Mother fights for answers 18 years after daughter's disappearance

GASTONIA, N.C. — She’s been missing for 18 years, but police and family members are making a new push for information.

It’s been six years since Gastonia police got their last tip concerning Lillian Nance, who walked out of a home on Sunshine Avenue and was never seen again.

Her mother, Everlene Nance, said there was hope initially. Police had leads, with information about an abusive boyfriend and other clues. But soon, authorities realized they needed more help.

The department put out a plea for more information on Sept. 10, 2001.

But with the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon the next day, Everlene Nance said the news of her daughter’s disappearance was lost.

“It’s been unbearable, really,” she said. “It’s been horrible. Like a nightmare that won’t go away.”

There have been leads in the years following Lillian’s June 20, 2001 disappearance, but nothing that has panned out.

Lillian Nance would be 50 this year. And though her case has moved to Gastonia PD’s cold case files, her mother – like the department – isn’t giving up.

“It eats at you each and every day, not knowing your child is living or dead,” she said.

Cox Media Group