3 year search for Sierra LaMar comes to end

MORGAN HILL, Calif. (KGO) -- Saturday marked the final day of searching for 15-year-old Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar.

She disappeared on her way to a school bus stop in Morgan Hill on March 16, 2012 and was never found. A body was never found, but 23-year-old Garcia Torres is in jail awaiting trial for her abduction and killing.

"We've exhausted the inventory of viable search areas," said Sierra's father Steve LaMar.

Sierra's family believes the search for her body has run its course and with profound sadness, the family participated in the last regularly scheduled search for the missing Morgan Hill teenager.

This week, her family, on expert advice, made the tough decision to stop searching for her every week.

"All this time has passed we are looking for anything on the surface that is bones," said search leader Kelby Jones.

Dozens of volunteers fanned out in thick brush in northern Morgan Hill, territory that had never been searched before.

1,130 searches over the last three years. Over 54,000 volunteer hours culminating in this final walk.

"Three years. This is the longest search center open in the U.S.," said Sierra's mother Marlene LaMar.

"Just because weekly searches are temporarily suspended, we will never give up the mission to find Sierra Lamar," said Sierra's mother Marlene LaMar.

"He can end this agony for the family right now. Do whatever is necessary to get him to tell us where Sierra is," said missing children advocate Marc Klaas.

"We can't do enough. wish we could have done more. We want to find her. We want to find her." said volunteer Mary Doering.

Once strangers, these volunteers are now like family, putting in years, week after week, in this search effort.

"We are going to get this trial going this year and find out where she is. I'll never give up. There's always hope," said Doering,

If a new lead comes in they say they'll be ready to go out yet again.

As for her alleged killer, Antolin Garcia-Torres, he's scheduled to return to court next month where the judge may set a trial date.