Authorities in Bulloch County, Georgia, are investigating a tragic murder-suicide after the bodies of a father and his 9-year-old daughter were discovered inside a locked car at a popular park last week.
Police responded to reports of an “unresponsive child locked in a vehicle” at Brooklet City Park on May 27 and made a grim discovery.
9-year-old Emily Grace Mayo was found shot dead in the backseat of the car. Her father, 37-year-old James Lee Mayo, was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officers found a handgun on the man’s lap. The incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide.
“Emily had the most joyful smile and the biggest heart. She loved to laugh, dance, and sing,” her aunt said.
“Emily loved her family, and we loved her more than we could put into words. The world lost a huge light.”
