"Kaelin Glazier "
Mom hopes for word on missing teen
Kaelin Glazier disappeared from Medford four years ago; now her family just seeks closure Wednesday, December 27, 2000
From The Associated Press
MEDFORD -- Kimberly Cruz would like nothing better this holiday season than to find out what
happened to her daughter four years ago.
Kaelin Glazier, 15, disappeared on Nov. 6, 1996. She was last seen walking to church.
"I know I'll see my daughter in heaven. That gives me peace. But I need to know the truth," the
Medford woman said. "Christmas is about mercy. That's all I want. I want to bring my daughter
home."
Last year, the Jackson County sheriff's department named a "person of interest" in the case, Bill
Simmons, an acquaintance and former classmate of Kaelin's who might have been the last person to
see her. Simmons was a friend of Kaelin's boyfriend.
According to police reports, Kaelin visited Simmons at his grandparents' home on Johnson Road the
day Kaelin vanished. He has not been charged in connection with the case.
Massive searches using dogs, aircraft and even psychics have yielded no results. A specialized team
from Colorado brought in to investigate the area this October was unable to find anything.
Over the years, hundreds of interviews have been conducted by the Jackson County sheriff's
department and by the FBI.
Cruz has appeared on nationally televised talk shows, such as Montel Williams, Maury Povich and
Geraldo. Fliers and mailings have covered the nation.
Authorities and her family think that she is dead. They don't think the teen ran away.
"At this point, all the signs point to foul play," said Ed Temple, Crime Prevention Program manager for
the sheriff's department. "Right now, we're working to find out what happened the day she
disappeared and bring her home.
"It's more important, at this point in time, to find Kaelin and bring closure to the family than it is to
prosecute," Temple said. "The people in this community have taken this case to heart. They want
closure as well."
Cruz is hoping for a phone call, a letter, an e-mail, even if it's anonymous.
"Somebody knows what happened to her. It will only take one person with a little bit of information,"
Cruz said. "It's been a tremendous heartache around the holidays, digging up memories. But because
it's Christmas, I'm hoping somebody, somewhere will tell me where she is."
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