LOGAN, Utah — The Cache Valley community is devastated and in disbelief over the discovery of the body of missing Logan 5-year old Lizzy Shelley.
Police discovered Shelley's body less than a block from her home, where she went missing on Saturday.
Five days later, people lined up in front of crime scene tape to watch investigators as they combed the scene.
"You just picture this poor little girl," said Wellsville resident Marianne Domery. She, like so many others, have been consumed by following the search for Lizzy, which spanned for several miles from Logan to Hyrum.
Lizzy was found in an area that had been searched several times.
"It doesn't make you feel any better," Domery said. "I mean, it does because there's now there's something for her mom to have closure but, just to believe that it actually happened here..."
She trailed off. Betty Balls, who also lives in Wellsville, showed up to the area where Lizzy was found to see it for herself.
Betty stood looking at the investigators standing in a backyard, as tears welled up in her eyes.
"That is a heartbreak," she said, as she began to cry. "Who would do such a thing like this to a little 5-year old girl?!"
Later, locals began showing up to Lizzy's home just around the corner from where they had been watching the scene.
They laid down teddy bears, balloons and candles.
The makeshift memorial grew throughout the evening, as people prayed and paid their respects.
"I'm just glad that her little soul's at peace," Domery said. "Now we got to get her mom through this. Because that's what our community needs to do, is make sure she's okay."
The Cache County Children's Justice Center states a donation account has been opened for the family at Zions Bank in the name "Elizabeth Shelley Donation". There is also a GoFundMe page.
