Hundreds of people gathered together Saturday morning to attend the funeral services of 4-year-old Houston girl, Maleah Davis.
ABC13 reports that the service for the slain girl was held at the Community Crossing Church in Houston. Prior to the private service, Richardson Mortuary collected toys, teddy bears, and flowers for the young girl, who captured the nation’s heart when she disappeared in early May. Her remains were found in Arkansas weeks later.
Maleah Davis was remembered during a private funeral service on Saturday morning.https://t.co/5anTQH3BBn
— FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) June 23, 2019
Only those with pink “Maleah Lynn Davis” bracelets were allowed at the private memorial, with ABC13 being the only media allowed to enter. The station reported that an obituary booklet was provided at the funeral, with a heartbreaking message written from the perspective of Maleah herself.
“I came to play on February 6, 2015. I flew away with the angels on May 4, 2019.”
“While listening to music was my favorite hobby, Rainbow Dash was my best friend,” the funeral program read, referencing Maleah’s favorite character. “I would sit and watch her on the iPad all day long. I like to draw and since I wasn’t quite old enough to draw Rainbow Dash, I would draw rainbows. Bright colors of the rainbow always brought a smile to my face.”
“I will always hug and sing with all my cousins and friends, I love you.”
Maleah’s obituary was inspired by her favorite show “My Little Pony,” and went along with a custom-made “My Little Pony” casket donated by Trey Ganem’s SoulShine Industries. The inside of the booklet featured photos of the little girl surrounded by her favorite characters and photos of her siblings.
The 90-minute service served as a reminder of a life cut far too short and of opportunities missed to save her.
“Because of this 4-year-old, I think more children are being protected,” Mayor Sylvester Turner, who spoke at the funeral, told Click2Houston following the service.
“The world I believe is better. A life is gone, but her legacy is….. that we have to watch over and protect and love our kids.”
Maleah was last seen alive via security footage on April 30. Her mother, Brittany Bowens, left Maleah and a younger sibling in the care of her fiancé, 26-year-old Derion Vence.
Vence initially told police on May 4 that three men hit him over the head while he was checking his car tire, then abducted Maleah. It’s a story that had holes from the beginning, according to authorities.
The man later told investigators that Maleah passed away accidentally. He allegedly claimed he left her body in a trash bag off the side of a road in Arkansas. Authorities found her remains in late May.
Vence is currently behind bars, charged with tampering with a corpse in connection with the girl’s disappearance.
Click here to read all of CrimeOnline’s coverage of Maleah Davis.
[Feature Photo: Maleah Davis/Handout]
