Fayetteville community gathers to remember Shaniya Davis

Hundreds of people gathered in Fayetteville Monday night to remember 5-year-old Shaniya Davis

By: Steve Sbraccia | WNCT
Published: November 17, 2009

It’s a tragic end, in the search for a missing 5-year-old girl from North Carolina.
The body of a child was found near Sanford on Monday, and authorities believe it is the body of Shaniya Davis.
Shaniya has been missing since last week.
Two people have been charged in her disappearance.
Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Davis, is charged with human trafficking and felony child abuse.
Davis appeared in court on Monday.
And police say the man last seen with Shaniya in a hotel, Mario McNeill, confessed to kidnapping her.
Hundreds of people gathered in Fayetteville Monday night to remember Shaniya.
The vigil was planned to pray for Shaniya's safe return, but turned into a support group for the family coping with an unimaginable loss.
“Don't give up on me and don't give up on Shaniya, she's up there with you,” said Shaniya’s father, Bradley Lockhart. “Just knowing my little baby is up there with you is giving me comfort right now.”
Lockhart’s pain is shared by the community.
“I have babies. It would devastate me to know it could happen to my children and to know that someone this little girl trusted, trusted with all her heart to travel with him, that they would take advantage of her innocence,” said Cynthia McKay
Those who gathered at the vigil were filled with a combination of grief and anger.
For one of Shaniya’s aunts, the answers just aren’t there.
“It's crazy. It was crazy when it first began. Nothing is making any sense. None of the stories, nothing is making any sense,” said Yvonne Mitchell.
"Now is the time to come together and see what we can do when we all come together as one,” said Bernedette Denson.
Fayetteville police say the child's body was found near a Sanford hotel where Shaniya was last seen.
They say the body has been taken to a medical examiner's office, where an autopsy will be performed.