BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — It's a heartbreaking unsolved murder for the family and friends of 26-year-old Theresa Insana.
20-years ago this October the Niagara Falls woman was murdered in Las Vegas where she was living and working, but there's never been an arrest.
“We will not give up hope. We still have faith,” declared Grace Carducci, a friend. "20 years later, it is still difficult to believe that the killer has not been found.”
“You know we're always thinking about Theresa every day,” remarked Maribeth Paul, sister. “It still feels surreal.”
I spoke with Carducci and Paul on Tuesday, both still live in Niagara Falls.
"Theresa made all of us feel so special and so loved. She would routinely just send notes home for me, for my mom, Ann-Marie, and my dad Joseph,” reflected Paul.
“What hope do you have of any resolution to this?” asked Buckley.
“We have a lot of hope. I don't think that we will ever give up hope,” replied Paul. “We miss her every day.”
“Even after 20 years, we still believe that we will find the person that did this to her,” Carducci explained.
Carducci and Insana grew up in Niagara Falls. They attended Niagara Falls High School and then college together. After college, Insana headed to Vegas working as a sales manager at a casino, until her death in 2004.
“We do know that Theresa went missing from her house. That her purse, her phone, her keys were left on her countertop, so it's not like she was going someplace,” Carducci explained. "We believe she was removed from her home against her will and her body was found three and a half miles from her residence.”
A few drops of blood found at her home allowed investigators to create a sketch of what they believed the killer looked like.
“It's difficult to look at because it's hard to look at the picture and know that that's the person that murdered Theresa, however, we have no idea who the person is,” noted Carducci. “That sketch has the descriptors of the killer, ethnicity, color of skin, height build, color of hair, and a picture of what we believe the suspect looks like.”
“The detectives that are currently working on the case. They continue to use that, obviously for inspiration or any leads and we just truly believe that's going to lead to something today,” responded Paul. "And we do believe that someone does know something, and that is going to lead to justice someday.”
After her death, the family started a college scholarship fund for Niagara Falls students.
This Thursday a 20th celebration of her life and a concert will be held in Grand Island to help raise funds for those scholarships.
"I have goosebumps, just really thinking about Thursday’s event,” Paul remarked.
"Theresa’s motto was Carpe diem, which means ‘seize the day’ and she really truly did,” recalled Carducci.
