Neighbors Deniese Hariman and Shellyann Sankar have been lacking for 25 years.
Photograph by Tracey Khan
A candlelight vigil was held on the night of Sunday, Oct. 6, on Liberty Avenue, Queens, to honor the reminiscence of 13-year-old Deniese Hariman, who disappeared 25 years in the past, and her neighbor, Shellyann Sankar, who went lacking almost a yr later. The gathering drew group members who expressed their love and assist for the grieving households nonetheless looking for solutions greater than twenty years later, as calls echoed for police to do extra to assist resolve these chilly circumstances.
Social media influencer Rhonda Bob, who helped set up the vigil, emphasised the significance of group involvement in holding the circumstances alive within the public’s thoughts.
Hariman’s mom, Seeta Beran, emotionally recalled the day her daughter vanished after leaving for varsity however by no means arriving. “It’s onerous, however I’ve to be sturdy, and I’m attempting. My daughter had goals of going to varsity and doing nice issues. She didn’t deserve what occurred,” her voice shaking with emotion.
Hariman’s final recognized interactions have been with Sankar, who disappeared almost a yr later. Sankar, then in her late twenties, had lately moved from Trinidad to New York. She was near Hariman’s household, and she or he and her boyfriend helped seek for the teenager when she first went lacking.
Sankar disappeared in 1999, and her boyfriend on the time, Rudolph Balgobin, quickly grew to become a suspect. He’s serving a 25-to-life sentence for homicide in Florida. Beran expressed frustration over the dearth of closure. “Someone is aware of one thing, they usually’re not saying something. When my daughter Deniese went lacking, Rudy was serving to us to search for her,” Beran recalled.
Beran additionally revealed that Balgobin had written to her, suggesting he would share details about the circumstances if she despatched him cash. “He mentioned if I despatched him $200.00, he would inform me what he did to my daughter,” she mentioned.
Deniese Hariman would have turned 39 on Oct. 6, the day of the vigil. Because the years have handed, Beran’s want for solutions has grown. “I want closure. I’m 70 now, and Deniese would have been 39 right now. This ache stays with you,” she mentioned.
In a direct plea to Balgobin, she added, “Rudy, it’s been a very long time. I believe it is best to have the ability to say one thing now. I’ll forgive you if I discover the reality, however I want closure.”
The vigil served as a reminder of the lasting influence of the disappearances on the households. Deniese’s eldest sister, Natasha Beran, mentioned, “When Deniese went lacking, we didn’t even understand how a lot it modified us. I grew to become very protecting of my kids.”
Shellyann Sankar’s cousin, Navin Sankar, famous that the Trinidadian’s lacking girl’s household nonetheless seeks solutions. “I made it my enterprise right now simply to be right here,” he mentioned, expressing gratitude to those that gathered to recollect the ladies.
The vigil concluded with a name for the group to stay vigilant and be sure that Deniese Hariman’s and Shellyann Sankar’s recollections reside on and the household receives closure.
Anybody with info that might assist the household, can contact them at 347-280-8375 or 917-306-9965.
