In the evening, on the 9th of every month, near the Burger King at 224th and the Mountain Highway, you will likely see Melanie and Paul Virdell holing up a poster of their missing son. Chris Virdell, 18, disappeared from 45th Avenue and 224th Street on the morning of February 9, 2012. He had just left a friend’s house and was going to take the 402 bus to his job at the Safeway store on South Hill.

The Virdell’s believe this was foul play, not a runaway. Small bits of information that have become available lead them to know that something happened to their son that day. Occasionally, the Sheriff’s Department has checked out a site for forensic information. Until the family has closure, they will continue to honor their son’s memory on the 9th of each month. Family friends typically join them on these vigils.

Recently, the Bethel School District published the story in their school news to warn parents of the importance of knowing where their teens are and who they may be associating with. In every community, there are people that parents should warn their kids away from.

On the one year anniversary of Chris’ disappearance, his father Paul carved a cross and placed it at the site Chris disappeared. A couple weeks ago, he found that cross broken and laying on the ground. With a heavy heart, he picked it up and took it home.