A 10-year-old Alabama girl remembered for her “bright and joyful” spirit was found dead inside an Alabama home late Friday night, sparking a homicide investigation that has led to one juvenile being charged with murder.
Piedmont police discovered the body of Katheryn Bigbee less than an hour after she was reported missing, AL.com reported.
“Officers responded immediately to the residence,” Piedmont Police Chief Nathan Johnson said in a statement. “They tragically discovered a deceased juvenile inside the home.”
Authorities have not disclosed the location of the home or whether it was the girl’s residence. A juvenile, whose identity and relationship to Katheryn were withheld because of their age, was arrested and charged with murder.
Bigbee’s cause of death also remains unclear, with police saying the investigation was still ongoing.
“Our family has been torn to pieces, and we have lost the most amazing, sweetest little girl. She was a light in any room she walked into,” Blake Trammell, who is in a relationship with Katheryn’s mother, wrote in a Facebook post. “I cannot express the pain, guilt, and emptiness that has come from all of this. We don’t have answers, only more questions.”
The girl’s school also recalled her as a beloved student, remembered for her “spunky personality.”
“Katheryn had a joyful, spunky personality that made her truly special. She was an enthusiastic reader and will be remembered for the happiness she shared so freely,” the school said in a statement.
Calhoun County Coroner Pat Brown told AL.com on Sunday that he was unable to release a cause of death.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the coroner’s office and Piedmont Police Department for updated comment.
