Moberly community gathered Saturday night for Randolph County teen who was found dead Wednesday
Editor's note: this story has been corrected to fix where Kayla Huff's memorial service will be held.
MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Moberly community gathered Saturday night for 16-year-old Kayla Huff, who was found dead in the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area on Wednesday night.
The Immanuel Baptist Church held space for people to pray, cry and talk about Huff together.
"Her memory doesn't stop with tonight, or even with her memorial service next Wednesday," Pastor Randy Paxton said at the vigil.
Over a hundred people from Huff's school, church and family showed up--even her parents, Mike and Renee Huff, although they didn't speak at the vigil.
Christina Wilson, a friend of Huff's through church, did address her friend's parents.
"Thank you for everything you've done to raise her the way she is. She is the sweetest, loving girl, and I don't understand why somebody wanted to take this poor girl's life," Wilson said.
Huff went missing for about a week, with volunteers and law enforcement searching the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area in the days after her disappearance until a Randolph County resident found her body on Wednesday evening.
Four adult suspects were charged Thursday, and those charges were updated Friday.
Alyana Mason, 20, and 19-year-old Hunter Ames have been charged with first-degree murder. Ames is also charged with evidence tampering. Christopher Hull, 23, and Julian Mason, 26, were both charged with first-degree kidnapping and tampering with evidence. A bond hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday.
A 17-year-old boy was also arrested in connection with Huff's disappearance.
Paxton said the vigil was about being together during grief and remembering Huff.
"You know when Jesus said to love everyone, to love your neighbor as yourself, Kayla lived that out in every single day of her life," Paxton said.
An ABC 17 News reporter was asked not to do interviews at the vigil, given the sensitivity of the situation. Paxton said he and Huff's parents are considering releasing a statement at a later time.
Details on what led up to Huff's disappearance are limited, but court documents allege that Alayna Mason and her group of co-conspirators took Huff in the trunk of a car to the conservation area. Mason allegedly told law enforcement that the group beat and shot Huff.
According to court documents, Julian Mason allegedly poured motor oil into Huff's gas tank and disposed of the baton reportedly used in the crime near the Chariton and Carroll County line.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday at the MACC Activity Center, located at 101 College Ave. Visitation will start at noon and end when the service begins at 3 p.m.
