Her disappearance is suspicious, but investigators have no leads into where a southern Colorado teenager could be.

11 News first reported the disappearance of Kara Nichols, 19, in late 2012. The aspiring model reportedly left for a job in Denver, and hasn't been seen since.

Her mother, Julia Nichols, knows Kara is missing. She won't let herself believe Kara’s gone forever.

"To not know what happened to our daughter and to have the grief we feel, it's just terribly hard," Julia told 11 News Thursday.

The past three months have been extremely difficult. Last November, investigators announced Kara’s picture appeared in Las Vegas, a month after her disappearance. That lead, like all others so far, went nowhere.

"The hardest part is to hear investigators say it's possible she may not be alive, and yet not to have any proof or evidence to that effect," Julia said.

Her mission now is to work even harder to make sure everyone remembers to look for Kara.

"We know that some of these missing person cases go cold,” said Julia. “We don't want that to happen."

Julia says as long as Kara is out there she won't let it.

Anyone who has information about where Kara could be is asked to call the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, or Crime Stoppers in Colorado Springs at 634-STOP.