Nearly 1 year later, still no answers in Cape Coral woman’s disappearance

It has been nearly a year since a Cape Coral woman disappeared, and detectives said Wednesday they’re still not close to a break in the case.

Lauren Dumolo was reportedly last seen June 19 at her apartment on Coronado Parkway, according to police. The same day, someone found her purse at Four Freedoms Park on Tarpon Court, which she visited frequently. She was reported missing June 21, and her cell phone was found in her apartment.

Since then, there has been no sign of the mother, leaving her family – and investigators – searching for clues.

The lead detective said that while people have offered a lot of tips, they’re still no closer to solving the 30-year-old’s disappearance.

For her family, the hardest part is not knowing. They’re hopeful that after all this time, they’ll get answers.

The day before she went missing, Dumolo dropped off an application at a gas station, a moment caught on surveillance camera. It was the last confirmed sighting of Dumolo.

“I constantly think of her. She never not crosses my mind,” said Lindsey Gross.

For Gross and Cassie Carey, every day without their sister Lauren is a rollercoaster of emotions.

“Still not having the answers… closures… not knowing. It’s just constant,” Gross said.

“It’s like reopening a wound. We’re never going to be able to heal and move forward from it,” Carey said.

Since Dumolo’s disappearance, the search for her has been a community effort. People who never even met her joined search parties, hung fliers, and canvassed neighborhoods.

“Unfortunately a whole year later and we’re kind of at the same place. It’s really sad that we have to honor her disappearance and talk about her still not being here,” said Danielle Langevine of Fort Myers.

“It’s frustrating, it’s hard. There’s so much information out there. There’s so many leads and there’s no answers,” said Matthew Smith.

Detectives and Dumolo’s family still hope someone in the community will come forward with the information they need to find her.

“Get us to a place where we can find closure, we can move forward, because the agony of not knowing is the most difficult thing to live with,” Carey said.

An event is planned for next weekend to honor and advocate for Dumolo. It’s happening at Four Freedoms Park on June 19, the one-year mark of her disappearance. A bench at the park will be dedicated to her. Organizers said she liked to do yoga at the park, and they’re asking everyone to wear pink, her favorite color.