NIAGARA FALLS, NY - About two years ago, a Niagara Falls woman disappeared. A police search for Loretta Jo Gates, 30, led to the discovery of her dismembered body.
There was a point in time when people were searching for Gates - a mother of three from the Falls. Now, what people are desperately looking for are clues to her disappearance and her murder.
"I just hope they can catch the person who done it, or somebody heard of somebody on that night, somebody has to know something, because it's somebody who's close to her that did this," said Arthur Gates, Loretta's father.
Before Loretta Jo Gates disappeared, she left an apartment complex on Niagara Street in the Falls around 11 at night. She told relatives she was going to a store across the street and would be back in 15 minutes.
She never returned.
Gates was killed at an unknown location and her body was dismembered. Parts of her body were found in both the Niagara River and Hyde Park.
"It really sucks to know that somebody's out there that can do something to a beautiful girl," Gates' father said.
Loretta Gates had her struggles -- she battled drug addiction and was involved in prostitution. Police say the father of two of her children remains a person of interest in her death. Authorities don't have enough evidence to make an arrest.
On Wednesday, we learned that in the spring of 2013, the FBI began investigating the murder of Gates. Captain William Thompson of the Niagara Falls Police Department tells 2 On Your Side, the FBI reviewed all police materials related to her death.
This includes her autopsy report and statements her family gave to police.
Thompson tells us the FBI has not been able to find any new angles in Gates' death.
"I'm hoping they're doing their investigation, I hope they're doing it thorough and maybe they're waiting for that right piece to fall into the puzzle," Arthur Gates said.
But, police say they haven't had good enough leads for two years in this murder case.
Arthur Gates says that his daughter's three children are safe and well. Niagara Falls Police say they've been playing catch up from the start on this case. Six days passed before anyone from the Gates family reported Loretta Gates missing.
The FBI is not actively investigating this case, meaning they're not looking at it daily. However, the FBI hasn't closed the case and is actively looking for any new information to help solve the case.
