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Unsolved: 15 years later, Yolanda Bindics' disappearance still haunts family

25-year-old Yolanda Bindics went missing in 2004. Her family says they will never stop searching for her killer.

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — This weeks Unsolved crime takes us to Jamestown, New York. 

On August 10, 2004, 25-year-old Yolanda Bindics went missing after leaving work, her remains were found two years later. 

"I will go to my grave finding and looking for her, if need be," Bindics' sister Anne Chmielewski said shortly after Bindics went missing.

Fifteen years later her passion has only grown stronger to find her sister's murderer.

"Me personally, I'd give anything if someone would speak up," she said.

Bindics was a mother of four daughters. She lived in Jamestown and worked at the local Family Dollar.

On that evening in August she went missing, Bindics worked until 8 p.m.

"Her and her co-worker were locking up, and her co-worker said they parted ways. Yolanda seemed like she was fine. I don't think she said she seemed nothing out of the ordinary" Chmielewski said.  

Her brother, Frank Bindics, was watching her kids while she worked. He called her to see when she was coming home.

In 2004, 2 On Your Side spoke with him about what happened that evening.

"When she got out at 8 o'clock, 20 after 8, I called her. She asked me if needed anything food-wise around the house, meaning food. She said she was going to cash some WIC checks anyways for milk, and I said all right, no problem. About 15 minutes after that, about 8:35, I called her back, and there was no answer at all," he said.

After many calls went unanswered, her family and co-workers became nervous. The family contacted Jamestown Police, and an investigation began into her disappearance.

"My sister went and found her vehicle, and it was at an Arby's not even a quarter mile away," Chmielewski said.  

That spot became the main focus of police efforts and search parties. 

"We kept doing searches," she said. "Not just family, we'd try to get groups, a lot of people. In fact, at one point, I believe we had 100 people searching for her in one day."

"She was so tiny, little and helpless, so obviously you know, like if someone did something to her, she can't really do anything" Bindics' niece Cynthia Bindics said.

Despite searching nearly the entire city of Jamestown, a month went by without a trace of Yolanda, until Western New York was hit with a bad rain storm.

"It was Hurricane Katrina, and all that rain came up here, and it flooded the drain system down there. So, her purse and something else washed up in Jamestown," Chmielewski said.  

Yolanda's purse, wallet and keys were discovered in the drain system. Nothing else was discovered until September 10, 2006.

"Instead of taking the trail back, she cut through a straightaway or something and came across human bones," Chmielewski said. 

This Unsolved crime is part of a two-part series.  

Join us next Friday night at 11 as we continue our coverage on this unsolved mystery.

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