The community of Georgetown gathered for a remembrance ceremony for Rachel Cooke on the 16th anniversary of her disappearance Wednesday.
A 19-year-old Cooke was visiting family members on winter break when she vanished near her home on Jan. 10, 2002.
“Sooner or later they are going to realize they know something they may not realize they know something,” said Janet Cooke, Rachel's mother. "I’m not giving up because I don’t know and until I know I’m not giving up."
Cooke was described as having blonde hair with high-low lights and blue/hazel eyes. She was wearing a gray running outfit with a green sports bra when she was last seen approximately 200 yards from her family's residence at 9:30 a.m.
"As time goes by you learn to look at all the good things Rachel did, all the joy she shared with people and all the fun and the laughter,” Janet said. "She touched a lot of lives and that counts in the long term."
Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody was also in attendance.
"Rest assured, we are not being silent, we’re getting tips pretty regularly, we’ve been out of state to interview people in reference to the Rachel Cooke case," he said. "We will not solve this case or get any further than we are now without the help of the public."
The ceremony was held at Georgetown High School at the tree planted in her memory.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Cooke's location. Combined with Cooke's family's reward, the total amount is $100,000.
READ MORE|