LEESBURG, Fla. – Nineteen years after the disappearance of 2-year-old Trenton Duckett, his family and friends gathered once again Wednesday night to remember him and to call for answers.
The group stood outside Leesburg City Hall, some wearing T-shirts with Trenton’s age-progressed photo.
His father, Joshua Duckett, addressed the crowd, saying the pain has never gone away.
“It’s always hard every time you hit a birthday, every time you hit an anniversary,” he said. “Day by day, it’s challenges. But I still have hope that one day we’ll get answers.”
[VIDEO BELOW: News 6 explores disappearance of Trenton]
Trenton was reported missing on Aug. 27, 2006, from his mother’s apartment in Leesburg.
Investigators found a bedroom window open, and the screen cut. His mother, Melinda Duckett, told police she had put him to bed, but when she checked on him later, he was gone.
Melinda Duckett was later named the only suspect in the case. Less than two weeks after her son’s disappearance, she died by suicide.
Detectives said the case remains open, and the Leesburg Police Department continues to investigate.
“Every time the vigil comes up, those emotions are re-invoked within our detective division,” Leesburg police Lt. Shannon Walsh said earlier this year. “We are still actively looking for Trenton Duckett.”
Police said they believe someone still has information that could solve the case.