GAINESVILLE - For the 15th year, friends and family of murder victim Elaine Nix gathered Monday evening for a grave side vigil at Gainesville's Memorial Park Funeral Home cemetery.<br />
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Despite the soggy ground and threatening clouds from day long rain, they lit candles, released balloons and said prayers for justice and closure. Young nieces and nephews Nix never knew, born after her death, held candles for her.<br />
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Jennifer Boyd recalled she and Nix grew up together and were like sisters. Boyd organizes the vigil every year and said she's has never given up hope for solving the case. <br />
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"I believe us coming out here brings awareness to the community," Boyd said. "It lets everyone know that we're not giving up on Elaine and we're looking to find justice for her."<br />
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The young Gainesville woman was nearly eighteen years old, was studying for her GED with a career goal of becoming a nurse. She went missing in Gainesville Sept. 20, 1999; her body was found nine days later in Gwinnett County.<br />
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Gwinnett police investigators at last report still consider the case an active homicide but it has picked up the term 'cold case'. It is not a cold case to brother David Nix.<br />
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"We're ready for it to be done and for somebody to be caught and put away for this," he said.<br />
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"Even though it's been 15 years, it's just like a brand new cut," Elaine Nix' sister-in-law, MarRana Nix, said in her prayer for justice.
