After 26 years, family still wonders... Where is Jie Zhao Li? HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) -A day does not go by when she doesnt think of her daughter, says a translator for Yan Ruan Li, mother of Jie Zhao Li. The 12-year old girl disappeared in 1988 while selling benefit Zippys chili tickets near Nuuanu Ave. and Kuakini Street. It was the afternoon of February 11th. Back then everyone thought Hawaii was safe, immune to the idea of dangerous predators snatching children. Thats why people remember this case, says Charlene Takeno of the Missing Child Center of Hawaii. Parents were even being more cautious about letting children do something as simple as sell tickets out in public, says Phil Camero, a retired Honolulu Police Homicide Detective. Camero now works for NCIS as an investigator but says the Li case still haunts him. Lis mother says time has not dulled the pain much. Its been almost 26 years and she still has a difficult time talking about her daughters disappearance. Shes kept the same phone number all of these years, so that she would get that phone call, she says through her translator. The Missing Child Center of Hawaii has done age progression drawings of Li. Showing what she might look like at 27 years old and again at 38. The reality of seeing a photo of what her daughter might look like, she cried for days, says the translator. In 1992, Mrs. Li became a United States citizen, a long, difficult process. She speaks English but prefers her native Cantonese and chooses to use a translator for long conversations. Mrs. Li and her husband are from China. Back then, families were only allowed one child. Because the Lis already had a daughter, they kept Jie Zhao and then her younger sister hidden until they could leave the country. They arrived in Hawaii in 1987. One year later, their daughter was taken from them. Mr. Li would walk the streets along Nuuanu Avenue and Kuakini Street for years, looking for his little girl. The family is aware of the recent missing persons cases nationwide that have happy endings: Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Duggard, and the three Cleveland women. But they know, those cases are rare. It does give her hope, but she doesnt want to give herself false hope, her translator says. At this point, everyone involved says they just want answers. They want to know what happened to the 4-foot-11, 75-pound girl, with short hair and slightly crooked teeth. And if someone did something to her, they want to know, why. Tips came into the HPD Homicide Unit for years after Li vanished. There were composite sketches, possible getaway vehicles, even sightings. HPD says they checked out every single tip, but are still no closer to solving the mystery. In cold cases, the trail, does get stale over time, says Phil Camero, but one thing weve learned in cold cases, is that relationships change. Camero hopes maybe somebody didnt want to come forward back then, but maybe willing to now. If you have information that could help in this case, call Crimestoppers at 955-8300, or text *Crime from your cell phone. You can remain anonymous and there is a reward. wfsb/story/24596931/after-26-years-family-still-wonders-where-is-jie-zhao-li
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 10:26:38 +0000
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