HOUSTON For the families of missing persons, and the detectives who investigate the cases, not knowing what happened is the toughest part of all.
Since September of 2011, Janet Karr hasn t seen or even heard from her sister Sherry Friedman.
We never spent Christmas or Thanksgiving apart. She didn t even call, said Karr.
Friedman, who is divorced with three sons, even disappeared online where her family says she was very active on websites like Facebook.
She or someone else deleted her accounts.
It s hard growing up and being raised by a wonderful woman and she all of a sudden vanishes, said her oldest son Kyle.
Kyle s 48-year-old Mother was last seen at a home in Friendswood where she lived with her boyfriend. She had been living there for two years.
Her boyfriend told police that Sherry Friedman walked out last fall and never came back.
Friendswood police said one of its working theories is that she met someone online, but because there is no evidence of foul play, it says obtaining a search warrant to look inside the couple s computer for evidence is not possible.
It s frustrating. It s very frustrating, Janet Karr said.
Police said the boyfriend has not given them consent to search the computer or inside their home.
Privacy, what evidence they have to go search somebody, I understand all that, but there is someone at risk and it is very frustrating for us, said Karr.
Kyle Friedman said he sent his mom s boyfriend a letter begging him for information.
And he responded with a very short e-mail from an e-mail account that looked like it had just been created to contact me, said Friedman. And all he said was I don t know where your mother is I am sorry.
Kyle Friedman believes his Mom is still alive, but knows it may not be true.
I ve done my fair share of sobbing about it and I have come to terms with that being a possibility, Friedman said.
It s hard. I am not like Kyle. I have the feeling that she is no longer with us anymore, Karr said.
Not knowing what happened is the toughest part of all.
