A candlelight vigil to remember a murdered pregnant mother and her 4-year-old daughter was held Friday night just steps from the apartment where their bodies were found on Monday.
Family friends and even complete strangers lit candles, recalled stories and let off balloons in memory of Ebony Talley, 22, and her daughter, R’mani Rankins. A tally of the crowd topped 200.
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“Through this we gotta change. Let’s be family not just at funerals, but all the time,” James Parrish, godfather to R’mani and one of the vigil’s organizers, said. He also denounced any violence in the wake of the killings.
“She was as real as it gets,” Parrish said, recalling how Talley made her daughter the focus of her life. “Despite what you may have heard, it was all about her daughter.”
Family of Talley cried as Parrish lead a prayer for the victims. Moments later, several balloons were released in honor of the two.
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A collection of stuff animals, handmade cards and poster boards filled with pictures were placed near the ground-floor windows of apartment 604, where the killings happened.
As of Saturday morning, police still have a “person on interest” in custody on drug charges and the investigation is continuing. Police believe the apartment was set on fire after to try to cover up the deaths.
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The gathered crowd ended the vigil with, “We love you Ebony and R’mani,” as the balloons wafted gently into the night sky.
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Previous:
- Search Warrant: ‘Person of Interest’ in Double Murder, Arson Case at Scene Minutes Before Fire
- ‘Person of Interest’ in Killings Arrested for Drugs, Cops Say
- Investigation Into Murder of Pregnant Mother, Young Daughter Continuing
- PHOTOS: Double Murder Investigation in Bristol Twp.
- Mother, Daughter Killed in Bristol Twp.
