Family members and friends of cold case victims aren't giving up hope. They're always searching for justice for their loved ones.

On Saturday, those family members and friends will gather in Colorado Springs for the ninth annual Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons conference.

There are several cold cases in Colorado Springs, including the murder of 37 year old Ricky Espinoza. It's been 10 years since he went missing and still no one has been arrested for his murder.

"It's the worse thing in the world. I've lost my husband of 49 years, my dad, my brothers, but when you lose a child it's the worse thing in the world," said Ricky's mother, Doris Espinoza.

A day doesn't go by that Doris Espinoza doesn't think about her youngest son, Ricky.

"I'll look at his picture or think of the things we used to do," said Doris Espinoza.

Doris says Ricky was talented in many ways. He was a gourmet cook, always up to speed on the latest fashion designs and a loving family man.

"It hurts so bad," says his mother.

Detectives believe he somehow ended up in a dumpster near J's Motel on North Nevada back in June of 2001. Then, a garbage truck dumped his body in a Fountain landfill.

"I just wish it would be solved," cried Doris Espinoza.

Doris Espinoza says the annual conference helps her cope with her son's unsolved murder. She has become good friends with other mothers who also have no closure in their children's unexpected deaths.

Saturday's conference begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. The conference will feature nationally-known speakers and workshops explaining the criminal justice process. The event ends with a memorial service and balloon release on the driving range.