KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A small army gathers every week at a church at 77th & Troost. They arm themselves with fliers, water bottles and hope, setting out to search for Desirea Ferris. <\/p>\n
Ferris left her Liberty home the night of May 1 to hang out with some friends and went missing in the early morning hours of May 2. After that, her social and phone activity went silent; her family hasn't seen or heard from her since. <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the group was preparing to confront their worst fear going to the place where her phone last pinged, just blocks away from their meeting place. <\/p>\n
\"It's been three months and nobody's talking,\" Patti Tam, Desirea's mom, told a neighbor. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Fliers with the 18-year-old's face are all over south Kansas City, tucked beneath windshield wipers and stapled up on light poles. <\/p>\n
Desirea's big, brown eyes resemble her mothers, but Patti's reflect a fierceness only a mother on a mission could have. <\/p>\n
Lead by men on motorcycles, the group marched to a house off 81st Street in the Marlborough neighborhood, the last place they believe Desirea was last seen alive. <\/p>\n
When asked if she thinks she'll see her daughter again, Patti answered, \"Come hell or high water, I will. It's not going to be the way that we want it to be, but she will be home. It's time to bring her home.\" <\/p>\n
Working with Liberty police investigators, the family narrowed Desirea's last cell phone pings to two areas: an abandoned house in a wooded neighborhood and the house in Marlborough, only six minutes away. Both are known for drug activity. <\/p>\n
\"After she left this house, she dropped off the face of the earth. It's disgusting. Disgusting. My daughter didn't deserve this,\" Patti said, looking at the house. <\/p>\n
Through conversations and tips, the family believes the people connected to both houses did something terrible to Desirea. <\/p>\n
\"My worse time is when it storms. She didn't like storms, I didn't like storms. And all I can think of is that she's out there by herself, and they just threw her out like a piece of trash,\" Patti cried. <\/p>\n
The bikers, whom the family considers their body guards, walked up to the door in Marlborough and knocked. No one answered. Patti and Desirea's stepmother hoped to come face-to-face with the people inside. <\/p>\n
Instead, they said a prayer. <\/p>\n
\"We're not backing down. We're not going away,\" Patti said. <\/p>\n
A mother's intuition tells her someone knows something, and she'll bring it to light. <\/p>\n
\"I know she didn't go down without a fight. In the back of my head, I can hear her screaming, screaming for me, and I couldn't help her,\" Patti said, breaking into tears. \"I just want her home.\" <\/p>\n
Liberty Police couldn't go on camera with 41 Action News, but said they are still actively following up on leads. <\/p>\n
They can't say whether Desirea is dead or alive. Captain Hendrick said they've gotten hundreds of tips. <\/p>\n
Investigators have interviewed people in jail and out people the family believes are connected to Desirea in the hours leading up to her disappearance. <\/p>\n
There is more information police aren't ready to release yet. <\/p>\n
Anyone who has information on Desirea's whereabouts should call the Liberty Police Department, or make an anonymous tip with the TIPS Hotline. The family is offering a $4,000 reward. <\/p>\n
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Family goes to home where they believe missing Liberty teen was last seen alive - KSHB<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A small army gathers every week at a church at 77th & Troost. Continue reading