The Eyrie

SAN ANTONIO, TX — A new photograph of Lina Sardar Khil, the 3-year-old girl who vanished in San Antonio in December 2021, is offering her family a fresh way to ask for help. The image, shared by her father with family representative Pamela Allen, shows the clothing and jewelry Lina was wearing on the day she disappeared. Her relatives hope those details may prompt someone to recognize something important and come forward with information.

Allen said the family shared the photo because people had been asking about Lina’s jewelry. The image shows blue bangles on one wrist, gold-toned bangles on the other, small gold earrings and a taweez necklace, which Allen said is a protective item etched with verses from the Quran. Lina is also wearing the red dress she had on that day, along with a black jacket her mother said she put on her because it was cold.

What the new image shows about the day Lina disappeared

Allen, who heads Eagles Flight Advocacy and Outreach, said the photo gives investigators and the public a clearer look at Lina as she was last seen. Her organization has been helping with volunteer search efforts and shared the picture on Facebook as part of that push. The family believes that even small visual details could matter in a case that has remained unresolved for years.

The photograph was obtained by ABC News and appears to confirm the items the family says Lina had on when she disappeared. That includes the red dress with decoration on the front, the bracelets, the earrings and the taweez. In a missing-child case, supporters said, identifying details can help people remember whether they saw a child, a parent or a vehicle near the area.

Allen said the family hopes the photo will do more than document what Lina was wearing. They want it to sharpen attention on the timeline and encourage anyone with possible information to contact police. For relatives still searching for answers, the new image is another attempt to keep Lina’s face visible and her case in the public eye.

San Antonio police say the investigation is still active

The San Antonio Police Department said the case remains open and active. A spokesperson told ABC News on Tuesday evening that the department could not confirm what evidence investigators have reviewed, including whether the jewelry or the new photograph might provide a lead.

Police said they had no new updates to share, but the department’s follow-up unit continues to work on Lina’s case. The agency also said it is still treating her as an active missing person. Investigators have continued to pursue leads since the Amber Alert was suspended on Jan. 7.

Before that alert ended, police repeatedly warned that Lina could be in grave danger. The department has continued to ask the public for help while keeping the investigation open. For family members and search volunteers, that means the case has not gone cold, even if answers have remained elusive.

How Lina was last seen near her family’s home

Police said Lina was last seen between 4:30 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. on Dec. 20 at a park on the 9400 block of Fredericksburg Road in San Antonio. The park is near the family’s home, and the child disappeared from an area familiar to the people searching for her.

Her family is part of an Afghan refugee community in San Antonio and arrived in the United States in 2019. Allen said the relatives continue to rely on faith and persistence as they try to keep attention on the case. They also continue to believe that Lina was abducted, though police have not publicly confirmed that conclusion.

Family members have been pushing for answers while holding onto hope that Lina could still return home. Allen said the family wants her back for her 4th birthday on Feb. 20. Their message has remained steady: they want her safe, and they want the search to continue.

Rewards have grown as volunteers and advocates keep searching

Community support around the case has included substantial reward offers for information. The Islamic Center of San Antonio is offering $100,000 for help finding Lina, while Crime Stoppers of San Antonio has offered $50,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of any suspect connected to her disappearance.

Allen’s nonprofit has also been part of local volunteer efforts tied to the search. She said the organization has helped families dealing with crisis and trauma, and in this case it has worked alongside others trying to keep the disappearance in the public conversation. The new photo is one more tool in that effort.

Authorities and advocates alike are still urging anyone with information to speak up. The police department’s Missing Persons Unit can be reached at 210-207-7660, and Crime Stoppers can be contacted at 210-224-7867. For a case that has stretched on for years, investigators and family members are relying on the chance that someone remembers a detail that finally breaks it open.

Why the family believes the details in the picture matter

The family’s focus on Lina’s jewelry and clothing reflects how missing-child cases can hinge on small but memorable details. Allen said people had been asking about the items, which led Lina’s father, Riaz Khil, to share the image. By showing the exact outfit and accessories, the family hopes the photo may help someone recall a sighting from that day.

Allen said the father remains deeply involved in the search and is determined to bring his daughter home. She described him as relentless in the effort and said the family is leaning on faith to get through the long wait. Their hope is that renewed attention will generate leads and that someone will come forward with information that helps investigators close in on what happened to Lina.