PHOENIX — April first has always been a special day for Rachel Glass because it's her daughter's birthday. Each year, Rachel always chooses something fun to do, something that will bring fun and a smile. However, for the past 13 years, it's been a bittersweet celebration because her daughter hasn't been there to celebrate.
"You know, I feel so fortunate that I had 27 years with her," she said.
Rachel is a mother to two daughters. She says her eldest, Nicole, always brought a lively and beautiful energy to every room she walked into. It's those memories Rachel says she's held on to, memories she has always treasured.
"She's an animal lover, when she was little she just gravitated to animals," she said.
>> Live, local, breaking. Download the 12News app
Nicole would've turned 40 this year, and her mother says she can only imagine what she would've been like.
"A mover and a shaker, just a go-getter, she had a zest for life, she said.
On Dec. 3, 2010, Rachel was working nights and remembers Nicole calling her asking for some help around the house. Rachel later called her daughter and left a message saying she couldn't make it. She didn't think anything of it until a friend of Nicole's called later on, screaming to turn on the news.
"She thought Nicole was dead inside the house," Rachel remembers. "I turned on the television and I saw Nicole's car first and Melissa's car next. I called 911, and I asked if they were at my daughter's house. It was bad."
Rachel immediately drove to the house but didn't find out about her daughter's murder from authorities until hours later. Nicole and her friend/roommate Melissa Mason were found in their home strangled to death. Mason was also pregnant at the time of her killing. Rachel says that day has constantly haunted her thoughts.
"I love my daughters more than anything else in the world," she said. "It's just, the feeling of knowing it's over being a mom to her, it was devastating. It's hard, really hard. If she needed help she'd always call me crying and that's what I think about. How she was just crying and probably begging for her life."
To make it even harder, the case has gone cold. It's been nearly 13 years without answers,
"A lot of sleepless nights," she said. "No answers. That's the part that drives me crazy because what I worry about is who else is this person doing this to?"
Now for this year's birthday, Rachel is pleading for justice, asking anyone who may have any sort of tip or information to come forward.
"Justice, justice for Nicole and Melissa," she said. "Melissa's family is also devastated. I want justice for them, they deserve it. I won't give up. As time goes on I will do whatever I have to do to get justice for my daughter."
There currently is a $13,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. If you have any information you can share it anonymously with CrimeStoppers by calling 480-WITNESS.
Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.