For 25 years, a California woman named Marcella has been searching for her younger brother Tommy, who went missing in 1999. Despite losing hope and believing that he’d never be found, when a friend shared a “USA Today” article earlier this year about an unidentified patient in a Los Angeles hospital, Marcella immediately recognized him from the photo. With the help of Lassen County Sheriff's Deputy Derek Kennemore and a fingerprint test, it was confirmed that the non-verbal patient was her brother, Tommy. "I am still in shock," she says of the discovery.
Tommy was last heard from in July 1999, calling Marcella from a truck stop in Idaho. His van was later found at Yellowstone but he was never heard from again. Over the years, she tirelessly searched through missing persons reports, unidentified remains, and hospital patient lists across several states. Then that “USA Today” article reignited her search, leading her to post her brother’s photo online, where a flood of responses urged her to follow up on the lead.
Marcella contacted the hospital and law enforcement, who helped her confirm that the unidentified man was Tommy, leading to a joyful reunion. Marcella expressed gratitude to “USA Today” and the officer and for their parts in the reunion, and calls Kennemore her “hero.” Reflecting on the tragedies and the long search her family has gone through, she says Tommy’s discovery has been especially comforting, adding, "When I look in those eyes, I feel that older sister protectiveness. I've always been his protector."
Source: USA TODAY
Photo: MoreISO / iStock Editorial / Getty Images