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Family Of 12-Year-Old Victim Marks Grim Anniversary

CHICAGO (CBS) – Saturday will be an emotional, frustrating day in Englewood.

Some residents plan a march and prayer vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of a brutal crime.

The body of 12-year-old Jahmeshia Conner was found propped up against a garage in Englewood. She had been raped, beaten and strangled, two weeks after her family reported her missing in mid-November.

Jahmeshia's family and many people in the neighborhood say they're angry with the way police handled the case, treating the young girl like a runaway.

"They were saying she's just a runaway," her mother, Birdie Lewis, told CBS 2. "No, any mother intuition knows their child. And I know that she didn't just up and walk away."

No Amber Alert was ever issued. And the killer is still on the loose.

Following the murder, the Chicago Police Department implemented a more aggressive method of alerting news agencies about missing individuals.

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