Stephanie Holan, having reeled from the shocking murder of her 88-year-old grandfather, has channeled her grief into founding a non-profit dedicated to aiding families of missing persons. The suspect, Freda Michelle Thomas, is still at large, and the hunt for justice continues, as reported by KENS 5.
The Bandera County Sheriff's Office has intensified its search for Thomas, the woman seen as the prime suspect in the gruesome murder of Robert Isaacks. Their last sighting together was caught by a doorbell camera on November 15, which marked the last time Holan saw her grandfather alive, according to an interview with KSAT. The situation took a grim turn when Isaacks was reported missing, and shortly after, his remains were discovered, shrouded in a tarp miles away in Crockett County.
Holan uncovered a greater issue: numerous missing persons cases that seem to have slipped beneath the radar, especially in Bandera and its surrounding areas. "I ended up coming across case after case after case in Bandera especially, but the surrounding areas, and seeing that there are so many missing people who have yet to be found or recovered," Holan shared in a statement obtained by KENS 5.
Holan, an attorney in criminal and family law, realized the lack of resources and legal knowledge available to families in such dire circumstances. She launched the Robert & Joan Isaacks Foundation with the objectives of serving the public, raising funds for rewards in missing persons cases, and pushing for uniform public safety alerts across the country. Holan stressed the inadequacy of current alert systems, pointing out that many who are in desperate need do not qualify for them, as per KENS 5.
Holan's mission extends beyond seeking answers for her grandfather's untimely death; her foundation aims to be a beacon for those left in the dark, feeling abandoned by the system. "There are so many people who have hit that point where they feel like they hit a dead end or it just fell off the radar for law enforcement," she told KENS 5.
