NELSON COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) -- Two families united in grief took part in a ceremony to raise awareness about missing persons Friday afternoon.
The loved ones of Morgan Harrington and Alexis Murphy, who both disappeared in Virginia, spoke out in Nelson County to help prevent crimes against young women.
"I know if she's looking at us right now, I know she wants to be home. She definitely wants to come home," said Laura Murphy, Alexis' mother.
This week marks the two-month anniversary since 17-year-old Alexis went missing from the tight-knit community. In the weeks since she vanished, the community rallied together to cope with the unthinkable.
"You are my sister. Our tears are the same color. Alexis is the precious daughter of this community and all of us are outraged that she has been stolen from you," said Gill Harrington, Morgan's mom.
Harrington's daughter, Morgan, vanished in October of 2009 after leaving a concert at the University of Virginia. Authorities found her remains, but never caught her killer.
Even though it has been two months, Murphy's family has given up. They said the rally strengthen their resolve and hope it will help others in a similar situation deal with such pain.
"We 're going to bring Alexis home. We're going to find Morgan's killer and then we're going to move on to the next case." said Trina Murphy, Alexis's aunt. "We're not going away."
Friday's event is part of an eight state tour by the Cue Center for Missing Persons, a non-profit group to prevent crimes against young women by promoting personal safety.
Randy Taylor, the suspect charged in connection with Murphy's disappearance, has been indicted on an abduction charge. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 23 for a trial date.
