Little Gracelyn Vick disappeared on Sunday afternoon in the town of Saucier.
According to her family, she had gone outside around noon to play in the yard — but never came back.
Many rumors circulating online
As hours passed without any sign of her, her family contacted authorities. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi launched an urgent search effort that lasted approximately six hours.
Nearby law enforcement agencies, Gulf Coast Search and Rescue, helicopters, drones and around 40 local volunteers joined in to help look for Gracelynn.
Tragically, her body was located later that day near the family’s property.
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No one has been arrested
Deputies cordoned off a section of the family’s land that included a swing set and areas where livestock were kept. Crime scene technicians spent hours documenting the scene and gathering evidence well into the evening.
Gracelyn’s body was taken from the property at approximately 8 p.m, according to WLOX.
On Monday, Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley addressed one of the many rumors circulating online regarding the investigation. According to a family member, 6-year-old Gracelynn Vick’s body was discovered near her home in Saucier.
“So far, no one has been arrested in the case, and it’s too early to determine if foul play is involved,” Haley said. “This is an ongoing investigation.”
An autopsy is set to take place Monday at the state crime lab in Biloxi to help determine the cause of Gracelyn’s death, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
Since Gracelynn Vick’s tragic death, support has poured in for her grieving family through social media.
Third loss for the mother
At Saucier Elementary, grief counselors have been brought in to help students cope with the heartbreaking loss of their young classmate.
For her mother, Vicky Lynn (Wedgeworth) Hutcherson, the pain is almost too much to bear — Gracelynn is the third child she has lost in recent years, according to Sun Herald.
Just last year, in March 2024, Gracelynn’s 13-year-old stepsister, Victoria Hutcherson, was killed in a devastating crash on U.S. 49. Authorities said she was a passenger in a minivan that was trying to cross four lanes of traffic when it collided with a dump truck. Victoria, an eighth grader at West Wortham Elementary School, was remembered by her family as a protective big sister who cherished her siblings.
And in July 2021, tragedy struck the family once again when 18-year-old Larry Hart, Gracelynn’s brother, died from a medical condition, according to his obituary.