 and simply vanished.
Police say they are reexamining the cold case and believe foul play may have been a factor.
Missing a mother’s love
Kendra Young, Gray’s daughter, who was only 8 at the time, hopes she’ll finally learn what happened to her mom.
“It’s hard, just being a mother, not knowing if you’re doing it right because you didn’t have a mother,” she said. “My kids didn’t get to meet their grandmother. I don’t get to grow old with my mom.”
Young hopes old photos will jog someone’s memory. She says Gray was someone people remember.
“She wore a lot of jewelry, she was light-complected, she always had her hair done,” Young said. “[She was] kind of loud, she dressed to impress, but to know her was to love her. When she was in a room, you knew.”
Nicole Gray disappears
Gray disappeared from St. Ann, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis on Dec. 17, 1999. The 30-year-old mother of four said she was going to run errands before attending a Christmas party at her kids’ school.
But she never made it to the party.
Police said Gray’s Ford Explorer was found at what was then the Northwest Plaza mall that night, but there was no sign of Gray.
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Young had just turned 8 when her mom disappeared.
“I don’t really think I took it in at that age. I just knew she wasn’t there, but the absence really hit me in adult life,” Young said. “You’re just kind of like, dang, I just miss my momma, and it’s a lot of milestones, a lot of firsts, and it’s been hard.”
A new look at Nicole Gray’s case
Now, 25 years later, police say they’re taking a new look at the case, saying Gray may have been a victim of foul play.
“It’s been too long,” Young said. “Before I leave this Earth, I want to know what happened to my mother. She was a mother of four, she had neices, nephews, siblings.”
Young has created a Facebook page where she has been posting updates, sharing photos, making videos and doing anything she can to get the word out.
While she holds out some hope her mom might still be alive, Young just wants anyone with information to come forward so her family can have some peace, no matter where those answers lead.
Even if Gray is gone, Young would at least be able to give her a proper burial.
“Maybe I could go visit a gravesite and plant a tree in her name,” she said.
St. Ann police did not respond to . Investigators have never said if they found any of Gray’s belongings, like her purse or ID, or if they were able to retrace her steps that day.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Ann, Missouri, police department.