For every day over the last year, April Thomas has been racked with guilt, wondering if there is something she could have done differently for her 3-year-old daughter to still be alive.
Thomas, the mother of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney, the toddler who captured hearts in Birmingham and beyond following her October 2019 disappearance and abduction from the Tom Brown Village public housing community, said her life has never been the same since her daughter’s body was found one year ago today.
“I beat myself up. When you’re out here being a mother, you’re doing the best you can, and sometimes I sit around and I ask God, ‘Why? What did I do for them to choose my child that day? What did she do, God, to deserve what happened to her?” Thomas said Thursday night during a memorial service for Cupcake. Children released balloons in pink and purple -- Kamille’s favor color -- into the sky after saying “We love you, Cupcake" three times and “We will never forget you.”
“I relive this week every night of my life,” Thomas told the crowd of about 100 people who gathered in Tom Brown Village to pay tribute to Kamille. “Cupcake is supposed to be out here to this day playing around with the loved ones in her family.”
Patrick Devone Stallworth and his girlfriend, Derick Irisha Brown, were charged with kidnapping and capital murder in Kamille’s death, shortly after the 3-year-old’s body was found in a dumpster that was taken to a landfill near Warrior. Both suspects also face federal kidnapping charges.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said he struggled to find words to comfort Kamille’s family.
“What do you say to a father who screamed at the news that he would never see his baby again? What do u say to a grieving grandmother and mother and family member who are still hurting? Who didn’t get a chance to watch their daughter, didn’t get a chance to watch their granddaughter go off to school, share another Thanksgiving, another Christmas,” he said. “It’s really hard to find the words of comfort or expressing it, but I think on the other hand, it gives me strength to stand before you when I see this type of crowd. That’s showing love, that’s showing support ... We stand in solidarity with this family. We stand in solidarity with this community … and I am truly sorry for what happened."
The mayor said adults in the city “have a role” to prevent future tragedies.
“All of us have a responsibility to continue to be a village to these children, to make sure we provide for them and that we realize the pain the hurt the grief that Cupcake’s family is experiencing right now, a year later .. we owe it to them to make sure we take care of every single child,” he said.
Birmingham City Council President William Parker, who organized the event along with Jasmaine Deloach, CEO of the Angel’s Arm’s Women & Teen Organization, a Birmingham nonprofit that combats human trafficking and helps search for missing children, said Kamille’s death demonstrated that the city has to band together to protect children.
“We have to make sure that as we move forward, we’re all working together as a team to make sure that we do the necessary things for our neighborhood,” he said. “Making sure the necessary funding is in place to make sure that kids have a safe place to play and that they’re educated on the right and wrong.”
Deloach, a Pinson resident whose daughter was a human trafficking victim, said she joined the search for Kamille last year as soon as she heard the toddler was abducted during a birthday party at Tom Brown Village.
“This little girl stole my heart,” Deloach, whose daughter was found safe in Virginia, said of Cupcake. She said she still hurts since the day Kamille’s body was found.
“I’m so sorry that I couldn’t find your baby in time,” she told Kamille’s parents through tears, adding that Cupcake’s name "will forever live through me ... We got to stand up as a community to stop this from happening to our kids. If you see something, say something. Nobody wants to go through this.”
Darnell Davenport, deputy chief of the Birmingham Police Department, noted how Cupcake “brought us all together ... and together we can ensure that this will never occur again.”
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief David Agee said Kamille’s death “touched us all.”
“This memorial is to remember a sweet little child who left us much too early. All we are left with is photos of a child with a beautiful and peaceful smile. We know that she is at peace now with our heavenly father, but she has left us with a determination to look out for each other and each other’s children, and I know that we will continue in that spirit,” he said. “We will pray this will not happen to another family ever again.”
Thomas gave the crowd advice to parents to ensure their children are safe: 'No matter where you are, never get too comfortable," she said.
“It’s too late for my baby, but when you are out I want you to always think of her so her legacy can live on.”
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‘We love you, Cupcake’: Birmingham vows to protect children 1 year after toddler’s body found - al.com
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