Community Mourns Menifee Boy's Killing While Awaiting Coroner's Confirmation

This story was reported by Patch editor Maggie Avants:

Although sheriff's officials have not confirmed that human remains found early Wednesday are those of a Menifee boy reported missing Sunday, investigators have called off search efforts and an arrest in the case has been made.

With that news, a large crowd numbering more than 1,000 turned out Wednesday evening for a candlelight prayer vigil held in memory of Terry "JuJu" Smith, 11.

The solemn gathering culminated a four-day, multi-city search for the boy and was held at the Menifee Market, the place that had served as a makeshift command post for a large-scale volunteer search effort.

"Your effort was not in vain if it was done in love," said Jim Edwards, associate pastor at Revival Christian Fellowship in Menifee, who led the prayer vigil.

He invited those in attendance to pray "individually or collectively."

"Be in prayer, be lifting up this family," Edwards said, before the release of several hundred balloons.

The event followed the news Riverside County sheriff's officials had announced earlier Wednesday, that a 16-year-old family member of Terry's had been arrested on suspicion of murder. 

Around 12:55 a.m. Wednesday, a citizen volunteer had spotted the remains on the approximately one-acre property in the semi-rural area of the 33000 block of Helen Lane, where Terry lived with his mother, her partner, his sister and his 16-year-old half-brother, according to sheriff's officials.

Officers with the Menifee Police Department responded and found partially-exposed human remains in a shallow grave.

Members of the household were taken in for questioning, and as a result of those investigations, the 16-year-old family member was arrested, according to sheriff's Sgt. Lisa McConnell.

"The Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the Menifee Police Department extend their hearts and prayers to the community and all those who passionately sought the safe recovery of Terry Smith," McConnell said in a written statement.

"At this time the identity of the victim found at the scene is only being identified as a male juvenile who fits the description of Terry Smith. The Coroner's Bureau will release the identity once it has been confirmed," McConnell continued.

Authorities are not releasing the name of the suspect because he is a juvenile, she said.

It was a tragic turn of events for many who helped in the volunteer effort.

Cecylia Olson, 32, of French Valley, was among them, and returned Wednesday evening to take part in the vigil. Her 6-year-old daughter, Kayla, and 4-year-old son, Dylan, held candles alongside her.

"We did keep up hope, we thought we were looking for a missing boy," said Olson, who began helping Monday evening in the search effort. 

It was a way, she said, to instill a lesson for her young daughter, who had helped her search on foot—not knowing it would turn out the way it did Wednesday.

A memorial of candles, stuffed animals, flowers and posters grew in size as the evening went on. 

Similar memorials took shape at the corner of Helen Lane and Scott Road, as well as in front of Terry's home.

Like Olson, many at the vigil had searched in earnest for Terry, who allegedly had disappeared from the home sometime between the evening of July 6 and the morning of July 7, when his mother reported him missing.

"There were many volunteers who came out to search, to comb the city," said volunteer Helen Espinoza. "We were pulling 16-hour shifts."

She thanked the City of Menifee, local restaurants, businesses and families who came out as a community to help.

"Without them, we wouldn't have survived out here in the heat," Espinoza said. "So thank you."

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department also conveyed their gratitude to the following agencies that assisted in the investigation: 

• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
• California Office of Emergency Services - Chief Dennis Beene
• Riverside County Fire-Office of Emergency Services
• Cal Fire-Riverside County Fire Department
• Riverside County District Attorney's Office
• San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
• Orange County Sheriff's Department
• San Diego County Sheriff's Department
• Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
• Anaheim Police Department Irvine Police Department
• Garden Grove Police Department
• Long Beach Police Department, Search and Rescue
• Sierra Madre Search and Rescue
• Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit
• Desert Sheriff's Search and Rescue
• Riverside County Disaster Corps
• Riverside County Sheriff's Posse
• Citizen Emergency Response Teams from Menifee, Moreno Valley, Canyon Lake, Wildomar, Riverside, Temecula, and the Pass Area
• Riverside Amateur Civil Emergency Services (R.A.C.E.S.)
• Lake Elsinore, Perris, and Menifee Explorers
• City of Menifee

The investigation was ongoing, and the Sheriff's Department encouraged anyone with further information to contact Investigator Jim Peters at the Riverside Sheriff's Homicide Unit by calling 951-955 2777.