The an­guished cries of chil­dren filled the Erin Sev­enth-day Ad­ven­tist Church as fam­i­ly, friends and class­mates gath­ered to bid a fi­nal farewell to 12-year-old Mer­cedez Layne, who was vi­o­lent­ly mur­dered on her way home on June 6.

Yes­ter­day, in­stead of spend­ing her day at school, Mer­cedez lay in a cof­fin, while her loved ones strug­gled to ac­cept her death.

At the Erin Pub­lic Ceme­tery, the an­guished cries grew loud­er by late evening as Mer­cedez’s sis­ters—Ayen­dae, Cheyenne, Kavelle, Ky­lah, Shakayah and Sheree­ka—and her young nephew Say­d­den, screamed as tears streamed down their faces as they clung to one an­oth­er just be­fore her cas­ket was placed in­to the grave.