The Search for Marizela: A Thanksgiving note
I’ve been taking time off this week and visiting with loved ones on the East Coast. Though it’s been a hellish year, we still have so much to be grateful for — and my column this week is dedicated to many of the wonderful people who have helped in the ongoing search for my missing cousin, Marizela. To all the readers, friends, and strangers who have shown their support: We cannot thank you enough. Blessings to you all.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea…
–Psalm 46: 1-2
***
The Search for Marizela: A Thanksgiving note
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2011
On March 5, my 18-year-old cousin disappeared from her University of Washington campus in Seattle. Marizela Perez—5-foot-5, 110 pounds, short black hair with brown/red highlights and bangs cut into an asymmetrical bob, wearing a dark hooded jacket, jeans and light brown suede boots—was last seen at a Safeway grocery that fateful Saturday afternoon.
Marizela walked out the door and up Brooklyn Ave., and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Civil War historian Drew Gilpin Faust once described the “aching hearts” of families of the missing “in which the dread void of uncertainty” remains. In the first days and weeks after Marizela went missing, this feeling completely engulfed her parents, relatives and friends near and far.
How to express the inexpressible?
You try to breathe, but all that fills your lungs is that smoky, stifling uncertainty.
You try to eat, but all you can taste is indigestible fear.
You try to sleep, but all that comes is fathomless fatigue.
Your heart is weighted with grief, but your soul refuses to mourn.
You cling to hope and faith, tie a knot at the ends, and hang on with raw, blistered desperation.
Whoever said “time heals all wounds” has only known superficial hurt. Sharp pangs of panic have metastasized into deep anguish over the past eight months. There have been no investigative leads. No witnesses have come forward. To the police department, as is the case with so many others like her, Marizela is just another bureaucratic burden.
In fact, for five full months, the Seattle police shockingly violated state code requiring law enforcement agencies to submit her DNA information and dental X-rays to the Washington State Patrol within 30 days of her disappearance. After raising a ruckus, we were informed in late October that this legally mandated task was assigned to a “light duty” officer (never identified) who let it slip through the cracks. No one was held accountable for this negligence.
Along the way, however, the kindness of complete strangers has been boundless. This holiday season, our heartfelt gratitude goes out to each and every person who has contributed to the search for Marizela, including:
* Ned Cullen and the generous folks at ClearChannel Outdoor, who donated digital billboard space for missing persons alerts about Marizela all over the West Coast, from the Seattle area to Salem, Oregon, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
* The staff of the King County Superior Court and the staff of the King County Medical Examiner’s office, foremost among them forensic anthropologist Dr. Kathy Taylor for her professionalism, dedication to and compassion for families of the missing.
* Countless bloggers, Twitter users, and YouTube and Facebook users from across the political spectrum and from every walk of life who took time to spread the word about Marizela’s disappearance from Day One.
* Melanie Helmick of K-9 Kampus in Arkansas; search-and-rescue team leader Michael Lueck from Texas; Steve Yerger of K9 Centurion and his daughter Rebecca in Maryland; Don and Austin Davidson; dog handlers Mary Haislet, Shannon Kiley and Melissa Ellis; and Seattle Parks and Recreation Department staffers Sandy Demerit and Laura Nepler.
* KCPQ, Q13 Fox, KIRO-TV, KING 5-TV, Christine Clarridge and David Boardman of the Seattle Times, the University of Washington student daily, Seattle radio hosts John Carlson, David Boze and Dori Monson, and many other Pacific Northwest-area readers, local media outlets and allies who gave their broadcast air, pages and personal time to the case.
* “America’s Most Wanted,” CBSNews.com, Fox News and FoxNews.com, Human Events, Intermarkets, To Write Love on Her Arms, and several missing persons’ advocacy groups, who all helped alert national audiences and followers to Marizela’s disappearance.
* Friends behind the scenes who have offered invaluable legal, technical and investigative help, advice and counsel.
* Church communities, fundraising organizers and too many more to name from South Jersey to Seattle and beyond who have helped with our ongoing search efforts.
On her left inner arm, Marizela has a tattoo that reads “Lahat ay magiging maayos.” Her friends transformed the saying into a tribute bracelet in her favorite color: bright orange. It’s Tagalog for “Everything’s going to be OK.”
This has become a credo in the ongoing search for Marizela—and it is also a fitting Thanksgiving message. To smile through tears. To savor the sweet over the bitter. To find a way, with the help of God, family and friends, to count our blessings even (and especially) in the midst of great angst. Because in the end: “All will be well.”
***
We have posted Marizela’s missing persons flyer, photos, videos and updates at http://findmarizela.com/. The tip line number for citizens who may have any information that might aid in the search is 1-855-MARIZEL. Thank you.
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One year later: Marizela is still missing; Plus: A public appeal to Google
March 5, 2012 02:40 AM by Michelle Malkin
59 CommentsFinding Marizela: The Dread Void of Uncertainty; UPDATE: Marizela is still missing, questions unanswered
October 24, 2011 03:46 AM by Michelle Malkin
99 Comments
Update: Arrest made in case of missing Seattle-area teen Kathy Chou
July 7, 2011 03:17 PM by Michelle Malkin
26 CommentsFinding Marizela: Month Four
July 5, 2011 06:19 AM by Michelle Malkin
50 Comments
Categories: Marizela
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Please come home Marizela.
Everyone awaits you.
Marizela,
I know your family is still looking for you and we pray to Almighty God that you are just waiting to be found. We pray in His Name that you are alive and waiting for a chance to come home. We give this to the Lord for His miracle. Yet, no matter what happens, we still give all of this to You Lord. And, anyone who has hindered or even done worse we pray they are exposed and brought to swift justice.
Amen
Such a sad trial for the family. My cousin, a reporter, was missing many years ago in El Salvador.It was a few years before he was found and identified and his family suffered throughout. Hoping you get closure and answers cvery soon.
* SIGH *
oh Michelle, so sorry. Cannot fathom this–still hoping and praying.
May God hold your family together and comfort you through the holidays–and may there be some joyful, gleeful, giddy good news!!
Continuing always in prayers,
Redgypsy and family
As always, my prayers include Marizela. May she be found safe and sound.
We continue to pray for Marizela, your family and for all those who are missing.
Trust in God.
May God lift this family up in their time of need. Father, we just praise you and glorify you for You are the source of all that is good in this world. May your truth bring this beautiful child back to the family that loves her so dearly. We ask your will be done.
Michelle, I continue to pray for your family and for the safe return of Marizela. May God be your source of strength and may you find peace in this time of uncertainty.
You are so right, time does NOT heal all wounds. We carry our loss of loved ones deep within our hearts and souls until the time we are called home to our Father’s Kingdom. May He send His angels of Comfort and Mercy to help you and all of Marizela’s family and friends through these times of testing one’s faith.
Michelle,
Once again my prayers go out to you and your whole family. Let’s all pray that Marizela comes home soon.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you for the gift of faith, the knowledge that everything in the universe has a purpose and the reason for everything that happens in our lives will become clear to us one day. We trust You, and know You are holding Michelle’s whole family in Your loving arms.
Please, Lord, show them the way to Marizela and bring peace to this family.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him…”
Job 13:15
We are praying for your family Michelle.
In Jesus’ Holy name, we ask for comfort for Ms. Malkin’s and Marizela’s families, who await her return. Give them some joy during this time of thanksgiving.
Our refuge and comfort is the Lord. Embrace your family and friends knowing that all Christians share your sorrow and pain. The world is diminished with our losses but Heaven gains. I pray Marizela will be returned to you and all lives she touches will be enriched.
Thank you Michelle for finding room in your broken heart for us this time of year. The anguish you and your extended family are now enduring brings into sharp focus what the rest of us truly need to be thankful of. May Marizela come home soon.
Nothing so impotent as man, as when a child goes missing. God, please help us.
Prayers and love to you and your family. I know this is a trying time that words cannot express. I pray that God will answer these humble prayers for the return of Marizela to her family. In Jesus’ Holy Name, AMEN.
So sorry to see you going through such torment. The agony of not knowing what has become of a missing loved one is something that has to be experienced to be understood, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Still hoping you can find a happy ending.
Ms Malkin,
I have continued to pray and hope for Marizela’s safe return. The only thing worse than having lost a loved one is having lost a loved one without knowing whether you will get them back or not. It keeps the wound open and fresh.
My heart goes out to you for your ongoing anguish, and any comfort or strength I can offer is yours. I wish there was more I could do than pray, but you and your family are in my prayers, as well as Marizela.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His Face shine upon you, and give you peace.
Amen
I have asked God to comfort all family members and if it is His will, return Marizela home since you told us she was missing Michelle. I will contine to do so daily.
L
As always, praying Marizela comes home soon. My heart aches for you and your family during this time of thanksgiving. God Bless you and yours Michelle.
I can only echo the groaning pain everyone else shares here. As we continue to pray…
For all the families with missing Ones this Thanksgiving.
Philippians 4:6
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Isaiah 43:2
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
We’ve had a family problem regarding my autistic son. These verses have comforted me.
I hope they also comfort you.
Continued prayers for your cousin and your family. May she come home soon. God Bless.
“And not only this, but we also rejoice in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5
It’s rare that any real spiritual growth occurs when things are going well. When you have stand firm in the storms, hold your head up and keep faith for weeks, months or years that faith and character are refined and strengthened. God knows what he’s doing, and loves EmEm more than anyone.
We hope Marizela will arrive safely home, so we call upon you, our Lord. You bring hope where there is none and miracles where the commonplace won’t do. Protect this precious child and bring her safely home. We cry out in the name of Jesus, and for His sake. Please bring her home.
It’s amazing that this post only garners 27 comments, yet other less important and unsuprisingly repetitive issues generate greater commentary.
Marizela, you are so wonderful!!
Thoughts and prayers daily for Marizela, the family and you, Michelle.
Yeah, that whole time-heals-all-wounds bit is the purest nonsense. Such wounds of the heart never heal. You just learn how not to die from the bleeding.
I wouldn’t attribute that to lack of interest. Sometimes, some of us are just at a loss for words. (like now, for instance)
How I wish Marizela could be spending Thanksgiving with her loved ones. I will continue to pray for all of you.
Words seem so easy, but please know that you and your family continue to be in the minds of your extended “online family”, Michelle. May God bless you and yours, may He bring you answers and grant you His peace.
May God bless you and yours on this Thanksgiving Day. May God bless Marizela and her family. My prayers for her safe return and for peace in your hearts this holiday.
Michelle, our prayers are with you and your family. Most of all, the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth, is with you.
Michelle, ever since this happened to your family I have tried to get the nerve to share some things with you.The absence of others comments is perfectly normal because this is every families’ worst nightmare. It is unspeakable and they don’t know what to say. If you lose your wife..you are a widower.if you lose your husband..you are a widow..if you lose your parents.. you are an orphan.. If you lose you child there is no word in the English language to describe it. The sudden,violent,unexpected, death of my daughter, also named Michelle, qualifies me to say I do understand. I have learned that you never get over it..you get through it. Regardless of the outcome there is no such thing as closure but acceptance will come.The love and kindness of others who share your pain helps the pain diminish and become bearable. Keep talking about it even if you sense others are tired of hearing about it.Counselors really had to push to keep me talking since I tend to internalize my emotions. I encourage looking into Compassionate Friends made entirely of those of us who have lost children. There are thousands and thousands of us out here.It seems to me that you are holding up well in this circumstance.(And I know the soul numbing pain is always there) May God Bless you and your family and bring her home.
Trust the Lord and he will guide your path.
Very thoughtful observation. I usually refrain from commenting on these threads out of fear of making things worse or sounding insincere. If I could help I would. If I had words that I knew would ease the pain, I would write a direct e-mail to Michelle. But I am just a stranger who comments on a blog. All I can do is include this in my prayers.
Amen. I believe that others that haven’t been through that (I haven’t) cannot truly understand the grief and anguish. While my kids were little I had two nightmares on different occasions; both where my children had been kidnapped. They are still the most disturbing horrifying nightmares I have ever had. At least I could wake up from them; not the same for you nice people.
A harsh judgment awaits those that do evil to others while we pass through our time on earth. My prayers for some consolation and peace of any kind to you Michelle, and of course to you as well Marco.
There are no words adequate……
May God bless all on this Thanksgiving Day
Marizela, you are in the thoughts of many. I pray you are safe. Your loved ones are also always in my thoughts.
May God bless us all on this Thanksgiving Day.
Many prayers for her safe return.
About 30 years ago I lost a good friend to a boating accident. The boat seemed to just disappear. Losing a loved one and not knowing is a more difficult pain. Michelle, I wish that you and your family were not having to face Marizela not being with you now. Life can be so unfair. May God surround you and your family with his hands and give you strength.
May the love and support of those you know, and of the many you don’t, help you cope with the absence of your dear, beautiful cousin through the holidays and onward. Marizela is a stranger to me, yet she is close to my heart. You are wise to use your prominence as a way to keep the public aware of Marizela as a reminder of others who are missed. Though the sentiment is a cliché, this really does demonstrate how none of us should take those we care about for granted, since we can never know exactly when we may lose the chance to continue showing how much we love them.
Stay strong, and don’t despair, Michelle. I wish nothing but the best for you, your loved ones, and everyone this Thanksgiving.
Some good news abroad:
Michelle,
First, let me extend my sympathies to you and your family. It rends my heart thinking about what has happened to your family. I know how I would feel if in a similar position.
What is inconceivable to me is the seemingly cavalier attitude of the police departments involved. I remember, from when my wife was stationed at McChord AFB, how “on the ball” they were… which is to say, unless it was a revenue stream – such as ticketing anything that had two cents to rub together – they were uninterested. While I’m not a fan of law suits, their reaction to your situation, and state law, causes me to wish I had studied law to take the case pro bono. When law enforcement becomes so besotted with its own authority that it selectively follows laws applying to itself, but expects others to follow every jot and tittle, we have the very definition of tyranny. Perhaps everyone who they tickets, for the same amout of time, should let the payment of fines “fall through the cracks”, too. And when the money pool dries up, force management to set the example and forgo pay and benefits. They might thereby learn that they are not above that same law they lord over the Great Unwashed. The time they cost in the search makes me furious!
We Mormons believe that this life is preparation for the next. That whatever trials we undergo are to a purpose – though that the Understanding of that purpose in detail is beyound our current level of growth. Heavenly Father hasn’t promised that the trials would be easy ― just commeasurate with what we undergo. (and not necessarily at a 1:1 ratio, either…)
I do remember, often, to ask in my prayers that H.F. through His Only Begotten will confort you and open the door in this.
We also believe that Families Can Be Together Forever – so regardless of current circumstance, you will see her again! I know that must seem small comfort, but when my first wife crossed over, it helped me ― it saved my sanity. It wasn’t instantly comforting. Not right away, but by-and-by. I wish there was more I could offer.
I will ask my family to remember you, your family, Marizela and her family, during their individual and family prayers.
We continue to pray for Marizela and your family.
Trust in God.
Your post probably should be in a different thread, but ironic just the same.
On November 25th, 2011 at 8:45 am, martin.musculus said:
Very kind and thoughtful!! I agree with you!!
Michelle, I can’t find words to comfort you and your family, words to ease the pain. If only I could just hug you tight!
But I do pray. Along with countless others, I pray that Almighty God, our Father, will return your beloved Marizela to her family soon.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Lord,
Look beyond my sins and my needs. Bring comfort to Marizela and her family. Bring her home.
Amen.
Michelle:
My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. My family has suffered through this not knowing. Please dear Lord bring peace to your family soon.
In Christ’s name, Amen.
Dear Ms. Malkin,
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, meaning the first Sunday before Christmas Day. There are four in total. As I lit my candle at home and prayed, I also prayed to St. Anthony to find Marizela and to bring her home to her family. He is the patron saint for lost items and missing persons. Although I do not write here frequently, your family is always in my prayers. God bless you.