Chelsea’s Light

Cross Country student-athlete on the honor roll, heavily involved with the community. The future looked bright for Poway Senior Chelsea King.

King’s reported disappearance on Feb. 25 made the news all across the nation. Many students and family members volunteered their time and joined search teams, in hopes to find traces of King.

After countless searches, San Diego received the horrific news on March 2; a body discovered near Lake Hodges was believed to be that of Chelsea King. Suddenly, her candlelight vigil scheduled on that day, intended as a prayer for her return, became a night of mourning for her loss.

Over 5,000 people, including many MC students, family members, friends, and supporters attended King’s vigil. Everyone remained silent as they paid their respect to King and her family. Only faint sounds of cries could be heard on Pomerado Road, those hurt by the tragedy that had occurred.

“All of Poway High School had been praying, hoping for her safe return,” a Poway senior said, who was a classmate of King and was at her vigil. “I’m glad she was found, but not the way we had hoped her to be.”

Though he did not know her personally, MC junior Grant Still, felt the impact of the loss of King when he attended her vigil.

“I felt shocked and sad that this would happen in such a safe community,” he said.” I kind of felt like [going to her vigil] would be a good way of getting closer to God, commiserating for someone who was on the best path and lost it.”

On March 7, police discovered the skeletal remains of 14 year old Amber Dubois, who went missing in February of 2009. Dubois’s vigil was held Monday, March 7 at Escondito High School.

The deaths of King and Dubois caused much sympathy and criticism among parents. Janeen Sturney, assistant of the MC special ed department, felt sorrowful over the incidents related to the victims.

“It was heart breaking; we don’t expect to live in a society where these evil things happen,” she said. “It made me feel bad for the family.”

Sturney, who has two daughters, one a senior at MC, says she has stressed to her girls throughout their lives to never go anywhere unaccompanied, because they never know where sexual predators may be hiding.

“[Her death] just confirmed with me, the fact that everything I taught my daughters about never traveling alone. It made me feel good as a parent; the things I taught them might’ve saved their lives many times.”

Still said that his parents have implemented stricter policies since the day King went missing. In addition, Still says his parents have been critical of the way the government deals with sexual predators.

“My parents are enraged by what happened [to King] and believe laws regarding sexual predators should be harsher,” he said. “Predators who rape and murder the innocent should be kept in prison for life, or possibly face the punishment of death.”

King’s memorial was held on Saturday at Poway High School, where her supporters continued to mourn over the loss of their loved one.

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