Lights for Lori: Community shows its support at vigil

The glow of more than 100 candles reflected into the pool at Memory Grove Park Sunday night as thoughts and prayers were voiced for Lori Hacking and her family.

"It's amazing to see all those who have come to search for her. And most of you don't even know her," said Rebecca Carroll, Hacking's longtime friend.

The candlelight vigil, marked by a moment of silence, drew more than 100 members of the community, family and friends.

Carroll and Holly Thomas encouraged people to continue volunteering in the search for Hacking who disappeared a week ago, reportedly while jogging in the Memory Grove area. Repeated searches of the area have turned up no real clues as to the 27-year-old pregnant woman's whereabouts.

Also Sunday, an eyewitness who police said had seen her stretching before her jog at 5:45 a.m. has since said she was never certain the jogger, who was already in midstride, was Lori.

Perhaps the biggest news of the day was the volunteer army of nearly 1,500 that reinvigorated the search.

"I'm totally flabbergasted," said Chris Smart, who has coordinated much of the search activity since Tuesday.

The surge in activity was due in part to a plea from ecclesiastical leadership from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stake presidents from the Orem area, where Lori Hacking grew up and where her mother continues to live, shortened church services and called upon members to give of their time. Large waves of searchers arrived at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday, volunteer coordinator Joanne Goff said.

Search efforts Sunday included revisiting several areas of hills and canyons above the Utah Capitol building, as well as door-to-door neighborhood searches, some industrial areas in South Salt Lake, several south valley trailheads and canyons, and areas west of the Salt Lake City International Airport. For a brief time Sunday some of the hill and canyon searches were scaled back when thunderclouds threatened, Smart said.

Since her disappearance, much attention has focused on Lori's husband, Mark Hacking, whose unusual behavior and lies to friends and family about his life have raised numerous questions for Salt Lake City police.

Mark Hacking, 28, had originally told police he and his wife were ready to move to North Carolina, where he planned to attend medical school. But it turned out he had never graduated from the University of Utah nor applied to medical schools.