- A vigil was held for Lori Paige, marking the eve of what would have been her 14th birthday.
- Community members gathered at Cascades Park to honor her life after her remains were discovered in Georgia.
- Watch the video to hear from community leaders who led the charge in getting answers in her disappearance.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Fond memories of Lori Paige shared by her former teacher to social media. That was on her 12th birthday.
I'm Lentheus Chaney in Cascades Park, where just one day before what would have been her 14th birthday, community members gathered to honor Lori.
It’s a heartbreaking update in a case that has gripped Tallahassee for nearly two years.
Investigators found the remains of 12-year-old Lori Paige in a remote area of Thomas County, Georgia.
Her father, 36-year-old Andrew Wiley, first reported Lori missing in June 2023.
On Friday, Tallahassee police announced Wiley's arrest for her murder.
As the community grieves this tragic loss, dozens of neighbors gathered at Cascades Park for a bubble-blowing event and candlelight vigil to honor Lori’s memory.
Margaret Summers, a paraprofessional who worked with Lori’s class, says the community remained hopeful as TPD continued the search for Lori.
“I think that at the beginning, she was thought to be a runaway, and I think that initially, based on that, the ball was dropped. But once TPD picked up the ball, they ran with it — and they ran with that ball all the way to the woods in Georgia,” Summers said.
Neighbor Pastor Rudy Ferguson attended tonight’s vigil. He says it’s a first step toward healing the community.
“It’s also my way of healing as well because we have been looking for her for a long time. And even though we got the news that we didn’t hope for, we got the answer that started the process of closure — and this was it,” Ferguson said.
The event was organized by someone with no connection to Lori and without participation from her other family.
Ferguson says he, along with a group of pastors and the family, is planning a memorial service for Lori.
As for Wiley, a judge ordered him held without bond.
In Tallahassee, Lentheus Chaney, ABC 27.
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