News

NICK'S MOTHER TALKS TO ONES REMEMBERING CLEASHINDRA HALL

By Marilyn K. James
Monday, May 8, 2000 12:00 AM CDT

SPECIAL TO THE COMMERCIAL

"How incredible it is that a person can disappear off the face of the Earth. How in the world do we function? We do. We believe everyday is a day we'll get them back. We truly believe in our hearts that our kids will come home," said Colleen Nick as she spoke at the candlelight prayer service commemorating the sixth anniversary of the disappearance of Cleashindra Hall.

With music playing softly, family, friends and supporters assembled at St. Peter's Rock Missionary Baptist Church Saturday to remember Miss Hall who mysteriously disappeared on May 9, 1994. She is the daughter of Willie and Laurell Hall of Pine Bluff.

"We're here to honor Cleashindra, this is the sixth anniversary of her missing," said Lt. Rick Pritzen,of the Pine Bluff Police Department, as he opened the prayer service.

Mrs. Hall, who began by thanking those in attendance, said, "In the sixth year since Clea has been missing, it seems our community has become complacent in thinking that children don't just disappear. Looking at the handful of people in attendance, it doesn't seem to be a priority in this community to come out and show support." Mrs. Hall said that until people realize that it could happen to them, they're in the dark. "I wish you could go to Alma to see what the community does for a child missing. Mrs. Hall said the sixth anniversary is Tuesday but thought more people would attend if it was held on Saturday.

She sang "While Riding Through the Storm."

Carol Robinson, who works in the state attorney general's office with the victim's assistance program said, "The strength of this family is what spurs us all on."

Robinson summarized a few of the programs available in the outreach division of her office. One, the crime victim's program, assists families of violent crimes. Robinson said they paid $2 million to those families last year. Another is missing and exploited children, which provides resources for parents and circulates photos of missing children. "We have to pass tougher laws, we have to pray about this and unite together," she said.

Nick, whose daughter, Morgan was abducted from a ballpark at Alma on June 9, 1995, said she came to support the Halls. "The Halls and I didn't find each other till Morgan was missing almost a year. I came to let them know I care. Sometimes you feel you are the only one; coming together is very empowering. I discovered when you break the isolation from losing a child, it breaks the ice for all of us."

"You need someone to care like you, but no one cares like you. I care like you do. I know what it feels like to not hug your child in the morning or tuck them in at night. There are a lot of empty seats here tonight but there are some who care," Nick said referring to those in attendance.

Nick said Mrs. Hall will be going to Washington to speak to the Justice Department about missing children. According to both Nick and Mrs. Hall, older missing children don't get the same resources as younger children. Mrs. Hall said because her daughter was 18 and considered an adult, certain resources were unavailable. "I had to call the FBI myself."

Nick encouraged the Pine Bluff Police Department and the community to not give up and to "make sure Clea has an opportunity to come home."

Also in attendance was Margaret McClain of Jonesboro, whose daughter Heidi Al-Omary was internationally abducted by her father and taken to Saudi Arabia. "With Mother's Day so close, I felt I had to be here to support Laurell."

As the lights were dimmed and the candles' flames lighted the room, the St. Peter's Rock Praise Team Dancers, adorned in white attire danced to ''We Shall Behold Him." Jillian Warren, a dancer and 11th-grader at Dollarway High School, said she remembers Cleashindra. "She was a member of the choir and youth department at the church."

Each member of the congregation was given a candle as the Rev. H.C. Curry, pastor, said "Right now for the Hall family it is dark, by holding up your lit candle you can make it brighter for them, with a lot of other candles, you can light up the world. That's why we're here tonight, to help them light up their world. When there is hope there is light, the more light the brighter it gets. God is the giver of light, with Him in our lives it gives us the ray of hope that will light up our lives."

As the service came to a close, people were directed to the rear parking area to observe the release of pink balloons with a picture of Cleashindra and contact information.

Mrs. Hall will be out distributing flyers and would gladly welcome help from the public. She is asking supporters to show their support by putting out pink bows.

Print this story   |   Email this story