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11 years later: Roxanne Paltauf's disappearance

Despite years of waiting, Elizabeth Harris has never given up. She seeks answers from the community to find out what happened to her daughter – Roxanne Paltauf.

"Eleven years is a long, long time.”

Despite years of waiting, Elizabeth Harris has never given up.

She seeks answers from the community to find out what happened to her daughter – Roxanne Paltauf.

Every year since Paltauf’s disappearance, Harris hands out flyers near the intersection of Rundberg Lane and I-35, where her daughter was last seen 11 years ago.

Her family remembers Paltauf as a beautiful young lady.

"Each day I remember her,” said Harris. “It's different memories that come back for whatever different reasons. She was a very loving and caring person. She was too trustworthy, I think, and she believed the best in a lot of people and she shouldn't have, and I think maybe that's why she got into that situation with Louis – why she disappeared."

Louis Walls was her boyfriend at the time.

18-year-old Paltauf was staying with him at the Budget Inn off I-35 and Rundberg. He told police they got into an argument, and she left.

She was last seen July 7, 2006.

Since then, her case has been moved to the Austin Police Dept. Cold Case Unit.

"There is someone out there in Austin that knows what happened to Roxanne that night,” said Rosalynn Paltauf, Roxanne Paltauf’s sister. “We've been waiting 11 years as a family. Grieving. And we would like to have closure."

In the meanwhile, they keep hope alive by passing out flyers, putting up posters and reminding the community of Paltauf’s disappearance.

"I've got to know what happened to her,” Harris said.

Over the years, police have received thousands of tips.

In March of 2014, police thought they had a lead when cadaver dogs picked up a scent in a nearby field – but found nothing.

If you have information on the case, call Crimestoppers at 512-472-TIPS.

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