Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 13, 1990                   TAG: 9004131070
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: FALLS CHURCH                                LENGTH: Medium

GATHERING ON MISSING GIRL'S BIRTHDAY A TRIBUTE OF HOPE

Today is her daughter's sixth birthday.

Brannen has moved out of her Lorton apartment, away from the neighborhood children who used to play with her daughter, away from the clubhouse where Melissa was last seen by family and friends on Dec. 3.

She has gone back to her job as an accountant.

But it is a day like today that brings back the memories in full force.

"It's just another thing to do that she won't be here for," said Brannen.

To make the day easier for her, Brannen's friends and co-workers planned a tribute to Melissa in Falls Church today. Her friends hope that buttons bearing Melissa's picture, a giant birthday card, and a gathering of people who know the Brannens will show Tammy and Melissa that people care.

"Tammy has her good days and her bad days," said Laura Crummer, who shares an office with Brannen.

"Sometimes she doesn't want to talk about it, and sometimes she wants to talk about it a lot. She's just doing the best she can."

The gathering also will include a song of hope written by a Washington man who said he is confident the youngster still is alive and safe months after her disappearance from a community Christmas party she was attending with her mother.

Gene Dawson's song was recorded and aired on some Washington-area radio stations earlier this week. It includes a spoken plea from Brannen to whomever took her child, imploring the person to recognize the fear and pain caused to Melissa and her family.

Brannen hopes the song will be heard nationally.

"I just keep hoping that someone will hear it and know that I haven't given up," Brannen said. "It's also a message of hope to any other missing children out there that we still care about them."

Although tips about the child's whereabouts have slowed to a trickle in the past two months, Brannen said renewed attention to Melissa's disappearance always triggers more telephone calls and letters from people who think they might have seen her.

Police have followed more than 1,000 leads, most of which came from tips and information in the first two months.

Although the investigation has been under way for more than four months without an arrest or explanation about Melissa's disappearance, Fairfax Police Lt. Robert Allison said that does not mean the case will go unsolved.

"There's really no timetable," he said. "In a case like this, it's going to depend on someone who saw something that night and hasn't come forward or someone who spots Melissa or sees something."

Brannen said she regards today's gathering with mixed emotions.

"It gives me something positive to channel my energies into, but it's also very hard," she said.

"If Melissa were here, I'd be throwing her a big birthday. I can't let the day go by without doing something for her."