i can't think sometimes, i just break down and cry. >> surveillance cameras showed pam butler entering her house that night but she's never again seen leaving it though technically butler's disappearance is considered a missing persons case and d.c. police say they've long believed pap was probably murdered. according to cops, the prime suspect has long been pams ex- boyfriend, jose rodriguez, but there has never been enough evidence to charge him and he continues to insist that he had nothing to do with pam's disappearance. >> is she living? could she be somewhere held against her own will? >> pam's mother says even now, she often prays that her daughter will somehow be found one day, but with each passing year, each passing valentine's day, she's well aware that that becomes an increasingly remote possibility. >> do you still hope that you'll see her again some day? >> oh, my god, yes, i do, but i feel like it's fading away. i really do. three years, i just feel like it's fading away. >> matt jablo, 9 news now. >> should you have any information about pam butler's disappearance, d.c.

. >> brian, this one has baffled police and left pam butler's mother and brother to wonder what happened? where is she and who knows? >> i don't think an our goes by that, you know, pam doesn't come into our minds in some kind of way. >> the passage of time for the family of pam butler now three years since the 47-year-old systems analyst for the epa disappeared without a trace. >> a year is 365 days, but for us, it seems a lot longer. >> she went missing february 12, 2009. last seen at her home on 4th street. the manner park section of northwest washington. she was seen on surveillance video entering the house. the security cameras installed when an arsonist was on the loose. butler sent two e-mails the following day. she was working from home. she hasn't been seen or heard from since. >> we were never, ever see her body. that's the way i feel today. >> her mother and brother derek say pam had a boyfriend. he was seen on video entering and leaving the home for a couple of days after pamela disappeared. back then, the boyfriend told us he only returned to the house to collect some of his

. >>> it has been three years since anyone has seen pam butler and there is still no sign of the analyst from the environmental protection agency. 47-year-old butler vanished on february 12th, 2009 just two days before she was supposed to have a valentine's day dinner with her mother. and that prompted an agoonizing search which still continues today. >> horrible. disaster. i can't think sometimes, i just break down and cry. >> d.c. police say they believe butler was murdered by her former boyfriend. they say, however, that there is not enough evidence to charge him and the boyfriend says he had nothing to do with butler's disappearance. >>> nuclear experts believe iran is still years away from building a nuclear bomb, but danielle nottingham reports the rogue nation took another step in that direction today. reporter: iran claims it produced these nuclear fuel rods that engineers loaded into a reactor for the first time this morning. state tv broadcast the event, including live coverage of iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad attending a ceremony to mark the latest developments. iran a

it was on valentine's day, 2009, pam butler was reported missing to police.

guardian angels also on hand as family, friends and neighbors crowded on the sidewalk outside pam butler's northwest home where she disappeared three years ago. the federal employee was 47 years old last seen at the house on fourth and oglethorpe streets on valentine's day, 2009. farmer was gratified at the number of people who showed up -- her family was gratified at the number of people who showed up for the singe any her honor. >> i think it's great so many -- for the singe any her honor. >> i think it's great so many people showed up and my family is grateful and shows all the people on hand willing to get involved. >> butler's home had video surveillance showing her boyfriend entering and leaving, but police found no evidence linking him to her disappearance. >>> a takoma park grandmother died when her home caught fire this morning. firefighters responded to the park richie building around 2:15 this morning on maple avenue. the fire was out, but the 56- year-old suffered severe burns. her granddaughter was alerted by the smoke large and called 911. >> it appears that the fire began as