A Florida father is still holding on to hope that he will one day be reunited with his daughter 25 years after she went missing.
“I believe deep down she does miss me,” John Trout said.
Trout’s 2-year-old daughter, Vivian, was allegedly kidnapped by her own mother.
“After 25 years, [I] have never given up looking for her and never will," he said.
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It happened on April 6, 1997. Trout had full custody of his daughter. He dropped Vivian off for a supervised visit with her mother Marina in Miami Beach.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, authorities say Marina locked the visit supervisor in the bathroom of her home and left with Vivian.
The two have not been seen since.
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“I was in a state of shock,” Trout said. “I really don’t wish a feeling like that on anyone.”
He has been searching for Vivian ever since.
VIvian would be 27 years old now. The NCMEC released a new age-progression photo of what Vivian might look like now, hoping someone recognizes her.
According to NCMEC, law enforcement had reason to believe Marina and Vivian left the country and may have headed to Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica or South America.
“I have hope that we will get back together very soon, and we’ve got 25 years to make up," Trout said.
Trout is now married and has a teenage daughter who wants a big sister.
NCMEC said that authorities issued a felony warrant for Vivian’s mother for the kidnapping back in April 1997.
