Mothers of missing people in Chicago area plead for help on Mother's Day
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Sunday marks another difficult Mother's Day for a small group of women looking for their children who have disappeared from the Chicago area.
They gathered in Daley Plaza to tell their stories in hopes of putting a spotlight on these cold cases. It's become a painful tradition for these mothers, who have gathered every year for the past three years to remind the community that they have not given up hope of finding their children.
They prayed and made a heartbreaking plea to the public for help.
Among the mothers present was Karen Phillips, the mother of missing pregnant postal worker Kierra Coles, who disappeared in October 2018.
Coles was three months pregnant when she vanished in the Chatham neighborhood. Her last known movement was captured on surveillance footage.
Also on hand was LaShann Walker, whose daughter Diamond Bynum and grandson King Walker disappeared nearly a decade ago while visiting a relative's home in Gary, Indiana.
Both families are frustrated with law enforcement and what they say is the lack of effort to locate their children.
"It's so stressful not knowing where my child is," said Phillips. "It's hurtful because I don't know if she's being harmed, if she's OK. Is she cold? Is she hot? Did she have a baby? Do I have a grandchild out there somewhere? It really takes a hold on my mental."
"It's not knowing whether they're being harmed or not, whether they're still in this world or not," said Walker. "It is the worst feeling anybody could ever have."
These missing cases are still active, and the families are asking the public to share their stories in hopes someone could come forward with new information.
