We are grateful to the authorities who are looking out for Marizela, especially the King County Medical Examiner's Office.

We will not forget. We will not give up.

Please stay vigilant. Keep Emem and her parents in your thoughts and prayers. Keep your eyes and ears open!

And please keep praying for Marizela's return. We won't give up hope.

Read it here.

Related: A chronology on the quest for Marizela's online/text information.

Unfortunately, family frustrations with how missing persons cases are handled are nothing new.

Flashback: Missing-person cases are routinely ignored, Seattle Post-Intelligencer 2003

Flashback: Lost, but not forgotten, Seattle Times 2006

We won't give up until we bring Marizela home. Thanks for your continued thoughts, prayers, and commitment to raising awareness about the plight of the missing.

Read it all here. An excerpt:

Family, friends and complete strangers are banding together for the common goal of bringing Marizela Perez, known to her close friends and family as “Em-Em,” back home.

Those who hold Marizela Perez close continue to try all other possible venues to spread awareness about her disappearance.

Unexpected hands came along to lend their support: the Real Life Superheroes posted flyers all over the Ave; strangers on Facebook sent their prayers to the family; anonymous fans of Marizela Perez’s cousin Malkin, a conservative columnist, donated funds toward the search.

“By the time it was Sunday, this whole city knew she was missing,” Olanday said. “It [is a shame] that it has to be something unfortunate to bring people together, but it brought them together.”

With a pen and paper, Olanday copes with Marizela Perez’s disappearance in an introspective way.

“Occasionally, when those nights come up when I just constantly can’t think of anything — it is just rattling in my head — I write letters to her as if she were here or if somehow she could read them,” Olanday said.

For now, her parents can take at least some comfort in knowing that they’re closer to where they think she might be.

“You go to bed, you think about it,” Edgar Perez said. “You wake up, it’s still in your head.”

Jasmine Perez said that there isn’t a moment Marizela Perez’s family stops thinking about her disappearance, and in these weeks, the uncertainty is what has been the most unsettling.

“Somebody is missing, but you can’t grieve, you can’t mourn,” Malkin said. “We’re in limbo all of the time.”

Thanks also to Dawn Lucrisia-Johnson for this video retrospective of the Mother's Day fundraiser for Marizela at UW:

Look out tomorrow for a Seattle Times investigative piece on Marizela's case.

And for South Jersey residents, there will be another fundraiser on May 22, Sunday, at the Super Buffet in Egg Harbor Township, 11am -3:30pm, $20/ticket:

Thanks to all who attended, participated, and donated.

Thanks to Q13 for covering the event. As Marizela's dad, Edgar, told the news station: "We're not stopping," we're not giving up hope. We WILL find her.

Watch here:

We'd like to thank Melanie Helmick of K-9 Kampus, Michael Lueck, Steve Yerger of K9 Centurion, Don and Austin Davidson, Rebekah Yerger, Mary Haislet, Shannon Kiley, Melissa Ellis, Greg Turner, and Seattle Parks and Rec staffers Sandy Demerit and Laura Nepler for their time, energy, and commitment to finding Marizela.

Last week's ground searches yielded no new clues, but private investigative efforts have not stopped and will not stop until Marizela is found and reunited with all those who love her.

Reminder: The benefit open mic concert for Marizela at the University of Washington is May 8. Details here!

Reminder: Marizela bracelets can still be ordered. Details here.

"Lahat ay magiging maayos:" All will be well.

For Seattle-area supporters, please see the new Facebook page for a benefit concert on May 8 organized by Marizela's friends and family.

And thanks again to America's Most Wanted for continuing to spotlight Marizela's case.

Go here for the feature story.

Many thanks to the AMW staff for giving Marizela's story national attention and spreading the word.

Keep your eyes and ears open and your prayers up! Thank you!