Friends and family are inviting the public out to remember 17-year-old Kaytlin Root whose body was found Sunday morning in Krug Park.

A candlelight vigil will be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Krug Park near the rocks by the beginning of the hike and bike trails. The St. Joseph Police Department started investigating the case as a homicide Sunday after Kaytlin’s body was found by a runner off of the bike trails.

“She was very different, very outgoing, always put everybody else’s needs before her own,” said Jamie Jaramillo, Kaytlin’s mother. “She went to church, she was baptized, she loved kids, she loved being around babies.  She had friends with a couple of babies and pretty much made herself the kids’s aunt.”

Jaramillo said she is hoping the vigil gives people a chance to remember her daughter.

“I want people not to think of this as not so much a sad moment because Kaytlin was so loving, so giving and this is a sad moment and I don’t want anybody to think she’s not worth it,” Jaramillo said. “I loved my daughter more than words could ever express.  I’m angry that this happened.”

Kaytlin would have turned 18 on Nov. 11. Jaramillo moved to California at the beginning of September but said Kaytlin chose to stay in St. Joseph because she didn’t want to leave her friends.

Sydney Noble said she has been best friends with Kaytlin since sixth grade when they met during an orientation class for Truman Middle School.

“She was like the sun, she would brighten up anyone’s day.  Even if she was down she would make anyone happy,” Noble said. “Her laugh, it was so amazing. It was like you couldn’t stop laughing after you heard her laugh.”

Noble said Kaytlin was staying with other friends in St. Joseph after her mother moved away.

“She didn’t want to leave St. Joe.  She had friends here.  She had me and my mom,” Noble said. “I want people to know who she was who she really was not what people make it out to be and I want justice for her.”

The St. Joseph School District said Kaytlin was enrolled at Central High School for the first semester of the 2015-16 school year then withdrew the second semester to be home schooled and returned to enroll at Lafayette High School for the start of the 2016-17 year and withdrew with a parent on Aug. 31st. Jaramillo said two weeks ago Kaytlin tried to go back to public school but was denied because she was too far behind.

“I’m not sure what happened to her but this town is getting, this is crazy.  That little girl didn’t harm anybody, didn’t hurt anybody didn’t do nothing,” said Stephanie Embrey, Sydney’s mother.  “I just want everyone to come out and just realize this is a girl whose life wasn’t even started yet.  She was supposed to graduate.  They were supposed to do prom, they were supposed to do everything.”

Jaramillo said she has seen a lot of negative things being said recently about Kaytlin.

“I know there are a lot of bad things going around and things that have been said and things that have been posted and I just want them to stop,” Jaramillo said. “Because Kaytlin’s life was worth living.  She wasn’t a bad child.”

Sydney said the last time she saw Kaytlin was Wednesday afternoon. Jaramillo said that last time she spoke with her daughter was Saturday night.  Kaytlin’s body was discovered by a runner around 9 a.m. Sunday.

“I want to thank the jogger that found Kaytlin,” Jaramillo said. “She was missing.  If they wouldn’t have found her who knows how long she would have been there.”

Police are still investigating her death. Capt. Jeff Wilson said as of Tuesday afternoon no one was in custody in connection with the case.