On August 3, 2013 Alexis Murphy was doing what most American teens do on a summer Saturday evening. Heading out for a night with friends in nearby Lynchburg,  she tweeted to her friends, and surveillance video showed her last sighting at a Lovingston, Virginia gas station located approximately halfway between Lynchburg and Charlottesville. When she failed to return home local sheriffs began investigating, and soon after, FBI and Virginia State Police joined the search.

It didn’t take long to locate Alexis’ abandoned car where search dogs traced scents, warrants were issued, and by August 11, 2013 a suspect was taken into custody. Subsequently a grand jury issued indictments for the abduction and murder of Alexis Murphy and by May of 2014 a trial was underway with 48-year-old Randy Taylor found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. This verdict was the third successful prosecution of murder without a body in Virginia state history.

In the courtroom the family was surrounded by many supporters including Gil Harrington, mother of murdered Morgan Harrington in 2009. The Murphys have joined the Harringtons in their quest to educate young women through the organization, Help Save the Next Girl, a national non-profit organization formed in honor of Morgan Dana Harrington, by her parents, Dan and Gil Harrington, to sensitize young women and girls to predatory danger.

Although it may seem that justice has been served, only a portion of the questions have been answered for the family of Alexis Murphy. One year ago a vibrant, beautiful 17-year-old teen went missing, devastating a family and community with news quickly reaching national proportions. The country has united in support of the family of Alexis Murphy and will continue to search for her until she’s found.

Shattered Lives Radio welcomes the opportunity to talk with Trina Murphy. Listeners will learn how this family has coped for over a year without complete resolution, how they carry on in the name of Alexis, and what the future holds as they continue their search.