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<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; It&#8217;s been 14 years since Phylicia Thomas went missing &#8212;14 years that her mother, family and friends have grieved as they wait for a resolution of the case.</p><p>On Sunday night at Patriot Square in Nanticoke, a slight breeze of optimism blew through the crowd of about 50 people gathered to sing Phylicia&#8217;s favorite song and light a candle in her memory.</p><p>Pauline Bailey, Phylicia&#8217;s mother, and family friend and advocate Judy Fisher announced to the crowd that they have been contacted by Pennsylvania State Police and told there will be a meeting soon to review the case, opening a door that appeared to be closed for a long time.</p><p>Bailey believes her daughter, then 22, was killed Feb. 11, 2004, while attending a party inside a house trailer and dismembered in a barn on Timber Lane in Hunlock Township. That belief is based on what Bailey and her friends were told by some people who attended the party. There have been no arrests in the case.</p><p>&#8220;We received a call from the state police informing us that they will meet with us soon to discuss the case,&#8221; Fisher said. &#8220;All we want is to work as a team so we can bring Phylicia home and solve this case.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s hope this is the last year for us to have this vigil,&#8221; Bailey said as she opened the ceremony. &#8220;In recent weeks, some people have called us, some to just talk and console us, some to share information. All we ask is that anybody with any information about what happened to Phylicia come forward and tell us. We won&#8217;t reveal your name. We just want you to tell us what you know.&#8221;</p><p>A sign on a table nearby read, &#8220;Phylicia Thomas &#8212; her life mattered.&#8221; The attendees sang Phylicia&#8217;s favorite song &#8212; &#8220;Wish You Were Here&#8221; &#8212; Pink Floyd&#8217;s 1975 hit. The crowd also joined in saying &#8220;The Lord&#8217;s Prayer.&#8221;</p><p>Pauline Bailey has six other children: Todd, Jesse, Jared, Wyatt, Jocelyn and Wade. Most of them attended the vigil with their children. Jocelyn&#8217;s oldest daughter is named in memory of Phylicia.</p><p>&#8220;Just the thought that those responsible for Phylicia&#8217;s death are still out there is unbelievable,&#8221; Jocelyn said. &#8220;They could do the same thing to somebody else&#8217;s child.&#8221;</p><p>Jocelyn said the last 14 years have been difficult on her family, especially her mother.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s been beyond frustrating,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But it&#8217;s important that we come to remember Phylicia and keep her name alive.&#8221;</p><p>Bailey said she is determined to bring her daughter home.</p><p>&#8220;Nobody will stop us,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We know what happened. We will find her. We won&#8217;t stop until we do.&#8221;</p><p>Fisher said the main goal has always been to bring Phylicia home to allow her family to bury her so she can rest in peace.</p><p>&#8220;This is about telling the truth,&#8221; Fisher said. &#8220;And it&#8217;s about bringing closure to the family.&#8221;</p><p>Bailey and Fisher believe Thomas&#8217; remains may have been buried in a vegetable garden or burned and disposed of somewhere on a 25-acre site where the trailer once stood along Golf Course Road and Timber Lane in Hunlock Township.</p><p>The site was sold in December 2015, a house trailer was razed and debris removed. Following the sale, the new property owners allowed Bailey to search the area. In 2016, separate searches were conducted on the property using animals from Malvern-based Search and Rescue Dogs of Pennsylvania: one on behalf of Bailey, a second for state police.</p><p>During the first search, cadaver dogs gave indications at certain areas of the property, suggesting they may have detected decomposing human remains. State police took one of the same dogs back to the site two weeks later and no hits were recorded. The dog&#8217;s handler said he couldn&#8217;t explain why no hits were recorded on the second search.</p><p>Bailey expressed disappointment that the 14-year investigation has not been successful in finding Phylicia, nor those responsible for her disappearance and presumed murder.</p><p>&#8220;We want to see the people responsible brought to justice,&#8221; Fisher said. &#8220;We believe some of the people involved are still out there.&#8221;</p><p>As Bailey was walking to the center of Patriot Square, she was struggling with the fact that 14 years have passed with no resolution to the case.</p><p>&#8220;I woke up this morning sick to my stomach,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This is like going to a funeral every year.&#8221;</p>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_PHYLICIA-VIGIL-1-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Pauline Bailey, left, and Judy Fisher, forefront, hold candles and sing at the 14th vigil for Bailey&#8217;s daughter, Phylicia Thomas, who has been missing and resumed dead since Feb. 11, 2004. </div></div><div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_PHYLICIA-VIGIL-1-2.jpgPauline Bailey, left, and Judy Fisher, forefront, hold candles and sing at the 14th vigil for Bailey&#8217;s daughter, Phylicia Thomas, who has been missing and resumed dead since Feb. 11, 2004. </div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_PHYLICIA-VIGIL-3-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A crowd of about 50 people hold candles and sing at a vigil Sunday night for Phylicia Thomas, who has been missing since Feb. 11, 2014. </div></div><div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_PHYLICIA-VIGIL-3-2.jpgA crowd of about 50 people hold candles and sing at a vigil Sunday night for Phylicia Thomas, who has been missing since Feb. 11, 2014. </div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_PHYLICIA-VIGIL-2-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">One of the signs displayed at Sunday night&#8217;s vigil for Phylicia Thomas, who has been missing since Feb. 11, 2014, Thomas was 22 when she disappeared and ism presumed dead. </div></div><div class="metaInfo">https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_PHYLICIA-VIGIL-2-2.jpgOne of the signs displayed at Sunday night&#8217;s vigil for Phylicia Thomas, who has been missing since Feb. 11, 2014, Thomas was 22 when she disappeared and ism presumed dead. </div></div>
<div class="metaInfo">State police to meet with family</div><div class="metaInfo"><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></div><div class="metaInfo"><p>Related stories</p><p><a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/692490/phylicia-thomas-vigil-tonight-as-family-has-new-leads-for-missing-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">&#8226; Phylicia Thomas&#8217; vigil tonight as family has new leads for missing woman</a></p><p>&#8226; <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/692472/beyond-the-byline-peace-be-with-you-pauline" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beyond the Byline: Peace be with you, Pauline</a></p></div><div class="metaInfo"><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></div>

Some optimism displayed at vigil for Phylicia Thomas