OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) — In Opelousas, the family of Erica Hunt is looking for closure as they lay her remains to rest almost seven years after Hunt’s disappearance.

Hunt went missing on July 4, 2016 after telling family members she was going pick up food.

Miranda Isaac, Erica Hunt’s aunt, said, “It’s just hard, it hurts. It hurts that you know she didn’t deserve this, no matter what she was doing on that street.”

The case would remain cold until December of 2018 when when her remains were discovered in Ville Platte.

The remains were sent to a DNA lab where they were confirmed to be Hunt’s in 2021.

“From that day on its been heartbreaking, each and every day is a struggle,” Isaac said. “They finally released her remains to the family but it also brings awareness to the community, to different states, different things that’s going on in our world.”

Relatives of Hunt believe the burial of her remains can not only provide closure to the family, but also carry on her legacy, showing that justice needs to be found for their family and other families experiencing the same type of loss.

Tyrone Glover, Erica Hunt’s uncle, said, “We thank God that it’s going to give the family some closure that we can lay her to rest properly because of how this thing transpired and where her body was found and the way it was found. So it gives some closure but this isn’t the end so we want to keep her name alive.”

Isaac said they can keep Erica’s name alive by continuing to tell her story and pushing for any information to be brought to law enforcement.

“To keep her legacy and her story alive until we find justice for her,” Isaac said. “We’re going print some more flyers and more signage and put it in our neighbors yards, anything so the public don’t forget about her, because she does have a daughter. Her daughter was at the age of two, she doesn’t remember her mom. To keep it all alive, to keep her picture out there, and to ask the public for help. We need help, we can’t do this by ourselves.”

Hunt’s memorial service is currently scheduled for March 18, and her family is pleading for anyone with information about her death to step forward.