A trip meant to celebrate a birthday ended in unspeakable tragedy for a Georgia family when a little girl never arrived at her grandfather’s celebration. Instead, she was found dead—killed by the man who should have protected her—leaving her loved ones grappling with the kind of grief words can’t contain.

On May 28, 2025, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation released a statement confirming that it had joined the Brooklet Police Department in investigating a heartbreaking double death in Bulloch County. The incident had unfolded the previous evening.

Around 7:45 p.m. on May 27, a call came in reporting an unresponsive child locked inside a car parked at Brooklet City Park. Officers from both the Brooklet Police Department and the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office responded immediately. What they found was devastating.

Inside the car, they discovered a child in the backseat, lifeless, with an apparent gunshot wound. In the front seat was a man, also deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A handgun was found resting on his lap. Authorities later identified the man as 37-year-old James Lee Mayo and the child as his nine-year-old daughter, Emily Grace Mayo.

Both bodies were transported to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office in Pooler for autopsies. But the investigation didn’t end with the forensics—it triggered a wave of grief, disbelief, and public mourning.

Emily’s aunt, Amber Healy, launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover memorial costs, initially hoping to raise $10,000. Within days, contributions had surged past $29,000. In the fundraiser’s message, Amber described Emily as a bright, joyful soul with an infectious smile and a heart full of love. She adored dancing, singing, and playing outside. She loved animals, her cousins, Roblox, and being with her friends. “We loved her more than we could put into words,” Amber wrote. “The world lost a huge light.”

Emily had been looking forward to entering the fourth grade. She had dreams, energy, and the sassy spark of a child destined to lead. But those dreams were cut short, not by accident, but by the hands of someone she trusted.

Amber later posted a raw update, expressing immense gratitude for the outpouring of support while addressing public confusion. She clarified that while media outlets continued to refer to the family by James Mayo’s surname, Emily was not defined by his legacy. “He didn’t deserve her,” she wrote. “He was supposed to bring her home to celebrate my dad’s birthday. Instead, he pulled into that park and took her from us.”

In an emotional Facebook tribute, Amber posted photos of Emily throughout her life, from toddlerhood to her recent days, and reflected on the nightmare that unfolded in real time. She recalled being on the phone with her sister Courtney—the child’s mother—as she discovered the car, the scene, and the horrifying reality.

“I had to hold my 12-year-old daughter all night as she screamed for her cousin,” Amber shared. “They were attached at the hip, even from hundreds of miles apart.”

Amber did not mourn James. She made that painfully clear. “He was selfish and evil,” she wrote. “We do not mourn him. He is not missed. He alone is responsible.” She emphasized that the family was now left to grapple with grief, disbelief, and the haunting absence of a girl who brought so much joy to their lives.

The impact of Emily’s death reached beyond family. Her music teacher, Tasheina Canty-White, shared her heartbreak online, posting photos and memories of Emily in class. “This broke me,” Tasheina wrote. She recalled a necklace Emily had made for her—how the child’s joy convinced her to pose for a photo, despite not feeling camera-ready. That necklace became more than a trinket—it was a gift from a child whose light had now been extinguished. Just days earlier, Tasheina had watched Emily sing “Party in the USA” during a school karaoke session, not knowing it would be the last time she’d see her.

“She was an angel,” Tasheina wrote. “She left a mark on me, and I will carry her with me always.”

According to the obituary lovingly written by her aunt, Emily was born October 20, 2015, in Statesboro. She was a student at Brooklet Elementary School, remembered for her warmth, humor, and radiant personality. She made everyone feel welcome and could brighten any room. She had earned academic honors and was even awarded the “Future Influencer” Award for her positivity and can-do spirit. Her favorite color was blue. Her favorite word was “slay.”

She leaves behind a family shattered by her loss: her mother, Courtney Badgett; her younger sister, Addilyn Williams; her grandparents, Frank and Pam Badgett and Wayne and Carrie Mayo; her great-grandmother, Joby Snelling; her beloved aunts and uncles including Amber and Matthew Healy; and a long list of cousins, extended family, and dear friends. She is also survived by her pets, Tank and Ozzie.

Emily was preceded in death by her great-grandfather, Ron Snelling, and cousins Grayson and Gabriel Mayo.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory in Statesboro. The community plans to hold a candlelight vigil in Brooklet Park to honor her.

The GBI investigation into the tragedy remains ongoing.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.