NewsWest 9
BIG SPRING - March 16, 2013, is a day Curtis Lloyd will never forget. He was at Lake JB Thomas in Scurry County, searching for fossils, when he stumbled upon, what we now know are, Hailey Dunn's remains.
"To think that someone could do that to a beautiful child, it just breaks my heart," Lloyd told NewsWest 9.
He said he's still trying to process that he found Hailey Dunn, the missing child's case that swept the nation.
"It was a shock, it really was. When you first find it, your personal feelings get involved," Lloyd said.
He learned the news from a co-worker.
"A friend of mine saw it on the news. He told me the remains were identified, it is Hailey, so I rushed home to watch the news," he said.
When he found the remains, Lloyd said he had a hunch they belonged to Hailey but was reluctant to say anything.
"We found the clothing, an article of clothing. That's what hit home for me, and I thought this probably was the missing teen from Colorado City," Lloyd said. "I couldn't go on TV last time and say that and take a chance that I might hurt a family's feelings and be wrong."
Lloyd shared with NewsWest 9 about how it feels to be the person who, essentially, put an end to a search that spanned more than two years.
"It's bittersweet. It's terrible that it's her. I'm very sorry to her friends and family and all the searchers. But, on the other hand, I'm glad we found her remains, so we can finally put her to rest and hopefully catch the people who did it," he said.
