A Nashville community is grappling with the tragic loss of 8-year-old Demeria Hollingsworth, who authorities say was suffocated by her 12-year-old cousin earlier this week. At a vigil held at Cockrill Elementary School, where Demeria was a student since Pre-K according to WSMV, friends and family gathered to remember the young girl described as "very energetic, always happy, outgoing, smart," by her grandmother, Tamara Pullum. Demeria's academic accomplishments were highlighted as well, having made straight A's and consistently being named to the principles list.
Details surrounding the case have been tightly controlled following a court-imposed gag order during the 12-year-old's court appearance on Friday. The gag order, as reported by WREG, prevents the District Attorney and other officials from commenting publicly on the case. The accused, set to turn 13 soon, faces charges of first-degree murder and evidence tampering. The Juvenile Court Judge, Mark Johnson, has thus far not allowed to widely disseminate any case details.
It appears an argument over an iPhone may have played a role in this tragic event. Demeria's mother, Rayana Smith, in an emotional interview with WKRN, expressed regret over not intervening earlier. "When they told me about that, I should have just gone to get my kid," Smith said, voicing the anguish of a decision she'll revisit time and again. District Attorney Frederick Agee called the violent act "one of the most disturbing" his office has prosecuted WKRN reported.
Surveillance video, as described by District Attorney Frederick Agee, captured the older cousin using bedding to suffocate Demeria in her sleep. After the alleged act, the video then showed the suspect attempting to clean and reposition the victim's body. The incident has left a community in mourning and a family struggling with the unfathomable loss—a loss that has prematurely stolen the light of a child who loved to "read books, go swimming, and play outside," as her mother recounted to WKRN. As for the suspect, the state is petitioning for her to be tried as an adult, a move that reflects the gravity of the charges laid before her.
