'There's Hope for Us' in Holly's Case

An arrest in the 33-year-old case of missing New York six-year-old Etan Patz has given renewed hope to the family of Holly Piirainen as they await word on who killed the little girl.

“We’re thrilled for them, even though it’s not the result they wanted,’’ Maureen Lemieux, Holly Piirainen’s grandmother, said today about Etan Patz’ family. “I guess that there’s hope for us.’’

She said that “what it takes is somebody coming forward,’’ which is what led to the arrest in the Etan Patz case.

Holly Piirainen, who lived in Grafton, was 10 when her remains were discovered in 1993.

She was last seen at 11:45 a.m. Aug. 5, 1993, headed to South Shore Road in Sturbridge to play with puppies at a home in the area. Her skeletal remains were located Oct. 23 at 5 Bridge Road in Brimfield.

But so far, there is nothing to report on the case, Lemieux said.

She urged anyone who knows anything to call the local police department. A tip line has also been set up at 413-505-5933.

The arrest of a suspect in the Etan Patz case came more than three decades after the 6-year-old vanished during his first walk to school alone.

He went missing 33 years ago today.

His case sparked a national movement to increase awareness of the plight of missing children.

Lemieux noted that the Patz family never moved or changed their telephone number so that the youngster could reach out to them.

“Now they know’’ what happened, she said. His remains have not been found.

Holly remains dearly missed and deeply loved by her family. “She was a great kid, a smart little girl’’ who served as a “little mother’’ to her younger brothers.

“She was a good swimmer, a good athlete,’’ she said. She wanted to become a marine biologist and save the whales and dolphins, her grandmother remembered.