Erica, 9, left her house, in Kettering, Ohio to take her Aunt's dog for a walk . Two hours later the dog was picked up by Animal Control and Erica has not been seen since. The date was February 7, 1999.
Immediate the search was on for Erica and the large pond near the Kettering Recreation Center where she had been walking was drained.
Police eventually arrested Christian Gabriel for her death after he confessed to hitting her with his van and burying her body. He was found guilty in 2004, for gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Gabriel did take the police to several locations to search for Erica's body, but she was never found.
Jan Franks, who police believe was in the van with Gabriel, even though Gabriel changed his story and said Franks was actually driving, probably told the public defender, Beth Lewis, where Erica's body was. Franks died in 2001 from a drug overdose and Lewis said the information she received from Lewis was attorney-client privilege and she would not tell.
In 2006, Lewis was ordered to break her silence and tell what Franks told her. As grand jury testimony is secret, neither the public nor media ever found out what it was.
Erica's body has never been found and she is persumed dead, although no one really knows. Her father Greg, who believes she is dead still hopes to find her body and answers.
"She's dead and gone and buried, but we need to find her and give her a final resting place."
June 22 marks Erica's 21st birthday.
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