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As a Birmingham, Alabama community mourns, police revealed the cause of death for toddler Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney. Two suspects are now in police custody for McKinney’s kidnapping and murder.
READ MORE: Video shows missing girl, Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney, just before disappearance
On Friday, officials announced that the 3-year old died by asphyxiation after she was abducted earlier this month while outside at a birthday party.
Surveillance obtained by police showed two individuals walking past two small children around the time the abduction took place. Two suspects were arrested and charged with murder, according to WIAT TV. County District Attorney Danny Carr said if the suspects are found guilty of capital murder, they could get the death penalty.
The child’s body was found in a garbage dumpster in a landfill Oct. 22 after she was first reported missing Oct. 12.
On Sunday, hundreds of mourners gathered at New Beginning Christian Ministry for the toddler’s funeral to say their last goodbyes. Pastor Sylvester Wilson officiated the service, according to AL.com
“She was an angel sent from Heaven,’’ Wilson said. “God came back just to get his angel because one little girl that lived to be 3-years-old brought this whole city, this whole country together. Don’t let her death be in vain.”
“This 3-year-old has Herculean powers,” said Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith. “She’s unified a city. She’s brought the city together.”
“I think she touched a cord within the city,’’ Smith said, “This was a “how dare you’ crime. How dare you touch our children. How dare you disrespect our community. I think that’s why it touched a chord.”
Kamille McKinney’s body has been brought into the funeral home.https://t.co/Ss7qNkLz4C pic.twitter.com/cFewJdjZFS
— carol robinson (@RobinsonCarol) October 27, 2019
The funeral services for Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney will begin shortly, here are a few of the pictures from inside the church. @abc3340 pic.twitter.com/GREyLEURlU
— Ashley Gooden (@AshleyGoodenTV) October 27, 2019
An array of colorful flowers and balloons were on display, including a bouquet of flowers in the form of a cupcake.
“What we see here is pure evil,” the pastor said of Kamille’s tragic murder. “This is not the Lord’s doing.”
“My mind and my feelings are all over the place,” he said, adding that one of his grandchildren just turned three on Friday.
“I’m struggling now because I realize I’m a man of God, I’m the pastor of this church and that ain’t going to change. But I don’t know how I would feel if that had happened to one of mine. I told my wife I’m afraid I wouldn’t be the pastor of this church, but I might be an inmate pastor,” Wilson admitted.
READ MORE: Stepfather arrested in connection to kidnapping of 4-year-old stepdaughter
Birmingham activist Carlos Chaverst attended the funeral and shared a heartfelt text message he received from Kamille’s mother, April Thomas at 1:59 a.m. Friday, the outlet reported.
“When everybody sleeps at night it be the hardest part of my day, not holding her and thinking about what I could have hanged to keep this from happening. I tried so hard to be a good mother and I feel like the devil still defeated me and took a big chunk out of my heart and there’s nothing I can do. I feel helpless. A few minutes turned into a lifetime of hell.”
“There’s a family that is hurting,” Chaverst said.
“We need to be here for this family,” Chaverst said. “The funeral may be today but the hurt will be forever.”
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