Michelle Le Family Marks One Year Since Her Disappearance

By Bay City News

Friends, family and community members gathered in Hayward Sunday evening to mark the one-year anniversary of the disappearance of Michelle Le.

Le, a 26-year-old San Mateo resident, disappeared on May 27 from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Hayward, where she was working. She was studying to be a nurse at Samuel Merritt University in Oakland.

Her car was found the next morning on Ponderosa Court, about half a mile away.

, a 28-year-old Union City woman who attended high school with Le, was charged on Sept. 8 with Le's murder based on DNA evidence and cell phone records. It was not until Sept. 17, however, that her body was found in a remote area between Pleasanton and Sunol

An Alameda County criminal grand jury indicted Esteban on an identical murder charge on Dec. 14 at the end of a three-day hearing.

According to the transcript of the grand jury's hearing, prosecutors believe that Esteban stalked and murdered Le because she blamed Le for wrecking her relationship with Scott Marasigan, who is the father of Esteban's daughter.

Esteban gave birth to a second child in November while she was in custody but the father of that child has not been disclosed.

Le's memory was celebrated Sunday with a prayer vigil at Mt. Eden Park in Hayward at 6 p.m. The ceremony has been organized in conjunction with the KlaasKids Foundation, which specializes in aiding families of the missing.

"Michelle gave meaning to her life, but it is up to those who love and miss her to give meaning to her death," said Le's cousin, Krystine Dinh.