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For the last couple of days, a non-profit organization out of Houston has assisted local law enforcement with the search for Terrilyn Monette, the grade-school teacher who has been missing since the early-morning hours of March 2.
This morning, WWL's Tommy Tucker spoke to Tim Miller, the founder and head of Equusearch.
Miller talked about their role in the search, and also about why he started his organization.
In conjunction with the NOPD, Equusearch has been using two boats and underwater sonar to search the waterways in the area police believe the teacher may have been following the last sighting of her.
"We're doing sonar work. We actually found a vehicle in Bayou St. John, and divers went down, and unfortunately it was a different vehicle," Miller said.
Miller says his organization will assist in the search as long as needed.
"We're here for the duration, until she is located, or until we all determine that we've all done anything we can possibly do."
The foundation of Equusearch started with tragedy.
The foundation of Equusearch started with tragedy.
"It's not an organization that I ever wanted to start," Miller said. "I was fairly successful in the construction business, and then my daughter disappeared."
Click HERE to listen to Tommy's interview with Tim Miller.
Tim's daughter Laura (photo at left) went missing in 1984.
"Police said she was a runaway, and we got no help whatsoever. I remember that helpless and that lonely feeling and the lonliness. And 17 months later my daughter was found, along with four other girls in a field."
Laura Miller had been murdered.
"I remember taking a big sigh of relief when Laura was found...At least I knew," Miller said.
After nearly a year and a half of uncertainty, he was able to finally start the grieving and healing process. Miller vowed that he would do everything he could to help other families facing the same ordeal.
"I made a promise to God, and Laura, that I would never leave a family alone, if there was ever anything I could ever do."
Miller founded Texas Equusearch, an organization that has gone on to help in more than 1,300 searches across the United States and North America. His group has also been to New Orleans previously to help in searches for two other missing people.
Equusearch is a non-profit organization, and Miller says his organization is struggling financially, like most other non-profits these days.
"We've never asked law enforcement to take care of our expenses...and we only survive on donations and our fundraisers."
Click HERE to listen to Tommy's interview with Tim Miller.
