'Alicia's Warriors:' ceremony planned for missing Windber woman, marking 35 years

SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — It's been 35 years since 15-year-old Alicia Markovich of Somerset County went missing without a trace.

"She was funny. We all call her spunky. She was a happy girl," Markovich's friend, Lori Hiner, told 6 News.

Markovich was a student at Windber Area High School at the time of her disappearance.

"Alicia always had a knack for bringing people together. Here we are 35 years later, and she's still doing it. She's still bringing people together."

"We trusted that somebody was going to find her. Time just kept on passing and passing," said her friend, Gindy Susko.

Known for her personality, Markovich was also known to stick up for people in times of need.

"When somebody older was picking on me, she jumped right in and defended me. Her and I were friends ever since," her friend, Alana Moore, told 6 News.

Her friends say it was 1987 when Markovich was picked up from her mother's house in Windber by her father, who she was going to spend time with.

They say that was the last time she was seen or heard from.

"That's when we realized that something was wrong. We just never felt that she would run away, and if she did, she would come to one of us," Hiner told 6 News.

The friends have organized events, including a basket party back in the fall, and they're not done yet.

The "Remembering Alicia Markovich" candle lighting ceremony will be held at the Windber Stadium on Tuesday, April 26th at 7:00 PM.

It will be held on the 35th anniversary of Markovich's disappearance.

"It's to get more awareness out there, and just to show that we still care, we still want answers, we still want to know," Hiner said.

Over the years, their friends have created Facebook pages, social media accounts, and even a podcast in her honor.

"We call ourselves 'Alicia's Warriors.' But, back then, Alicia was my warrior. I'm glad to do it for her now, when she can't do it herself," Moore told 6 News.

While pushing the Pennsylvania State Police and investigators to do more, 'Alicia's Warriors' are also taking it upon themselves to keep the case alive.

"Nobody is going to look. So, we're looking. We want to find her," Susko said.

Hoping that one day, Alicia's case will be solved.

"Alicia always had a knack for bringing people together, and here we are 35 years later, and she's still doing it. She's still bringing people together," Moore told 6 News.

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