Community gathers to honor ‘sweet Faye,’ slain 6-year-old, at candlelight vigil
For the child with the sunny face, kind heart and joyful spirit, they held candles amid cloudy skies.
Tuesday brought a measure of closure and a small step toward healing for a family and community who are reeling from the death of 6-year-old Faye Marie Swetlik, whose body was found last week in her Cayce neighborhood after days of hopeful searching.
More than 150 mourners gathered on the rainy evening outside Cayce City Hall in remembrance of 6-year-old Faye, the red-haired, sweet-eyed girl who was slain after going missing last week.
On the same day the community learned how Faye had been killed, the crowd gathered tightly behind members of the girl’s family. Sober faces were lit by small white vigil candles, some held by children as young as Faye.
“The unimaginable happened here. A child went missing and won’t be coming home,” said Elise Partin, mayor of the small city of Cayce, which was swarmed by prayers, media attention and grief over the past eight days as the community first searched in desperation for the missing child, then together grappled with the weight of her death.
Faye’s small body was found last Thursday in a wooded area of the Churchill Heights neighborhood where she lived, nearly three days after her family last saw her alive. Police believe she was kidnapped and killed by a neighbor, 30-year-old Coty Taylor, who also killed himself. His body was found shortly after Faye’s.
An autopsy performed on the child’s body over the weekend revealed she died of asphyxiation, or suffocation, officials announced Tuesday. Police believe she was killed on the same day she went missing, last Monday, Feb. 10.
Speakers at Tuesday evening’s vigil celebrated the impact of Faye’s short life while acknowledging the heaviness of grief.
“Even though Faye just came to our school in August, everyone quickly grew to love her smile, her joyful spirit and her very kind heart,” said Hope Vrana, Faye’s principal at Springdale Elementary School. “Faye made friends quickly and easily. She added sunshine upon entering the school, and she would bounce into breakfast with excitement and a morning hug. Fayes’ wide-eyed curiosity and her imagination will be remembered by all of her teachers and classmates.”
The school plans to do something to commemorate “sweet Faye’s lasting impact,” Vrana added.
Representatives from Lexington County Community Mental Health were at the gathering with handouts for families to help them speak with their children about grief and loss
“The death of a loved one can be very overwhelming,” said Sarah Main, director of the mental health organization. “It can be frighting. It can be a very painful experience. Survivors often find themselves entangled in a complex web of emotions and painful reactions.
“It is my hope in coming together today to honor Faye that this is a first step in the healing process for all.”
A public memorial service for Faye will be held this Friday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church in Cayce.
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 7:07 PM.
