Another vigil, but no answers after 4 years

By Jessica Leffler

WHITE CLOUD, Mich. (WOOD) -- Family and friends gathered Saturday night to honor Amanda Lankey and to urge anyone with information about her murder to step forward.

The 13-year-old disappeared in June 21,2004, exactly four years ago. She'd been spending the night at her friend Jessica Foster's house.

She was found brutally killed two weeks later in the Manistee National Forest.
 
At the vigil, her friend Jessica said, "It's another year, and there's nothing yet." 

That night, "I just woke up and she wasn't there. I searched the house, I searched again, and finally went and woke up my mom," Jessica said. "Everyone said she was just a runaway, that she ran away, but I figured that wasn't it. She would have called somebody, she would have called her mom. She would have called me."

An Amber Alert was never issued.

Amanda's family now lives in Florida, but comes back every June, hoping to keep the spark of Amanda's memory alive. They also hope the case is cracked so they know what happened.

Her sister, Wanda, said "We're very hopeful this year it's going to work. Some things will go through for us."

This week, investigators announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

"Mom says it's sad it comes down to money," Jessica said, "but she hopes it works."

Previous stories from 24 Hour News 8:

'Baffling' murder unsolved 2 years later

3 years after Lankey disappearance, mystery remains

Woman still searching for justice 4 years after daughter's murder