Courtney's funeral service was held about a week and a half ago. Her grandfather led a moving tribute to the life of this young, vibrant girl. Outpouring of grief and support for her family was and is still tremendous. There was a huge turnout for the service, standing room only inside and outside the church. Several officers from the Walton County, FL, Sheriff's Office made the almost 7 hour trip from there to here to attend. White ribbons are still blanketing the community. Many will not come down until this case winds its way through the court system. I will not say criminal justice system because, in my opinion, there is no punishment severe enough for this horrible crime. Our young people have suffered a loss of innocence with the death of their friend and classmate. We have lost children in our area due to several causes. In my memory, this is the first time we have lost one to unspeakable evil. Our young people have been slapped in the face with the reality that bad things can happen to truly good people. Religion is a strong foundation of our community. A large segment of our young people serve God through the way they lead their lives. Courtney was one of these young people. I will not go off on a religious tangent here. However, it is though only through God that we can offer our young people any kind of consolaton when they ask us why this crime occurred. Rest in peace, Courtney.