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May 10th, 2013
11:23 PM ET

Mom of missing girl: Hope is part of me

It was a week before Christmas in 2011 when Phoenix Coldon, 23, drove away from her house in St. Louis County, Missouri and never returned. Three hours after she left, her black Chevy was impounded by police 25 minutes from her house. The car was empty, and the motor was still running. The driver's side door was open.

Her parents firmly believe she's still alive. The Christmas tree remains lit as they wait to have her home again.

Phoenix's father Lawrence Coldon tells Anderson Cooper that law enforcement didn't tell him and his wife about finding their daughter's car that day. "We lost two weeks of investigative time trying to find our daughter, and we didn't know where the vehicle was."

The Coldons believe that authorities are treating the missing persons case differently because of their daughter's age. They've tried to explain that their daughter is not the type of person to just leave without telling them.

To get through the pain each day, Goldia Coldon says she turns to God and hopes Phoenix is also finding strength in her faith, wherever she may be. "My hope is in the Lord."

soundoff (4 Responses)
  1. Goldia Coldon

    I keep clicking on the stories about the young women who were rescued from that house in Cleveland to see the mothers (and fathers) of those young women thanking Mr. Ramsey, hugging Mr. Ramsey, kissing his cheek and smiling at him. When, I wonder, will those mothers (and fathers) step forth and thank him publicly? I am so happy for those girls that the Lord allowed Mr. Ramsey to be outside, eating his Big Mac, to hear the call for help. I am so happy for them that he did not turn away with the apathy and "I don't want to get involved" attitude that so many people have in our society today. I am so grately that the Lord sent "a real man" to do what needed to be done to set those young women free from someone who looks like a man but evidently has no idea how to act as a man should toward a female. Mr. Ramsey, I would like to say, "Thank you for listening to that still small voice inside you that told you to 'do the right thing' and help that young woman. God put you there, Mr. Ramsey, for a reason, and I thank you so very much for helping them, which in turn, has helped us in our search for our Phoenix." This is Goldia aka Phoenix's Mom.

    May 12, 2013 at 1:55 am |
  2. Lisa

    I am beside myself .. I moved to Missouri September 2011 and this is the first I hear about Phoenix Coldon ... just because she is 23 does not mean she run away ... I feel so bad for the parents .. her mom saying Hope is a part of her is inspiring .. more needs to be done .. I can't find her name in the Missing Website .. more has to be for older children .. Michele knight was 19-20 and they stopped looking for her .. she had lost custody of her son and was torn a part inside ... as a mom of three .. it would destroy me if I lost my children to anything or anyone .. I want to help the family of Phoenix .. thanks, Lisa

    May 11, 2013 at 11:33 pm |
  3. Guido Gockel

    Thank you for the program on missing children.
    Would it be possible to give attention to possible things missing children can do (they often watch tv) to draw attention – a little like the women in the bible who put out a scarlet cord of her window. Maybe there is more what the missing children can do so we can help them.

    May 11, 2013 at 7:59 am |
  4. Rebecca Dittrich

    Anderson Cooper,
    I so so respect you for saying that it is completely OK ,if none of those young women that were found this week ,
    That it is totally ok if they never decide to talk of the horrid things they all had to go through.
    I have hardly taken my eyes off of CNN ever since their rescue, and you are the only reporter that has had
    The decency enough to even acknowledge their need of PlRIVACY right now.
    Those young women and their loved ones all need to have time to be together now, and as much time as they would want, I have a 7 year old daughter and two sons, one is 23 and the other is 15, and Anderson.. I cannot even begin to imagine what these families have been through.
    Kudos to you Anderson you are about the only reporter that had a shred of human decency.
    I pray these girls recover from this.
    Thank you Anderson for being you9!!

    May 11, 2013 at 1:15 am |