The West Gadsden Funeral Home became the gathering place for a grieving community Sunday night, as residents came together for a candlelight vigil honoring a 1-year-old girl whose body was discovered inside a hearse.
The funeral home identified the child as Blessence Pearl. Friends, neighbors, and strangers joined the family in prayer and song, seeking to offer comfort during their time of unimaginable loss. Many in attendance said the tragedy hit close to home.
“The city of Gadsden is showing love for others,” said neighbor Vicki Ecxford. “We’re not selfish people. It doesn’t have to be somebody that I know. It doesn’t have to be somebody that we all know. It’s just showing love and the community coming together to stand together”, NBC affiliate WVTM reported.
The vigil was organized by Dantez Robinson, who said he felt compelled to show the family that they had the support of the city. “My heart fell to my feet,” Robinson said. “I have young ones. I have two kids the aged four and seven. To get the phone call, my heart was shattered—shattered into a million pieces.”
For some, the grief was deeply personal. Ekra Tolbert, a lifelong friend of the child’s grandmother, said she has been devastated since learning of the death. “Her heart is completely torn up,” Tolbert said. “I couldn’t sleep last night, so I know she couldn’t sleep last night cause she’s the grandmother.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Gadsden Police Department confirmed an arrest in the case. At 1 a.m., police reported that 29-year-old Terica Pearl had been booked into the Etowah County Jail on a murder charge. She is being held without bond. The Etowah County Coroner’s Office said the victim was 21 months old.
“This was a tough case for everybody involved,” Mayor Craig Ford said. “I’m proud of the way our police department went after the truth and got it done. An arrest doesn’t take away the hurt, but it does mean we’re one step closer to justice for this child.”
Police began their investigation Saturday morning when a funeral home groundskeeper discovered the child’s body. The hearse had been parked Friday night by the funeral home manager, who said it had been locked and that the child was not inside at the time. The body was found when the vehicle was being moved among others on the property, spoke to AL.com
Authorities have not released details about how the child ended up inside the hearse or the events leading to her death. Both the funeral home and police are urging the public to come forward with any information that might help bring closure.
“If anyone’s got any kind of information that could help us wrap this case up, help us give some justice to a victim and be able to bring peace back to the community, because there are a lot of questions to be had from this,” said Lt. Dusty Ford of the Gadsden Police Department. “There are a lot of people looking for answers, and we want to be able to give those to them. But until someone comes forward and helps us, you know, there’s only so much we can work with.”