WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Purple consumed West Valley's City Park Sunday night to honor Kailey Vijil, whose favorite color was purple.
Vijil was found murdered in West Valley City on Friday.
In her honor, people wore purple clothing and carried purple flowers, balloons and ribbons. Songs were sung and drums were also played to honor her Native American heritage. Friends, family and community members spoke about how much they loved her and how much they'll miss her.
"Wonderful personality, so kind and caring, and she really blossomed in fourth grade and on through fifth and sixth and her sweet spirit is just going to resonate throughout Monroe Elementary halls forever; I know that," said her former teacher, Connie Charboneau.
Classmate Azlin Saucado was asked what she'll miss most about Kailey.
"How nice she was and how she cared about everybody, and she would always help us with everything; she was a nice friend," Saucado said.
Vijil's body was discovered in a wooded area behind a house on 5200 West 3611 South. She was last seen leaving her home just before midnight Thursday with a teenage boy who allegedly enticed her into leaving the home. Another young girl in the neighborhood said the same boy had spoken to her prior to the alleged murder and asked her to come see his fort but she declined.
Police were able to track Kailey's cell phone to the location where the body was found.
Police said there were signs of trauma, but they wouldn't give an exact cause of death. They did say that she was not stabbed or shot. A 15-year-old boy who lives in the same neighborhood as Kailey has been booked into juvenile detention and faces a charge of criminal homicide.
