Amberly Barnett, an 11-year-old once missing DeKalb County, Alabama girl, was remembered as a kind child who probably would have been famous some day. Tragically, the child was found deceased, authorities announced on March 2, 2019, suspending the search for the girl, who vanished from a relative’s home the day before. The child’s full name was Amberly Alexis Barnett. She’s left behind a heartbroken family and community. “Life is so fragile,” she wrote on her Instagram account. Amberly’s mother wrote a tribute to her on social media: “In Loving Memory Of my Special Daughter,” it reads. “Heartfelt memories of my Daughter whose love was sweet and pure, to lose someone so precious is a pain that’s hard to endure. You were the jewel in our hearts you were loved in every way, now you’re gone, you’re truly missed each and every day…You always brought the sunshine and you brightened up our world, spreading happiness and kindness since you were a little girl. Amberly life is not the same now you’re no longer here, but our love for you is still strong and will remain year after year.” A 33-year-old Alabama man, Christopher Madison, has been charged in her death, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced on February 4. Madison is accused of strangling Amberly to death. Her body was found in a wooded area about 200 yards behind his home, the sheriff’s office said. Few details about the case have been released as to not jeopardize the prosecution, the sheriff said. “I am not at liberty to disclose any additional information concerning this case,” Sheriff Nick Welden said in a statement. “The road to justice for this sweet, innocent little girl is too important to release anything to jeopardize this investigation. I would like to thank our staff and all other departments that assisted on this case. This was a true joint effort, a team effort between multiple agencies who all worked tirelessly to help us get to this point.” Here’s what you need to know: 1. The Sheriff Said His Heart Was Shattered By the Girl’s Death DeKalb County Sheriff's Office — Amberly Alexis Barnett press conferenceDeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden speaks about the arrest of Christopher Wayne Madison in the death of 11-year-old Amberly Alexis Barnett. 2019-03-04T21:21:57.000Z At a press conference on Monday, Sheriff Nick Welden told reporters that Christopher Wayne Madison, 33, is accused of strangling Amberly Barnett to death. That is based on an initial autopsy report that shows she was strangled, the sheriff said. Welden said Amberly’s body was found about 200 yards behind Madison’s home in a wooded area. The death of the child hit the local sheriff hard. At the press conference, Welden said the previous days had been “extremely tiresome and emotional” for himself and his entire staff and those who assisted. “It is a very tragic event,” Welden said. In a previous brief news conference, Welden said that, at around 6:30 a.m. on March 2, 2019, the “deceased body” of the child was located. He didn’t provide many details at that time, but he filled his press conference with religious reference. He said: “We are diligently, diligently pursuing different avenues and Lord willing we will have answers in the coming days. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward on this tragic event.” Due to the circumstances, he said he would not be able to answer questions at this time. He said, “My heart is shattered on this date. But we will move forward….God bless you all.” In an earlier news conference, the sheriff said it had been a long and tense night. At 7:30 p.m., the night before, the sheriff’s department received a call in reference to the missing child. They responded quickly. The search continued throughout the night, including in the State of Georgia. Forensic scientists also responded to the scene. “Please keep this family in your thoughts as we move forward,” he said. 2. Amberly Was Last Seen at Her Aunt’s Home Amberly’s last known whereabouts were on March 1, 2019, a Friday. Authorities said she was last seen at her aunt’s home in Collinsville. The lone public clue: “A dark-colored SUV was reported in the area around the same time,” The New York Daily News reported. Before Barnett was found, the Sheriff’s Department wrote: “MISSING: We’re currently searching for 11-year-old Amberly Lee Barnett. Amberly is 5’1″/98 lbs. Blonde Hair/Blue Eyes.” “Amberly was last seen in the Mt. Vernon Community around 6 pm. If you may have seen her or know of her whereabouts, call us at (256)845-3801. We’re all hands on deck tonight to bring her home.” 3. Amberly’s Class Is Raising Money in Her Memory & She Was Remembered as a ‘Precious Soul’ A GoFundMe page has been created in Amberly’s memory. “CHS Class of 2009 is raising money in memory of our classmate’s daughter. All donations will go directly to the family of this sweet girl. Any and all donations would be greatly appreciated,” it reads. A woman who donated wrote, “I donated because I met this beautiful angel when her Aunt brought her to Walmart where her Aunt & I work at. I am so upset and angry at the same time. My son asked me could we give money and my son don’t know her but my son & I have a heart. This breaks my heart so. I am praying for her family and may justice get served.” Wrote one woman on Facebook: “Pray for the family…. it’s hard to understand why these things happen… Amberly was a precious soul….” “My heart is breaking so much. My daughter attends this school and knew her,” commented a woman on the Sheriff’s Facebook page. “She said at their Valentine’s dance, she danced with this little girl to try to cheer her up and make her smile. My heart is heavy.” 4. Amberly’s Mother Says Her Daughter Would ‘Not Quit Fighting to Get Home’ Amberly Barnett’s mother, Jonie Barnett, has posted about Amberly on Facebook.<doc-sep>UPDATE: Christopher Wayne Madison, 33, has been arrested and charged with capital murder. The sheriff's office said he is being held at the DeKalb County Jail without bond. Christopher Wayne Madison Amberly Barnett Amberly Barnett Christopher Wayne Madison Strangulation is the cause of death, and the body was found in a wooded area about 200 yards behind the defendant’s home. According to the warrant issued on Monday for Madison's arrest, authorities believe Amberly Barnett was murdered on Friday, March 1. "The road to justice for this sweet, innocent little girl is too important to release anything to jeopardize this investigation," said Sheriff Nick Welden, in a statement released Monday. Our sources say Madison is the brother-in-law of Barnett's aunt, who she was living with when she went missing. WAAY 31 spoke with a family friend about how she will remember the little girl. “Bright, happy, fun little girl. She loved track, she loved animals, she loved her family. She has a little brother and they were best friends,” said Amanda Adams, a friend of Amberly’s family. She said she’s shocked that anyone could hurt, much less kill, an innocent child. “Just devastated and floored that we’ve got someone this evil in our community, and this happened just ten minutes from where I live,” Adams said. “This is the devil walking around...” Adams is a mother herself and said she can’t imagine what the 11-year-old's mother is going through. “We, as a community, love our kids enough to let any predator know we will not stand for this. All of us will do everything we can to make sure you get the justice you deserve. We wouldn’t push for time in jail ... I believe he deserves nothing less than the death penalty,” Adams said. In the meantime, she is asking the community to keep Barnett's family in their thoughts and prayers. "She was a sweet little girl, and she did not deserve this. I want her to be remembered for the innocence that she was, the beautiful little girl that she was, and not this,” Adams said. ----- From earlier: The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office is holding a press conference Monday at 3 p.m. to discuss the Amberly Barnett death investigation after searchers found the 11-year-old's body Saturday morning. Barnett disappeared from the Mt. Vernon area of DeKalb County on Friday, and deputies were dispatched to County Road 822 in Mt. Vernon. The search expanded from DeKalb County into Cherokee County as well as part of Georgia. WAAY 31 will livestream the conference at 3 p.m.<doc-sep>“I can tell you that we are diligently, diligently pursuing different avenues, and Lord willing, we will have answers in the coming days. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward in this tragic event.”<doc-sep>Funeral services for Amberly Barnett, the 11-year-old killed in northeast Alabama this past weekend, will be held Friday in Georgia. Barnett is from Georgia, but she was living with her aunt in DeKalb County, Alabama when she was killed, authorities have said. Visitation services will be from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Cedartown, Georgia, according to Barnett’s obituary. The funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the church. Burial will follow at the Northview Cemetery. Barnett was found dead in the Mount Vernon community of northeast Alabama on Saturday morning following an overnight search, authorities said. Christopher Madison, a 33-year-old who lived in the same neighborhood where Barnett was staying, has been charged with capital murder. DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden has said an initial autopsy showed Barnett was strangled. Investigators said they aren’t commenting on a motive for the killing. Barnett’s body was found about 200 yards behind Madison’s home early Saturday, Welden said. Barnett had been reported missing late Friday in the neighborhood on County Road 822. Family members told WAFF 48 News that Amberly stayed home while they went to Walmart Friday evening. When they returned, Amberly was missing, they told the TV station. Madison was initially arrested Saturday evening on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance, records show. He was accused of having methamphetamine and a syringe, court records show. The capital murder charge was added Monday. In Alabama, capital murder is punishable by the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Alabama court records don’t show a criminal record for Madison, who previously lived in Georgia. A search of court records in Cobb County, Georgia didn’t reveal a criminal history. However, a woman in DeKalb County, Alabama last year sought a protection from abuse order against Madison. In court records, the woman alleged that Madison had hit her in the head with a hammer, punched her in the face, smacked her head on the floor and strangled her to the point she passed out. A judge dismissed the petition when the woman and Madison failed to show up for a court hearing. Madison is being held without bail in the DeKalb County jail. Court records don’t show a defense attorney.<doc-sep>
Friends of the family of an 11-year-old girl found dead Saturday in a DeKalb County missing person’s case have begun to raise money. A GoFundMe page has been started for the family of Amberly Alexis Barnett, whose body was discovered in an undisclosed location Saturday after an overnight search, according to DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden. “CHS Class of 2009 is raising money in memory of our classmate’s daughter. All donations will go directly to the family of this sweet girl,” the page reads. Barnett was last seen in the Mt. Vernon community around 6 p.m. at her aunt’s house, according to the sheriff’s office. The search took authorities to Cherokee County and the state of Georgia, Weldon said Saturday. Authorities did not reveal where Barnett’s body was found or the cause of death and would not take questions, only stating that they were “diligently, diligently pursuing different avenues.” Barnett’s mother, Jonie Barnett, stated on social media that a green SUV was seen in the driveway of the Mt. Vernon home and that her daughter had left her cellphone behind. “Her phone was left behind and my baby takes it everywhere. Nothing in her phone indicated she was planning to leave!” she wrote. “Amberly is the type to not do anything that she will get in trouble for. She is so scared of anyone being mad at her or getting in trouble. She would not have ran away or make plans to go off somewhere.” Later, she stated that Amberly was wearing a blue hoodie with yellow stripes on the sleeves and dark blue skinny jeans with white converse at the time she disappeared. She also wrote that “anyone who knows Amberly, knows she would not have left without telling me or my sister. She’s to scared to get into any trouble. She would never leave her cell phone behind. She will fight if anyone try to do anything to her. She Is the type that gets mad and leave. She will not quit fighting to get back home.” This post was changed at 11:20 a.m. March 3 to correct Amberly Barnett’s middle name.