To the editor:

My name is Camie Harding, mother to Leah Harding and grandmother to Carly. 

For the past five years Carly, myself and the rest of Leah’s family and friends have been searching and praying that we find Leah and the person or persons responsible for her disappearance and murder be brought to justice.

The two police officers who have reached out to us the most have been MSP (Michigan State Police) troopers, Pat Butler and Steve Laux. They’ve reached out to us on and off duty, going over our story, and researching tips that may break Leah’s case open. Unfortunately neither trooper was a member of the lead agency, the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office.

Both troopers contacted me individually in hopes of finding my daughter. They have both searched for Leah on their personal time and attempted to run down leads.

Unfortunately for our communities both of these troopers are now retired, yet they still reach out to me in hopes of finding Leah.

Steve Laux spoke to Carly and I last summer at our home on his own accord. Steve gleaned more from that one conversation than the Sheriff’s Department had in the previous four years of Leah’s disappearance.

Steve told us he has been waiting in the wings, biding his time to retire from the State Police and run for sheriff, partly because he’s always planned to, and also as he wants to solve Leah’s and other missing persons cases in Houghton County.

Many of the tips and information we have given the sheriff’s department have been dismissed and never looked into. The only officers who check back in with us are Pat and Steve, and they are retired.

Mr. Laux doesn’t want to be retired for long. His desire is to become our next Houghton County Sheriff and plans on creating a Missing Persons Task Force when he assumes office. I am asking you vote with me this August so we can make this happen and hopefully bring Leah and the other missing persons in Houghton County home and provide our families with answers.

Bless you all.