‘She’s in a lot better place.’ South MS community gathers to honor Gracelynn
Sporadic thunder and lightning cracked overhead as members of the Saucier community gathered to say goodbye to one of their own for one last time.
On Tuesday, dressed in pink, a crowd that included family members and friends lit candles under a pavilion at Saucier Park just one day after the funeral of Gracelynn Vick, the 6-year-old girl who was found dead after an extensive search on April 13.
Members of Gracelynn’s family, including her mother, Vickie (Wedgeworth) Hutcherson, gathered together, accepting gifts and well-wishes, and giving smiles amid bouts of tears.
“She’s in a lot better place, a lot better peace than any of us can imagine down here on this Earth,” pastor Zack Coulter of Persimmon Hill Baptist Church told the crowd as he gave a brief sermon, encouraging those gathered to find peace.
As candles were lit and passed around, a moment of silence was held for Gracelynn. When the candles were extinguished, Hutcherson, holding onto a family member’s baby, was given the first candle lit. She tearfully blew it out.
A community effort
The vigil was organized by a local Saucier organization, The Kind Hearts Organization. According to founder Laura “Dannette” Necaise, before the organization was founded in 2023, they were already a group of friends and families doing what they could to help the community.
Now, she says, they rely on volunteers and donations to help community members shoulder unexpected financial burdens. Necaise said when they heard about Gracelynn, they knew they had to help.
“We got together as a group and we decided that we wanted to do something special,” Necaise said. “We didn’t really know what route, and then someone blurted out, let’s have a candlelight service.”
With the blessing of Gracelynn’s family, The Kind Hearts Organization began organizing an event and fundraising for the cost of her funeral and burial. According to Necaise, all the expenses have been covered. The excess donations, she said, will be put toward a memory bench and tree at Saucier Elementary — where Gracelynn attended school.
The Kind Hearts Organization was not the only group involved in the vigil. A local Domino’s location in Saucier donated pizzas and Inspiration Innovation, a print shop, provided koozies, handkerchiefs, keychains and other items decorated with Gracelynn’s name.
“I’ve been here all my life and I’ve never seen the community come together like this. And it’s on behalf of my family,” said Billy Wedgeworth, the brother of Gracelynn’s mother. “It’s been wonderful and I’m proud to say I’m from Saucier.”
First responders attend
Several members of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office attended the vigil, gathered at the back. According to Captain Teddy Rose, at least 15 members of the department helped in the hours-long search for Gracelynn.
“We were out there during the search and it weighs heavy on our hearts,” Rose said. “People think that we are always disconnected, and that’s not the case. We’re humans too. We’re fathers, mothers, we have children. I can say that it hurt the men and women of the sheriff’s office, it really did.”
On April 17, Sheriff Matt Haley said in a press conference that there were “no signs of foul play” in Gracelynn’s death. According to Haley, her death was a tragic accident.
As the vigil drew to a close, Gracelynn’s mother posed for a photograph with the sheriff’s deputies in attendance. She then was pulled into a big hug by Captain Rose, with tears in her eyes.
This story was originally published April 23, 2025 at 11:39 AM.
