Discovery of bones in Los Gatos Hills sparks new effort in search for Sierra LaMar

LOS GATOS, Calif. (KTVU) - Sierra LaMar of Morgan Hill has been missing now for almost four years, but her family and a core group of volunteers say they will never give up hope that they will find her and bring her home.

Starting around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, volunteers conducted a search in a remote area a few miles off of Highway 17 in Los Gatos.

"We started at the top of the mountain and worked our way all the way down. We always do roadside searches," said Doug tollis, a search volunteer leader.  He led a team of seven on a five-hour search.

"It's from the heart. We look at Sierra as our daughter. I have two daughters and I can't imagine not having my daughters in my life," said Tollis.

On March 16th, 2012, the 15-year-old vanished while walking to a bus stop near her home in Morgan Hill.
Antolin Garcia Torres has been charged with Sierra's murder after his DNA was found on the teen's belongings, but her body has never been found.

A month ago, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department searched Montevina Road in Los Gatos a rugged area after a dog walker discovered a human skull. The coroner has not yet said who that person was.

Thursday's search by volunteers looking for Sierra was their first in the area. If they find any remains, they report back to the Sheriff’s office.
　
"This is what we're looking for...stuff like this," said Tollis as he showed KTVU a folder he carries with him on searches.

Inside are pictures of human bones for him to compare to any findings the volunteers may make. They didn't find human remains during Thursday’s search.

"I hope she's alive. I'm still hoping she's alive," said Steve LaMar, Sierra's father.

He says the Sheriff's Department has told him there is no reason to believe the skull found is his daughter’s. Still, he says he's grateful to the volunteers who've continued to look.

The last official search was eight months ago, but a core group conducts unofficial searches about twice a month.

"I didn't expect people to keep going like they have. We know all of them who go out and they're like family to us," said LaMar. Volunteers plan to return to Montevina Road again in a few weeks.

They tell KTVU there are still areas that haven't been searched The man suspected of killing Sierra LaMar goes on trial next April.