RICHMOND, Va. — It's a case that has haunted Richmond for nearly a decade: 21-year-old Keeshae Jacobs went missing in September 2016.
Her body was never recovered, but police have identified a suspect and a house where she likely died, as her case continues.
And the loss for her mother Toni Jacobs was compounded around the time Keeshae went missing, when her son Deavon was shot to death.
Amid that trauma and despair, Jacobs has turned her pain into a forum for other families going through that same agonizing experience.
Each year the Keeshae Jacobs Foundation sponsors a Missing Persons Day, which this year will be at the Broad Rock Sports Complex, on April 26.
Jacobs explained that her foundation is meant to be a resource for the whole community.
"My purpose is just to lend a helping hand," Jacobs said. "When I started the process when Keeshae first went missing, there wasn't anyone there to walk me through exactly what I needed to do. So I wanted to be that helping hand for families who are going through or may one day go through, what I'm going through, just so they know exactly what to expect. I know the police can be so blunt sometimes, and you just feel lost."
WATCH: Richmond says goodbye to Keeshae Jacobs years after she was last seen alive
Jacobs explained that keeping your loved one's case constantly in front of police as time goes by can feel like a challenge.
"I just look at it like this: you are your child or your own family member's biggest advocate. If you're not going to fight for them, no one else is going to fight for them the way you will fight for them," explained Jacobs. "So the police may get a little uncomfortable. I didn't care because this was my child, and I wanted them to know how special she was to me and how much she meant to me. So that means if I had to call you every day, and ask where you are every day, that's what I'm going to do."
Jacobs said Missing Persons Day will have something for the whole family.
"It's a family-oriented event," said Jacobs. "I want to be able to bring everyone out, the kids, the family, adults. I want them to be able to get information in case something happens. So they can know what the procedures you need to have, what you need to tell the police. I have someone coming out to make IDs for the children. It's just going to be a day of information to give people a pathway, just in case. The event originally was for families who had missing loved ones so we can come together and let them know they're not out there alone, that there's someone else out there with them, and we understand what you're going through.
The 8th annual Missing Persons Day starts at noon on April 26th, at the Broad Rock Sports Complex, 4899 Old Warwick Road, Richmond.
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