Nevaeh's family waitsThey have a clear message for the person who abducted and killed Nevaeh Buchanan:
Give up quietly; you're only making it more difficult for yourself.
That message comes from the Buchanan family's spiritual adviser, from law enforcement officials and from the family members themselves.
The Rev. Dale Hayford, a Buchanan family friend, pleads with the killer to turn himself in.
On the law enforcement side, investigators are a little more direct with a warning: Enjoy freedom while it lasts.
It has been almost five months since the 5-year-old girl was abducted from her N. Macomb St. apartment complex.
The discovery of her body in a shallow grave sparked widespread grieving and anger in a community where hundreds of people covered acres of Monroe County searching for her.
Since then, details on the investigation have been sparse. Police have been tight-lipped. Family members say it is impossible to move forward without knowing who did such a terrible thing to a little girl. And why.
"Us, as a family, really deserve to know something," said Mike Buchanan, Nevaeh's uncle, who had a close relationship with the girl. "But also as a community, we need to know. Something's got to give. Our healing isn't going to progress until we get better information. I need to know every detail."
Months of waitingMembers of Nevaeh's family — her mother, Jennifer; grandmother Sherry and her uncle Mike — sat together this week to discuss the case and how their lives have changed in the past few months.
They want the community to remember Nevaeh and her bright smile. Secondly, there has been growing frustration with the investigation. There has not been an arrest despite a slew of FBI experts who descended on Monroe and camped out in a building on Raisinville Rd. for weeks, tracking down every lead.
"I am disappointed; I thought there would be an arrest by now," Mr. Buchanan said. "I thought for some time this would be done. It's surprising that it's been 4½ months without an arrest."
Monroe County Sheriff Tilman Crutchfield acknowledges that throughout the case he has kept certain information secret. Details known by detectives are not being released, even to family members.
"I deliberately do not disclose the details of the investigation and its current status because I don't want (the perpetrator) to know what we know," the sheriff said. "There is a reason for that. We aren't releasing information because the person is still out there."
But the sheriff said he had a specific message for the person who did it.
"That person has every right to be nervous," Sheriff Crutchfield said. "He has to keep looking over his shoulder. Our interest in resolving this has not diminished in any way.
"One of these days, we will be there."
And the Rev. Hayford, too, has a message for the perpetrator: Turn yourself in to authorities. Otherwise, God will not give forgiveness.
"He's got to come clean before he can get to heaven," the Rev. Hayford said "I pray he turns himself in. He'll never have a clear conscience until he does. He will never have peace. He's got to confess his sins."
Changes in their livesSince the incident, Mr. Buchanan has gotten married, continues to work up to seven days a week, attends church services regularly and has surrounded himself with role models like the Rev. Hayford.
"After this happened, I've come a long way," he said. "I've met a lot of wonderful people who I call friends. I've learned that it's okay to be upset and angry but violence is not the answer."
He is protective of his sister, who has faced scrutiny and criticism in person and online because of her relationship with a registered sex offender, who remains in jail.
Jennifer Buchanan, who was reserved and cautious during the interview, said she lives with her mother in the Charlotte Arms apartments where the abduction occurred and has been looking for work. She said nothing good has come from the situation.
"It's completely changed my life," she said.
She said she tries to maintain a low profile but some people in the community still blame her.
"People notice me," she said. "They point, they whisper to each other. They can be cruel. I don't let it bother me."
While they all still grieve, Sherry Buchanan, Nevaeh's grandmother, appears to be having the hardest time moving forward. She said she goes to work at a local grocery store every day but she can't take her mind off her granddaughter.
She said she sleeps on an air mattress in the living room so she can be close to Nevaeh's picture. When Canada geese fly overhead, it reminds her of Nevaeh because she loved them. And the purple bicycle with the tags still on it remains in the closet.
"I'm just hanging in there, going to work, trying to keep my mind busy," Sherry Buchanan said. "I'm empty inside."
Frustration, doubtWhile the investigation obviously remains open, not much has developed recently, at least officially. The family says that investigators do keep in touch, but it's sporadic.
"They come over and tell us nothing because they have no information," Jennifer Buchanan said.
The complete autopsy results still have not been released. The family knows that Nevaeh died of asphyxiation and possibly was buried alive, but she might have been unconscious at the time.
Jennifer Buchanan said she was told her daughter's body had no signs of trauma or sexual assault. The only substance in her system was caffeine, probably from pop. Forensic results showed she did not have any drug in her system.
Sherry said she hoped to obtain some hair for a locket or to see the striped red, white and blue shirt Nevaeh was last seen wearing. But nothing has been released.
"If I could just see that, I can learn to let her go," Sherry Buchanan said. "Until I can see that shirt, I won't be able to rest."
Not knowing who did this or why continues to haunt the family.
"What was his motive? Why did he do that?" Mr. Buchanan asked. "There are so many things going through my head. It's very confusing to me."
They say they discuss scenarios, but have not been able to figure out who could get away with taking a little girl — who would only approach those she knew — from a crowded parking lot during the Memorial Day weekend.
"I have no clue whatsoever," Mr. Buchanan said. "In my mind, it's somebody I don't know. And that's the scariest part."
He said his 10-year-old stepson struggles with the thought of being abducted. He is having a hard time sleeping and understanding that his fate will not be the same as Nevaeh's.
"I feel so bad for him," Mr. Buchanan said. "It's traumatized him. Nevaeh was like a sister to him."
Small steps forwardMr. Buchanan married his wife, Kelly, on Sept. 9. He said her support throughout the ordeal showed them they were supposed to be together.
"We knew we were in love," he said. "If we can get through something like this, then it was meant to be."
The family members have moved forward but at their own pace. And until the person responsible for the horrible crime is brought to justice, those close to Nevaeh say they will not be able to find peace.
That's why the Rev. Hayford suggests the perpetrator come forward. He believes the person responsible deep down wants to make things right. He said he is available if the person wants to contact him.
"We need to pray for this person so he can turn himself in," the Rev. Hayford said. "He has got to be found."
In the meantime, the killer remains free while those who cared about Nevaeh wonder how such a thing could happen and who could be responsible.
"Come forward, go to the police department and give me some relief," Sherry Buchanan said, directing her comments to the culprit. "That baby was innocent. She did not deserve that."
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