Posted: 12/31/2011

ST. PETERSBURG – Volunteers spent the day combing through thick brush off Feather Sound searching for clues that may lead to missing St. Petersburg Police cadet Kelly Rothwell.

“I want them to ask me about it so I can tell them about Kelly Rothwell and how she was just take away from us,” said Donna Scharrett, Rothwell’s best friend.

Search vests match the orange bracelet on Donna ‘s wrist that says “Bring Kelly Rothwell home”.

Despite no new information on Rothwell’s whereabouts, she still holds out hope for finding something, anything that will help put this 10-month-old case to rest.

“You come out here looking forward to a result that you really don’t want but you know that you have to have it,” Scharrett added.

“I do not believe you can find anyone waiting for information to come in,” said Monica Casion, the founder of the Cue Center for Missing Persons.

Her non-profit group supplied the 11 search and recovery teams for today’s search. Law enforcement was not involved.

Casion has led the Cue Center out of North Carolina for 17 years.

“We try to keep in that concept that every search is successful because your eliminating space because some days you don’t find anything,” she explained.

Casion said the plan is to eventually search every inch of Pinellas County to help find clues on her disappearance. This weekend they are searching several different areas.

Earlier this year, Pinellas detectives named Rothwell’s boyfriend David Perry, a suspect. Scharrett said her best friend had been trying to break up with him.

Perry moved to New York, and detectives have said he isn’t cooperating with their investigation.

“This is the only way we will find Kelly,” said Scharrett.

Her hope rests in the paws of 4-legged searchers in orange vests.

“We have no choice this is what has to happen to bring Kelly home,” she said.

A Pinellas Sheriff’s Official said they are still investigating Rothwell’s disappearance but had no new information on the case.