UNIONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's been 10 years since a devastating night in Unionville led to a mystery still being investigated by the TBI. At the center of it all is a family, desperate to know what happened in 2012.
"I have good thoughts, good memories of being a child here," said Cheryl Daniel. "There used to be a lot of fond memories. Now, there's just a lot of heartache. They say time heals. It doesn't. It pacifies for a moment. The longer they've been gone, the harder it's gotten for me. There's no way to describe the hell that I live every day."
Ten years ago, Cheryl's two children were living with their grandparents Leon and Molli McClaren on Kingdom Road in Bedford County. A fire ignited at the house, causing the structure to collapse. The cause of that fire was never determined.
"My half-brother came up and grabbed me and said, 'the last wall fell in and nobody made it out,'" Cheryl remembered. "It was just in shock. I remember standing there and watching the house fire, and that was the worst feeling in my life. I could not help them."
In the initial days after the fire, crews were searching for the remains of four people. By Sept. 26, the story had completely changed. Two endangered child alerts were released.
While the remains of Leon and Molli were found, who wasn't found was Cheryl's two children: then 9-year-old Chloie Leverette and 7-year-old Gage Daniel.
Ten years later, there are still no answers.
"I can still feel them," said Cheryl. "I can feel the mother's intuition. I can feel the bond with them. I know they're still alive. It's just, where are they?"
Age progression photos are what the family shares of Chloie and Gage now.
"Chloie and Gage, we miss you so much," said Mary Lamb, speaking to a picture of Chloie and Gage leaning against the grave of Leon and Molli. Mary is Leon's sister.
"We want y'all to come home so bad," she continued. "I know some day, you will come back. We'll wait patiently, asking God to bring you back to us. I love you both."
"I may never see justice here on earth, but there's judgment day and everybody has to answer," said Cheryl. "Nobody wants to feel what I feel. I don't know where they're at or the situation, but I want them to know we love them, and I'll never give up. I laid this at God's feet a long time ago. I still have faith. I still have hope. In his time, the truth will be revealed. One way or another, I will see them again."
