Under the gazebo in Longview’s R.A. Long Memorial Park, friends, family and supporters of Hailey Athay gathered not only to celebrate her 34th birthday but also to urge the public to share information they might have about her disappearance.
“We miss her every day,” said Athay’s mother, Nicole Brooks, 53, of Napavine.
About 20 people joined Thursday’s event to honor Athay, who was last reported seen in November at a South Kelso store and the Lexington Chevron.
Athay was born in Yakima, but went to school in Longview, including at Monticello Middle School and R.A. Long High School.
The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office describes her as standing 5 foot and 7 inches tall, 135 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.
During her own search for her daughter, Brooks said she broke her arm and leg, and she used a cane to walk at the vigil.
“We just keep hoping and praying somebody out there decides to come forward, (and) bring her home,” Brooks said.
She said she law enforcement told her Wednesday they are seeking to speak with several people who might be helpful in the investigation.
However, Troy Brightbill, chief criminal deputy with the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, told The Daily News on Wednesday, there have been no updates on Athay’s disappearance.
In March, Brightbill said Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office investigators had interviewed all individuals of interest in the case. The office does not release the names of persons of interest unless those people are charged with a crime.
Organizers of the gathering placed pink candles beneath a large pink poster, mounted on a stand, showcasing a collage of pictures of Athay, some of which are with her children. The word “remembering” was placed above the missing mother’s name.
Plastic diamonds, candy, cupcakes, and cathedral candles lay on pop-up tables, along with missing leaflets featuring Athay’s face. A white box shaped like a chest was set up to allow participants to leave birthday wishes for Athay or to provide anonymous tips for the family and authorities.
It’s been about nine months since Shasta Ives, 31, of Longview, said she has seen her friend.
“I’m still gonna keep being her voice, keep carrying her flyers and sharing her story,” Ives said. “She deserves justice.”
Ives has organized search parties in Rose Valley and Toutle to look for Athay.
“I want her heard, I want us heard, and I want justice,” she said. “Whatever it takes.”
The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to contact Detective James Hanberry at 360-577-3092 regarding case A25-247 with any information about Hailey Athay’s whereabouts.
