OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY)-The family of 18-year-old Mareya Henry is speaking out after she was killed in a homicide in Opelousas a few weeks ago.

Police have arrested 21-year-old Kera Vitatoe, charging her with murder in connection to Henry's death. Vitatoe is charged with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. According to authorities, Vitatoe and Henry were involved in a romantic relationship.

Mareya's mother, Kellie Henry, shared how she was not home when the incident occurred at the residence. When she returned, she said she was met with police officers and described feeling disoriented as she tried to find out where her daughter was. At first, she told her daughter had been taken to the hospital, but when she arrived there, she was informed that her daughter had died.

"Immediately I just thought, how am I going to cope with this, this is my best friend, this is somebody I talk to every day, I have other children, how are they going to cope with this," said Kellie Henry.

Kellie Henry said she and the family are struggling to fill the void left by Mareya's death.

"She had six brothers, her dad, we're all suffering, she was the only girl, baby girl, somebody we all called for strength, advice, it didn't matter, we all reached out to her," Kellie Henry shared.

Mareya Henry had just recently graduated from high school and aspired to become a nurse. Her mother described her as the life of the party and said some of her favorite activities were singing rap songs, cooking, and connecting with people.

"I don't think that the sun could shine brighter than her, like she meant everything to so many people," Kellie Henry said. "She was so many people's only friend, people have came to me and said that Mareya was their only friend, but she was friendly with everybody, she never met a stranger and she was a helper."

Kellie Henry told News 10 that misses she daughter greatly and will always remember the lessons her daughter taught her.

"I have to go visit her in a gravesite now, and every time is so hurtful because I can't see her or touch her, but she taught me not to be afraid, she taught me resilience, she taught me strength, she taught us all so many things, and she's going to continue to do so," said Kellie Henry.

The tragic loss of Mareya Henry has left her family and community in mourning, as they remember her vibrant spirit and the positive impact she had on those around her.

In honor of Mareya, her family has created a Facebook group called 'May Way' to combat against domestic violence and to educate and provide assistance to people who are dealing with it.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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