Malcolm and Doreen O'Dell appeal for information on the 15-year anniversary of their daughter's death

Amanda was a sweet and happy young woman who grew up in a close-knit family in Kempsey.

After finishing school, Amanda started work as a cashier at Woolworths where she quickly became a favourite among customers and colleagues due to her happy nature and kind personality.

"She was a lovely girl," Amanda's mother, Doreen, tells me as we sit in the living room of the home Amanda grew up in.

"She would come in and cuddle me every morning, she was very loving."

In March of 2006 Amanda turned 20. She had a small family celebration to mark the occasion and had organised to go out with friends on April 8.

A group of Amanda's close friends picked her up from her home in West Kempsey for their night out at the Macleay Hotel. Doreen said they would either drop her home or she would stay over at a friend's house.

Amanda's friends decided to drop her off after their night out and pulled up to the front of the O'Dell house at around 10.45pm on April 8. They watched her walk the 15 metres to the house, where her parents were asleep inside, and unlock the front door before they drove away.

"They saw her walk to the door and reach the house," Doreen said.

Amanda never made it inside, she disappeared from the front doorstep of her own home.

"We didn't hear anything on that night, she didn't call out," Doreen said.

The next day, Doreen and Amanda's father Malcolm, discovered that their daughter's bed hadn't been slept in.

"We just thought that she had stayed at a friend's place overnight. I started ringing her friends when we didn't hear from her and that's when they told us that they had dropped her off the night before," Doreen said.

"She was also meant to work that day, but no one had seen her," Malcolm added.

Doreen and Malcolm called the police and officers began searching around the area, but no trace of Amanda was found.

A police helicopter was also called in to search the area, while divers searched the Macleay River and sniffer dogs attempted to find any trace of the 20-year-old.

"We were hoping that someone might have her and that there was a possibility we would get her back," Doreen said.

The next few weeks were filled with sleepless nights for Amanda's parents and her two older sisters, Belinda and Narelle, with no sign or trace of the 20-year-old.

Five weeks after Amanda disappeared from her front doorstep, two people discovered the remains of a woman near an unmarked track in bushland in the Tamban State Forest, north of Kempsey.

The remains were identified as belonging to Amanda.

"We knew that five weeks after she disappeared that she wouldn't be coming back, but it was still a shock," Doreen said.

Five months after Amanda's body was discovered, a 22-year-old man was charged with her murder.

A trial was held at Newcastle's Supreme Court in June 2008. The man professed his innocence, vehemently denied he had any involvement in Amanda's death and the jury found him not guilty.

In 15 years, no other person has been charged in relation to Amanda's murder and Doreen and Malcolm said it's devastating for the family.

"It's a terrible feeling because there's no closure," Doreen said.

"We still go to the cemetery every Sunday to visit her," Malcolm added.

"She always wanted to have children, she wanted to have two. And that's two grandchildren we've also missed out on."

Amanda's case remains open, but with no new information or leads, the investigation has stalled.

Doreen and Malcolm still have hope that their daughter's killer will be found.

"We do still have hope, but with so much time now passed we know it gets more difficult," Doreen said.

Amanda would have turned 35 this year and on the 15-year anniversary of her death, Malcolm and Doreen are hoping someone will come forward.

"Someone must know something, there would be people who know what happened," Malcolm said.

"I bought her a bunch of flowers that we'll be taking to the cemetery. We just hope that someone will come forward so we can have closure," Doreen said.

Anyone with information regarding Amanda's death on April 8, 2006, is urged to contact Kempsey Police on 6561-6199 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333-000.