Oakland community holds vigil for missing Reno woman

Vigil Held for Missing Oakland Native Shellie Vickers

OAKLAND, Calif. – Family and friends held a vigil on Thursday for Shellie Vickers, an Oakland native now living in Reno.

A close group of friends in Oakland joined family members to pray for her safe return.

Vickers has been missing for nearly three weeks.

Her loved ones in the Bay Area hope she may have tried to return to her hometown.

“She’s from Oakland, so maybe she came back here,” said her sister, April Espinoza. “Maybe she was trying to get back home.”

Details of Disappearance

Vickers, 63, was last seen on December 20 at about 2:40 p.m. Doorbell video from her Reno home shows her leaving to walk to a nearby store, but she never returned.

Family members are especially concerned because Vickers suffers from memory loss.

“I’m worried about her safety because she has early onset dementia, which leaves her confused,” said longtime friend Renetta Demerson.

Adding to the family’s worry, Vickers lost her cell phone a week before she disappeared.

She did not have her wallet or identification with her.

There has been no activity on her bank or credit cards.

Community Support

The vigil took place at the site of Vickers’ former junior high school in Oakland.

Many attendees have known her for decades, describing a bond that distance and time could not break.

“You don’t have to see each other to know if you call, I’m going to come running,” said friend Monica Peoples.

The group is considering organizing a caravan to Reno for a physical search if no new leads arise.

Reno police are currently investigating her disappearance as a missing person case.

Physical Description

Message to Shellie Vickers

“We want you to come home,” Espinoza said in a message to her sister. “Whoever is with her, I pray that they have her best interest in mind and that they won’t harm her.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Reno Police Department.