Rally Held At Calhoun County Courthouse Seeking Justice For Amber Griffin

It's been more than a month since Amber Griffin's disappearance. Family, friends, and supporters of the mother of two presumed dead held a rally at the Calhoun County Courthouse demanding she is brought home.

A couple of dozen family members, friends, and supporters were in downtown Battle Creek on Tuesday just outside the Calhoun County Courthouse chanting "Bring Amber Home" and "Stop The Silence, End The Violence". The group not only demanding justice for Amber but seeking an end to domestic violence.

Amber Griffin was originally reported missing in late June. Not long after, Battle Creek Police took her boyfriend into custody, 25-year-old Derek Horton, who has since been charged with open murder and remains in custody. Battle Creek Police and Amber's family say the couple had a history of domestic violence. A second man, Julice Haggerty, was arrested in connection to Amber’s disappearance for being an accessary after the fact and lying to the police.

There have multiple searches involving law enforcement and nearly daily searches by family and friends to bring the 27-year-old mother of two home but to date, those efforts have been unsuccessful.

Battle Creek Police detectives say Derek Horton was seen on surveillance video purchasing a shovel at Mix Hardware soon after saying he had last seen Amber. Detectives in the case say they believe the couple attended a small house party on June 22 and that Horton allegedly killed her there in the early morning hours of June 23. Police say that a 911 call was placed from Amber's phone where the dispatcher heard what sounded like a struggle between a man and a woman before the call abruptly ended. Horton denies being at the party and said he last saw Amber walking away from the residence they shared on June 22 without her wallet, phone, or insulin she was dependant on.

Police say they later found traces of blood in the basement, main level, and upstairs portions of the home where the small gathering occurred. “The blood is still being tested,” said Battle Creek Police Department Detective Sgt. Joel Case not long after the discovery. “But based on witness statements, we are beyond confident it is her."

Those at the rally today don't want Amber or her case to be forgotten. They say they won't stop searching for her.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch at (269) 781-0911 or Silent Observer at (269) 964-3888.

If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence, there is help. Click here for resources in the Battle Creek area.

The State of Michigan also has resources and you can find help near you by clicking here.