Sharon Fortis has had to endure so much, not only in the last three weeks but in the past two years. Her life came to a sudden standstill on August 16, 2005 when her daughter, Alicia Ross, mysteriously disappeared from her apartment. What came next was fear, fatigue and finally the worst news any mother can receive - her daughter was dead, killed by the boy next door for reasons that will never make any sense.

Just minutes after Daniel Sylvester was convicted of second degree murder Tuesday, and after listening to his taped confession in the courtroom for three long weeks, the still bereaved mother finally had her chance to have her say about the case that changed everything. "This trial centered around a composed story, craftily rehearsed and put forward so cooperatively on video so as to mask itself as a remorseful confession," she charges, her voice steady.

Despite her terrible grief, Fortis found the strength to thank York Regional Police for their tireless work on the baffling case, all those who came out to search for her missing daughter, "and to all the witnesses and experts who put forward the truth as best it could be found amid a pile of bones that once was a very beautiful woman."

Fortis adopted Alicia when she was just a baby but the bond between the two couldn't have been stronger. The family has constructed an online tribute to the 25-year-old, featuring pictures and a story of her life. Her mother also pens her own personal, poignant and sometimes painful recollections of the daughter she's lost. Read it here.