Laoneda Carpenter can remember her last conversation with her 12-year-old daughter, Mariah Isaacs.
The exchange was similar to one they had every weekday morning. She reminded Isaacs to let her poodle, Smoky, outside before leaving for school.
“She was like ‘OK Mama, I’m done. I’m gone. See you later. I love you,'” Carpenter said. “And I said ‘I love you back.’ That was the last words I had with my baby.”
A grief-riddled Carpenter spoke Monday night to more than 1,000 mourners gathered for a candlelight vigil in Isaac’s memory at Moncrief Park.
Isaacs, a sixth grader at Armstrong Elementary School, died at home Friday night.
Gerod Ellis, Isaacs’ uncle, said his niece could always light up his day. He recalled one story where she spent the night with him and his daughter. He doesn’t bake well, he said, and they’d ask him for some of his “10-pound cookies.”
“They’d just tease me all night and I’d be laying in the bed and her and Ariel would be scared to sleep by themselves,” he said. “And they’d come and jump in the bed with me. Y’all, I had to listen and watch Cinderella all night. …That’s what you do when you’ve got love for your family and you want to be a great dad and a great uncle because that was my niece. That was my baby and I’m gonna miss her so much.”
Ties to bullying
Speaker after speaker at Monday’s vigil, including Starkville Police Chief Frank Nichols, tied the child’s untimely death to bullying.
“Somebody saw something,” he told the crowd, promising his department will assist in an ongoing investigation to “bring those responsible to justice.”
“Let God do His job, and we’re going to do our job,” he added.
Nichols, through Starkville Police Department’s Twitter account Monday afternoon, offered condolences to the family as well as a warning to bullies, in general.
“Not only is bullying senseless, it can be a criminal offense,” the post reads. “Harassment either in person or on social media will not be tolerated by this agency.”
Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation into Isaacs’ death, Lt. Brett Watson confirmed to The Dispatch, though foul play is not suspected.
“We’re looking into circumstances that led to it so we can get a clearer picture of what may or may not have happened,” he said.
‘If you see something, say something’
Throughout the vigil — which included remarks from Mayor Parker Wiseman, local ministers and representatives from several support organizations — speakers encouraged the crowd to say something if they notice signs of bullying.
Ellis also issued a challenge to the men in the community to find ways to be more involved in schools and in the community with kids.
“I want to challenge all of you men to get involved in the school with your kids. I don’t care if it’s your son, your daughter, your niece, your nephew,” Ellis said. “We have teachers here — they can’t do it by themselves. Our women in our community — they can’t do it by themselves. We men need to step up.”
Carpenter thanked everyone in attendance for their support in honor of Isaacs. She spent most of Monday at Armstrong Middle School, where grief counselors and local ministers were on-site to support students, faculty and staff. She said it was “devastating” to walk in and see how many students were sad or crying.
“I am overwhelmed with all the love and joy that you guys have been showing me since Friday night,” she said. “I really don’t have any words to say. I just want to say thank you and that I love each and every one of y’all.”
For the parents who were there, Carpenter said it’s important to talk to children, and to be aware of what’s going on in their lives.
“I need each and every one of you parents to just go home and hug on them, and ask them questions,” she said. “Not just today, but every day.”
Carpenter also spoke to the children at Monday’s vigil. She said it’s important to speak up about bullying.
“I’m grateful that I did get a chance to tell my baby that I love her. We are hurt behind what’s going on. All of you kids — I don’t know if you’ve been bullied or what, but y’all need to tell it.”
A GoFundMe account set up Sunday for the family had raised a little more than half of its $15,000 goal by press time.
Another vigil will be held at 7 p.m. today at AMS.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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