A Friday announcement from the Walton County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office marked a new push in the Kemberly Ramer case.

Ramer – a 17-year-old softball player and honor student from Opp – was last seen around 10 p.m. on Aug. 15, 1997. After 15 years, the case has not been solved, and now WCSO has revealed it is part of a multi-agency effort “actively working” the missing person case of Opp resident Kemberly Ramer.

Among those agencies is the Opp Police Department and the Covington County District Attorney’s Office – meaning this case could be one that is being actively worked by the county’s cold case task force.

Catherine Rodriguez, WCSO public information officer, said the new push is being launched in anticipation of the case’s 15-year anniversary. Rodriguez said Ramer’s mother, Sue, currently lives in Walton County, and “Sheriff Adkinson is in full support to help Kemberly’s family find out what happened to her.”

Ramer was last seen that August night at her father’s home in Opp. At the time of her disappearance, there were no signs of a struggle and all of her personal belongings were intact.

“Ramer’s family believes that she did not walk away voluntarily, but that she was abducted by someone known to her,” Rodriguez said. “Kemberly’s mom lives (in Florida), and we want to help her family find out what happened. We want to get this case going again, and we’re putting this out in the hopes it will jog someone’s memory.”

Rodriquez said the department’s push will include electronic billboards on U.S. Hwy. 331, flyers and placement on the Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers website.

“All it takes is that one piece; that one thing, that someone might remember today, to give this family closure,” Rodriguez said.

Ramer’s story was recently spotlighted when The Star-News profiled five cold cases when the cold case task force was announced in March.

District Attorney Walt Merrell said previously he believes the Ramer case has transitioned from a missing person case to a homicide.

On Friday, Merrell said he doesn’t consider the Ramer case a “cold case.”

“The one thing that sets the Ramer case apart from almost all of the other cold cases is that this case has remained an open and active investigation since her disappearance,” he said. “And there has always been activity in that investigation, including as recently as four months ago when we went to Florida with cadaver dogs to follow up on a tip that we might find her body. This case is always at the top of the list.”

Anyone with any information about Ramer’s disappearance is asked to contact the nearest law enforcement agency or the Opp Police Department at 334-493-4511; Capt. Donald Clark with the WCSO at 850-892-8111 or by visiting emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com.