← True Crime with Kendall Rae
True Crime with Kendall Rae
Life360 App Helps Police Find Missing 13 Yr. Old: Justice for Savannah Copeland
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- [00:00]
Kendall Rae
Take me out to the ball game. What are you doing? Did you know DirecTV has the most MLB games? So you're singing? Yeah. They put your favorite teams front and center. Right? When you turn it on, buy me some cold Cuts and Flapper Jacks. Those aren't even the words. I'm allergic to peanuts. Stream DirecTV, home of the most MLB games. Visit DirectTV.com claim based on total games offered on national and regional sports networks. RSN is available with choice package or higher. Availability of rsns varies by zip code and package. Geico's motorcycle expertise gives me the coverage I need. Like 24.7claims, I'm on cloud nine. Clouds are wholly unable to support the weight of an adult human. What's happening? Furthermore, clouds are not numbered. Even if you procured a jetpack and searched, you'd find no cloud numbered nine. However, at that altitude, you'd likely befriend a flock of migrating snow geese. Geese who'd encourage you to leave your 24.7geico motorcycle claims insurance behind as they would take you in and even share their dinner of crickets and clovers with you. GEICO assumes no liability for any indigestion that may occur from a clover cricket dinner. GEICO expertise for your motorcycle Foreign hello everyone and welcome back to True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thank you so much for joining me today and if you are new, then welcome. I'm so happy to have you here. So guys, today I won't sugarcoat it, we are talking about a devastating case. I mean as they all are. But today we are talking about the murder of a 13 year old girl, a seventh grader, Savannah Copeland. And what happened to her. There are just no words. It is beyond horrific. And I debated on whether or not to cover it because it's so new. It's still very much developing. There's still a lot that we don't know. But I was really inspired by hearing her family speak, especially her father Michael, and just his strength and his love for his daughter is. It just makes me emotional thinking about it. And not to mention the community surrounding this family, the people who have fought to make sure that Savannah's story is told and that people are more aware that they are trying to do everything they can to support this family through one of the worst things that could ever happen to you, which is losing a child in the way that this family did. And even though these cases are so difficult to speak about, especially now, as a parent myself, I just, it's hard to even imagine being in the Copeland's family's shoes at this time. But I think it's really important that Savannah's story is told, that their story is told, that other parents are made aware of what can happen and how to best keep your child as safe as you possibly can. And this family really did do so much to try and keep Savannah safe. So I'm hoping that we can show them support as they head into the next phases of this case. And speaking of support, I also wanted to make sure that if their family is watching this or if anyone knows the Copeland family and can get them a message, we're going to be doing our best to reach out as well. But I would love to get them a HOPE Grant. If you're not aware, my foundation, Higher Hope offers two different grants. The HOPE Grant is one of them and we're basically seeking to provide one time financial assistance to victims of a violent crime as well as to their families. So we would love to help you guys in whatever way you need need. We can start that conversation and figure out how to do that. And I think I mentioned this last week as well. But for any of you out there who are curious about what we are doing through the Higher Hope foundation, you can actually check out our impact report for 2024, which we just had launched in September. So this is just what we have been able to do in a short amount of time thanks to all of your support. And again, just watching the shows helps us fund the foundation and everything that we're doing. But if you are interested in making a donation to Higher Hope, we would greatly appreciate it. It will allow us to help even more families and like minded nonprofits and organizations. So if you want to learn more about my foundation it will be linked below in the description box and if you are listening to this episode on a podcast platform you can find it linked in the show notes. And then before we even get started, I really want to make sure that we can show this family as much support as possible. So if you would like to make a donation directly to them, you can do so by checking out their GoFundMe, which I'll definitely be telling you more about today and that will be linked in show notes and description box of this episode as well. The support that this family has received from their community and people all across the country has been really beautiful to see and to see how this family has done everything they can to make sure that Savannah is remembered for who she was and as a light for other people going forward as her light will continue on even though she is no longer with us. It's just, it's been very beautiful, emotional and inspiring quite frankly. And before I get into telling you about Savannah, who she was and her her story, at least what has been reported at this point in time, I have to, as always in cases like this, just say right off the bat that everyone that I'm speaking about in today's episode is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. So with that being said, let's get into her case. Are you tired of figuring out what's for dinner night after night, especially on those busy weekdays? Well, get dinner done the easy way. Thanks to HelloFresh, it's easy to find time to eat while with 50 wholesome, hassle free meal meals to choose from each week delivered right to your door, HelloFresh's new ready made meals go from the fridge to your fork in just three minutes and it's the same high quality ingredients and restaurant worthy flavor that you'd expect from HelloFresh just with none of the work. Their lineup of prep and bake meals come together with minimal mess and only five minutes of prep, so your oven does most of the work, not you. And HelloFresh's 15 minute meals are done in just three simple steps so that you can eat better this year without all the hassle. So save your valuable time and reduce your trips to the grocery store thanks to HelloFresh Market. We love HelloFresh in our house. They've saved us so much time, so much energy, so much mental load and it's allowed us to eat much healthier by avoiding eating out. So get up to 10 free meals and a free high protein item for life@hellofresh.com hellofresh podcast one item per box with active subscriptions. Free meals applied as discount on first box. New subscribers only. Varies by plan. That's up to 10 free HelloFresh meals. Just go to hellofresh.com hellofreshpodcast I want to start out by telling you about the amazing little girl that Savannah was. Savannah Grace Copeland, or Van as her family called her, was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on September 3, 2011 alongside her twin brother Casey. And that's another reason why this case is just that much more heartbreaking. The fact that she has a twin brother. I mean, I'm sure many of you know out there that the twin bond is just so special. It's hard to even put into words the connection that twins often in most cases develop. And I am just heartbroken for her twin brother and of course for their Entire family as well. She also has an older brother named britton, and her incredibly active and involved loving parents, Michael and amanda. And one thing that I found to be so beautiful when learning about savannah Was her relationship with her father. Her and her father, out of anyone in their family, Were just so similar. I mean, they were like she was a carbon copy of him in a lot of ways. As far as her personality went, her dad has explained that he's a bit on the introverted side, and so was she. Savannah was always pretty shy and didn't mind spending time alone. She was very independent, and I guess the two of them would be able to spend time together without saying anything. And I think that just shows how special of a connection the two of them had, how well they understood each other. And, I mean, obviously, the two of them talk to each other as well, but the fact that they could just be in each other's company and that was enough without saying much. It's very special. Now, as for the things that savannah really enjoyed in life, There are quite a few, including music, art, and scary movies. But if there's one thing that she loved more than anything else, Beside her friends and family, of course, it was tumbling. Like a lot of young girls, Savannah started gymnastics pretty young, and it became clear pretty quickly that her favorite part of it was tumbling. And so by the time that she got to middle school and she went to powell middle school, she had the opportunity to start cheerleading, and that became the obvious choice for her. Her parents even got her private tumbling lessons. And it was always something that she worked very hard at. And cheerleading ended up being the thing that really got savannah out of her shell. And I think we can all agree that there's really nothing like seeing someone finally find something that they thrive in and getting to watch them in that environment, Especially when that thing is what really out their true spirit, what breaks them out of their comfort zone, and just getting to see them thrive in that atmosphere. It's so fun. It's so cool, Especially when they're young. And that was cheerleading for savannah. Her shyness seemed to just kind of melt away. And it's funny. I loved this. Her coaches say that she could run circles around all the other girls, or rather, she would skip circles around all the other girls. They say that she was always skipping around during practice and seemed to be just having so much fun, Having this energy about her that wasn't always there. And one of the things that I especially loved learning about her Is that she wanted to be the person carrying around the big megaphone during games. It's just so cool that most of the time, she was such a shy person, A little more reserved and introverted. But then in that environment, she just, you know, all of that went away. And she was having so much fun, and the crowd was having fun with her. Her family was super involved. They would go to all of her cheer events where she was cheering on the players of whatever, you know, sport she was cheering for. But her family would be there cheering for her. And her dad even said they had these, like, big cutouts of her head that they would hold up, and, you know, they were just full on supportive of her in every way. Her spunky personality was the icing on the cake for our squad. The Powell Mack. Cheerleading coaches say Savannah Copeland was quiet until you gave her the megaphone. The girls were like, oh, no, I don't want that. And she was like, give it to me. She loved to tumble, never missed a practice, and soon took on the role of a leader. She just had an aura, a presence about her that was a genuine and loving presence.
- [10:33]
Michael Copeland
But, yeah, she. She just loved being out there with everyone and. And doing the things that cheerleaders do.
- [10:41]
Kendall Rae
And the Copelands were constants at Powell Middle games to cheer on their girl Van, as they called her, these.
- [10:48]
Michael Copeland
This big head on a stick, her face. And we would hold it up and yell at her. And, I mean, everyone in the stands would hear us and see it and laugh.
- [10:59]
Kendall Rae
And it wasn't just cheerleading and tumbling. Savannah also excelled in other sports, like karate. And she was known for being a great student in school. Her dream was actually to one day go to the university of Tennessee for college and study forensic anthropology, which I think shows you just how cool Savannah was. I mean, at age 13, to already have the career aspiration of being a forensic anthropologist, it's just so, you know, out of the norm of what a seventh grader would say they want to do when they grow up. And, God, it's just especially hard talking about victims who had the goal of going into a field like that and helping others. For those who don't know what a forensic anthropologist is, it's someone who studies human remains to help solve criminal cases. Savannah clearly wanted to help other people and make an impact, and she had such an interest in that field. And to have lost her life before she got the chance, it's just so wrong, so unfair. And, God, what a. What a loss to society. And that brings me to what happened on October 22, 2024. So very, very recent that Morning seemed like any other day for Michael, her father. When he woke up, he always got up earlier than everyone else in the house and left for work before everyone was even up. And when he got to work, he gets a call from Savannah's mom and she is shocked to find that Savannah is not in her bed. As she's waking up all the children in the house, Savannah is not there. So she immediately calls Michael and as soon as he hears this, he just turns around and goes home right away because this is incredibly unlike her and any parent would just be terrified in this situation immediately. And when I say that this was shocking to Michael and Amanda, I say that mainly because obviously your child just not being where they're supposed to be is shocking and very scary. But also because Savannah was an incredibly well behaved teenager. And I will explain more of what I mean when we get into things later on, but this just was so, so out of character for her. Now, I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the Life360 app. It's an incredible app. I've never used it myself because my child doesn't have a phone yet. She's two years old. But it is a tool that I will definitely be using when that time comes. And it's incredible resource for parents. So if you don't know about it, definitely look into it. But basically it's an app that allows users to share their real time location with a designated group of people. A lot of parents use it to help keep track of their kids and their movements. And what's nice about it is it doesn't just show you where that person is at that exact moment, it also shows you where they've been. It's almost like a digital trail and it goes as far as to let you know if they're riding in a car, even if the car isn't moving. So it has a bunch of cool features and it is something that every family should be utilizing or something like that. I'm not sure what else is on the app market, but I have heard wonderful things about life360 and I know that it has helped in numerous cases. And just another safety tip for parents out there, it's also a great idea to use something like an Apple Airtap or something similar when it comes to keeping track of your kids. So just something to throw out there. And luckily Savannah's parents had the Life360 app installed on Savannah's phone, so of course, that was their first move. Check the app and see if they could locate her that way. And when they first opened the app, what was strange is it showed that Savannah was close by. So they did what you know, any parent would do in that situation and they physically went outside to look for her in the areas that the app said that she was. Now it's been reported that her phone had died. So they weren't able to reach her by calling or texting. And because of that they basically had to follow the path that Life360 said that she went and try to figure out where she currently was. But even after following her path, according to the Life360 app, and also knocking on neighbors doors and asking them to check their ring doorbell footage or whatever cameras that they had set up at their homes, they were not able to locate her. And the app was showing that she went missing sometime between midnight and 2:30am but her phone had died. They weren't able to find her exact location. And then later that afternoon they ended up hearing the sound of sirens and they just knew that she had been found. The remains of 13 year old Savannah Copeland were discovered not too far away on a dirt trail behind a community pool near Powell High School. She was discovered by someone who was just walking that path. And it was clear by her injuries that she had been stabbed. And unfortunately there was nothing they could do to save her at that point. And a pocket knife is ultimately what authorities say was used to take her life. And it's unknown how quickly she succumbed to her injuries, but it's just, God, it's horrific to think about what that must have been like for her. The morning after Pal Middle's first basketball game of the season, Michael was on his way to work. A call from his wife brought silence. Savannah was missing. The family used an app to trace her digital tracks up until her phone died. They scoured the area before Knox county deputies launched a search.
- [16:18]
Michael Copeland
Her life360, which is an app that you can get, made it look like she was walking there.
- [16:24]
Kendall Rae
Twelve hours later, a detective knocked on the Copeland's door. Savannah's body was discovered along a trail.
- [16:32]
Michael Copeland
It's a surreal feeling that you know for a moment you just, you don't feel like it's real and you just expect to wake up from it.
- [16:42]
Kendall Rae
But this was a nightmare that they didn't wake up from. Their beautiful 13 year old daughter who they were just cheering for in the stands of a basketball game literally the night before was gone. And it turns out that the person responsible was someone that they knew. 15 year old Malachi Lamar Harris was arrested and charged with second degree murder. At around 4:45 this afternoon through dispatch.
- [17:20]
Michael Copeland
We received a call on a possible deceased body on a trail over in Broadacre subdivision. Our officers responded to that, did find a body. And Tonight, just around 9pm detectives identified a person of interest and arrested a 15 year old male and is being charged with second degree murder in the death of a 13 year old young lady.
- [17:52]
Kendall Rae
And like I mentioned earlier, at this point in time there's very little information available about him and about the circumstances that led to Savannah's murder. But I'll share what we know as of this point in time. According to Michael, Malachi was not only someone that they were familiar with, but also someone that they had welcomed into their home. He was someone that they had sympathy for, someone that they even cared for. Now, the extent of that care is not something that has been too reported on at this point in time. I did learn that he was living with his grandfather and his siblings at the time of the murder. So part of me wonders if their family, Savannah's family, had tried to step up and show him support because maybe he wasn't getting that at home or was going through, you know, emotional struggles, family structural problems, things like that. And I don't know, that's just kind of, kind of the vibe I'm sensing. Either way though, it doesn't really matter. I mean, he was someone that they knew, someone that they cared about, and he was now someone who is responsible for the murder of their child. And that has understandably come with a lot of conflicting emotions for their family. Within hours, detectives named a suspect, 15 year old Malachi Harris. He was a friend of Savannah's and her family.
- [19:14]
Michael Copeland
There's a lot of conflicting emotions. The, of course the natural one to move toward is anger and rage toward him, but this is someone we cared about.
- [19:27]
Kendall Rae
Do you have any indication why? No.
- [19:32]
Michael Copeland
Something made him angry and he's not at an age where they really understand fully consequences.
- [19:44]
Kendall Rae
Now, following Malachi's arrest, he was brought to the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center. And because he's only 15 years old, which is was legally a minor, this case has started in juvenile court, but it might not stay there because there was a hearing on November 13th where prosecutors stated their intention of trying Malachi as an adult. And this is something that the Copeland family does support. However, it's not as simple as just trying him as an adult. There has been and will continue to be a pretty lengthy legal process to elevate this to adult court. But prosecutors are willing to Fight for it. A judge will first need to hear the evidence against him and then of course, they'll need to evaluate his mental health. Health. And lastly, the judge will have to determine what is in society's best interest. And these are all things that can't just happen overnight or quickly. Knox county prosecutors want to try a teenage murder suspect as an adult. They announced their plans this morning in court. 15 year old Malachi Harris is charged with killing 13 year old Savannah Copeland. Reminder, the details of this case are graphic. And joining us now to break down the state's request is ten news anchor Shea Smith. And Shay, you were in court this morning. Yeah, Brittany, that's right. It was another status hearing for Harris. And police say Harris killed Savannah Copeland in October with a pocket knife on a trail near Powell High School. Right now he is in juvenile court because of his age. However, today the state announced it wants to move this case to adult court. The judge says there are several legal steps he'll have to go through before the teen can be transferred. The first one, the state has to prove there is probable cause that Harris committed the crime. It's basically like a mini trial. The state will bring the key evidence they have against Harris. The second step, checking his mental health status. He'll likely go through psych evaluations which could take weeks or up to months. Now the third, the judge must determine by law if it's in society's best interest to keep him in juvenile court or transfer him to adult court. And like I said, the decision to attempt to try him as an adult is something that the Copeland family fully supports. And I do too. If this 15 year old boy is really guilty of what he is accused of, which may I remind you, is stabbing a 13 year old girl with a pocket knife and then leaving her there to die, then I believe he should have adult like consequences. Now this is a very complex and controversial topic that people feel different ways about. And you know, I think it really depends on the situation. And ultimately the purpose of the juvenile system is that there's hope for rehabilitation, of course. And there are cases where kids get into trouble, do some pretty bad things, but are able to turn it around and turn into wonderful, productive members of society. But there are also cases where kids get into trouble and they continue to go on to be serious offenders and dangers to society. I don't think it's something that you can make a generalization on when it comes to the juvenile system as a whole and how each case can be conducted. It's really a case by case basis. But I really agree with the family that the consequences just need to match the severity of the crime that he committed. And the problem with him going through just the juvenile court is he would likely be released in just a couple of years. On the other hand, if this goes to adult court, he will be facing 15 to 25 years for the charge of second degree murder, and that would be served primarily in an adult detention center. And I'm sure most of you know this, but if an adolescent is tried in adult court, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to go right into adult prison if they are found guilty. I mean, in some cases, that does happen, and I'm not explaining this fully, it's a very complicated topic. But most of the time they will start their sentence in juvie, and then they are transferred when they turn 18. However, most cases that start in juvenile court tend to stay there. And given the severity and true violent nature of this case, it is reasonable to believe that he could be tried as an adult, although there is no doubt that his defense attorney is going to fight it. In November, his attorney filed a request for discovery, meaning that the prosecution has to hand over what evidence they have against him. And they were given until January 14th to do that. And January 14th was also the date for the next hearing in this case, which was supposed to be when they discussed trying Malachih as an adult. But I'm really confused because I was not able to figure out if this hearing even happened. I mean, most of the time I can find some article that states whether it happened or if it was postponed for some reason. But I scoured the Internet and I could not find anything with any information about this hearing and whether or not it even occurred, at least as of the day. I'm recording this episode, which is February 13, and it had been previously mentioned by prosecutors that they weren't sure if the forensic testing would be finished by January. So maybe they just haven't gotten the results back of that and the hearing was pushed back. That's definitely a possibility. I just. I don't know for certain. I do know that the defense said that this is going to take six to eight months to determine. So I'm not sure if they're just trying to stall or if something like this really does take that amount of time. And as of right now, police have not revealed the communication between Savannah and Malachi that led to her meeting up with him. And I'm sure this is something her family desperately wants to know. And they also haven't shared a possible motive. And obviously these are two things that people really want to know. But of course, because we're talking about two minors here, a lot of that information has to be kept private. With HelloFresh, you get farm fresh, pre proportioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Skip trips to the grocery store and count on HelloFresh to make home cooking easy, fun and affordable. That's why it's America's number one meal kit. It's easy to find time to eat well with 50 wholesome hassle free meals to choose from each week delivered to your door. Their lineup of prep and bake meals come together with minimal mess and only five minutes of prep. So your oven does most of the work. Not you. Get up to 10 free meals and a free high protein item for life@hellofresh.com hellofreshpodcast One item per box with active subscriptions. Free meals applied as discount on first box. New subscribers only. Varies by plan. That's up to 10 free HelloFresh meals. Just go to HelloFresh.com HelloFresh podcast HelloFresh, America's number one meal kit. And when this case first broke, the media wasn't even naming either of them publicly. Eventually they did release their names, obviously, but at this point in time, him. They're not even releasing photos of Malachi. So if you're watching this episode, that's why I have not included a photo of him. I have no idea what he looks like now. There is one short video of him and he's walking in handcuffs and you can't see his face. And I'm not sure when we'll get to see it. But what I am sure is how emotionally devastated, confused and angry this family is. And if it were any of us, I'm sure we would feel the exact same way. I know I would. And I don't think I could hold the same composure and grace that this family has. Because anger and rage is definitely not the only feelings that they are feeling and not the only feelings that Michael has displayed. Through their faith and with the support of their community, Michael and their family have been able to find light in this darkness. And the way that he talks about it is really just so beautiful.
- [27:38]
Michael Copeland
When you're in a dark place and sometimes it's difficult to see anything until you realize that there is still a light there and it actually looks brighter because you're in a dark place. But the reality is that that light has always been there. I'm a religious person, so I'M going to say that that light comes from God, but it is seen through the community, through the relationships and the people that we are surrounded by.
- [28:07]
Kendall Rae
And in a different interview, Michael did open up about how he feels some anger at Savannah in a way, which I totally understand that emotion. I mean, you've got to just be all over the place emotionally. But he's. He feels angry that she left that night, and he just doesn't understand why. Plus, he has access to all of Savannah's Life360 data. And so he knows that sneaking out is not something that she had ever done before. So I'm sure he's just so confused as to why she did it that time and how she was potentially lured out of her home. And just to be clear, I think by no means is he blaming her. I mean, no one's blaming her. She's 13 years old. But I understand his feelings of anger and confusion, just not understanding why that night of all night she left. I think at the end of the day, it's just so shocking that this was so unlike her. But there could be information that's not known at this point that shows her being manipulated and like I said, lured out of her home.
- [29:11]
Michael Copeland
Anger is okay. It's a natural emotion. We need to be angry. And I am very angry. I don't show it, but I am angry at a number of people. Can you tell me who I'm angry at? Savannah. Why did she go out that night? I've never. She's never gone out as far as I know. You know, I mean, I could look at her life, 360 every single day, and I could see she didn't sneak out. She never went out. We never had to worry about that. She was, generally speaking, terrified to go out. Going out at 12:00 at night, not the best thing in the world, generally speaking. So she knew these things. And so it was an absolute shock to us that she would have gone out. So I'm. Yeah, I'm mad at her. I'm angry at this kid who did that. It was a betrayal of trust. I'm angry at this kid's family that I have opinions about now. But I think the discipline in our faith is that we recognize that that road that I just went down talking about my anger can so easily turn into hatred and rape.
- [30:30]
Kendall Rae
And I love that. Faith is something that this family has always been able to come back to, to really lean on. And I've said this before in other episodes, and, you know, I'm not religious Myself. But I think it is so beautiful that in times like this, people have something like faith to help guide them and help make sense of things. I absolutely recognize the power of faith and the comfor of faith, and, you know, what it really means to people in times like this. And also, being part of an organized religion and being part of a church can offer so much community to families. And it's. It's really amazing the amount of support that the Copelands have been able to find, not only through their church, but through their entire community. And I loved learning about what's been done to honor Savannah and help this family. So I wanted to share that with you guys today, starting with her cheer team, because they've done multiple things that are just beautiful and show how caring and mature they are all are at their young ages as well, to honor Savannah in the way that they have. And the biggest thing that I just loved hearing about was two weeks after Savannah's life was taken, there was a cheer competition that they had all been practicing for, Savannah included. And like I said earlier, she loved being the one to hold that megaphone. So that was originally going to be part of their routine. And after what happened, though, none of her teammates wanted to take her place. And I totally understand that that had always been Savannah's role in their routine, and it just didn't feel right for any. Anyone else to do it. So someone had the brilliant idea of playing a recording of Savannah's voice at the start of the routine, so it felt like she was still part of it, even though she's gone. And for a group of teens who are already going through so much, losing a friend and a teammate, you know, it's just amazing to see that they thought to include her in that way. Coach Courtney Groom says the weight of the tragedy has changed her team of middle schoolers. They. They were a lot stronger than I thought, but. But it was hard seeing how hurt they all were. Terri Shalander is not only a coach, but a mom. We love them like we love our own kids. So it was devastating for us, and then to have to go tell my daughter that she's now missing a teammate and a friend. With an ongoing criminal investigation into Savannah's death, cheer became a safe space for the girls to talk about their teammate and their friend. Parents volunteered their homes, and we could go and let the girls sit together and just be together. They could cry. They could tell stories and laugh. After devastation, the world keeps spinning. And two weeks after Savannah's death, Palmac cheer team had to Compete. The team honored Savannah in their clothes, went out and bought blue Def Leppard T shirts. She loved music and hair bands, and her dad loves Def Leppard. But the girls also knew they wanted to leave space for her on the mat. They immediately. We don't want somebody to take her place. Nobody else wants to do the megaphone. Can we do a recording? Does anybody have it on video? After some searching, they found the audio. So she was still able to keep her place and her position in the program. And it all started out with her yelling out loud, it's touchdown time. Through her love of cheer and the love for her teammates, Savannah's voice will always live on. And another beautiful thing that these young girls have done to honor Savannah is host a donation drive to raise money for their local animal shelter. Because Savannah just absolutely loved animals. She's described as loving all living creatures, even something as small as a spider. So this was just another way for them to give back in her memory. And not only that, they've also created an award in her name that will be given out to someone on the chair team every year. It'll go to the person who most embodies Savannah's character, which they described as spunky and eager. And it wasn't just her team that has showed this family support, because not long after Savannah was murdered, her family went to a basketball game to support the cheerleaders, because like her dad said, once a cheer dad, always a cheer dad. He's such a real one. I just. Oh, my gosh. Michael is so awesome. But when they were there, the opposing team's cheer squad actually brought their family flowers. It's just. It's. I love hearing young people being so in touch with their motion, emotions, and caring for others in this way. It's just so beautiful. Then there's the church, which has also been outspoken in their support for the family. In fact, the pastor's husband actually built this beautiful cross for Savannah, which now sits along the trail where her life was taken from her. And it's blue, because blue is Savannah's colors. And that's actually why I have set my background to blue today to honor her in a small way. And I love what they have done with this spot because it's really become a memorial memorial where people will, you know, drop flowers and candy and other things that remind them of Savannah. And the sentiment around this memorial is another huge reason that I felt compelled to tell you about this case, because oftentimes memorial sites just feel really dark and sad. Understandably so. But their family has spoken about, especially Michael, how he wanted this to be seen as a beautiful place. Obviously it is a spot where a 13 year old innocent child was murdered. But at least for himself, Michael has said he's decided not to look at it as a place of tragedy, but rather he wants it to be seen for the beauty of the space. And that's actually why he decided to turn it into a place where people can come and spend their time. And for a few weeks, it was just the cross. But later in December, he and a handful of others transformed that part of the trail into this place that anyone can enjoy, whether they knew Savannah or not. It's been that community support that's given this grieving family hope.
- [36:17]
Michael Copeland
And it helps to kind of restore my faith in God and in everyone around us.
- [36:23]
Kendall Rae
And while it's easy to imagine this path immemorial brings back memories of tragedy.
- [36:27]
Michael Copeland
Right now it's, you know, there's, there's not a lot of joy or, or genuine happiness.
- [36:34]
Kendall Rae
Copeland and this family are finding a way to change the narrative on what this place means. Instead of grieving here, they want people to see it as a reminder of who Savannah was. Hoping it sends a message to others to take time to be kind to each other instead of focusing on the bad.
- [36:49]
Michael Copeland
I'm not going to allow my heart to be filled with that kind of rage. It's going to be filled with compassion. That's the only way I know how to defeat evil.
- [37:00]
Kendall Rae
To Michael Copeland, this is the sound of devotion. He and some friends are transforming the site where his 13 year old daughter Savannah was found stabbed to death.
- [37:09]
Michael Copeland
The idea of if your child being found in the dirt and it's still just being in the woods and in the dirt is not the kind of thing I want to come sit down at when I come to this area.
- [37:26]
Kendall Rae
Copeland plans to spend a lot of time in this space. He says Savannah would have enjoyed it too.
- [37:31]
Michael Copeland
She liked to sit alone. She's kind of introverted like I am, so she was comfortable sitting by herself and just being in her own world.
- [37:40]
Kendall Rae
The area will be a patio space with benches and Savannah's cross. While it will always remind him of his daughter, he wants the space to be for everyone.
- [37:49]
Michael Copeland
I don't want it to be just a place to remember my child. I want it to be a little bit more meaningful for anyone, even if it's people who have lost somebody or people who just want to come and be silent for a little while.
- [38:04]
Kendall Rae
To the landscapers who came out to help Saturday, Copeland says it warms his heart to have their support for them. It's just their way of giving back to a family they care about.
- [38:14]
Michael Copeland
We love your husband. We see him every day and we.
- [38:18]
Kendall Rae
Can'T imagine what you're dealing with. So with each laying a flagstone, an area of tragedy gets one step closer to being a space for community. Getting justice for Savannah is obviously everyone's biggest focus right now. But another major goal of theirs is to make sure that Savannah is never forgotten. Forgotten. And their community is making sure that at least one of those two things happens, which I'm pretty sure both are going to happen. I really hope. But they're definitely making sure that Savannah is not forgotten. In mid November, the Copeland's neighbors wanted to do something to show that they're thinking of them. So they decided to all start putting blue lights on their porch as both a symbol of Savannah and a symbol of support. And it started with just a few, but it quickly grew to over 50 homes and businesses. And even volunteers with a local business started going door door, passing out these blue lights for people to use. Something that Michael says that they're very grateful for. Lights outside almost every house in the Powell community are blue. It's a tribute to a 13 year old girl. Volunteers with a local business walked around to deliver those lights this morning. It's a way to honor the life of Savannah Copeland. We care about our community and the people in it, and we just want to show our support to the Copeland family.
- [39:33]
Michael Copeland
The power of community has been wonderfully overwhelming and has really made me grateful for everything that we have here.
- [39:43]
Kendall Rae
Their whole family has expressed how truly grateful they are for the support that they've received. And if there's anything positive to come from all of this, it's that. And I guess that's really been the message here, that there is enough strength and community and how despite this horrible, horrible, unimaginable tragedy, there has been some light. Michael has said that as difficult as it is, embracing all the different emotions is what makes us human. And I completely agree. And there's no, you know, one way to feel. There's a million different emotions going on, and I'm sure that they're just all happening at once for this family and for the community. And when Michael was asked if he will ever be able to forgive Malachi for what he has done, he said that he already has. And not forgiving him because he deserves it, forgiving him because he doesn't want this person's actions to control who he really Is, do you think you will ever forgive this person?
- [40:50]
Michael Copeland
Yeah, I do. Forgiveness is a wonderful word. When these kinds of things happen, we talk about forgiving. It's not necessarily. It's not at all because that person deserves it. It is almost entirely because we are done letting that person's crimes control who we are.
- [41:23]
Kendall Rae
Michael has also said that at some point he wants to sit down face to face with his daughter's killer and ask him why. Why Savannah? Especially after all the things that they had done for him, which again, I'm not sure what those things were and the extent of the relationship, but it sounds like they were really supportive of him. Again, if you would like to also support this family, a GoFundMe page has been created to help them. And as of the time I'm recording this, they've raised almost $52,000 out of their $60,000 goal. So if making a contribution to this family is something that you're able to do financially, please consider doing so. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely going to see how I can help them through the Higher Hope foundation via a grant. But if you're not in a position to donate, I totally understand even doing something as small as, you know, sharing Savannah's story, showing this family some type of support, whether that's on social media or even leaving a comment on this episode in case they read them. I think as many words of support, encouragement and love that this family can get, the better. The Tennessee House of Representatives did pass a resolution on January 16 honoring Savannah's memory, which is nice, but in all honesty, her family wishes they would do more. For anyone who doesn't know, passing a resolution basically means approving an official statement of their opinion, but it doesn't actually do anything in terms of the law, which is obviously ultimately what their family wants, what they really want. What they're hoping for is increased access to mental health care, which is something that every state really can improve upon. There is just no reason for a 13 year old to be murdered by another teenager. I think think everyone can agree we need some serious improvements in our mental health systems in this country as a whole. And I want to leave you with one more clip from Michael and I think these are very important parting words. Shared a message with Savannah's cheer team. A message that can apply to all. Extend goodness and grace even in the midst of heartache.
- [43:27]
Michael Copeland
Don't wait. Do it often. Do it all the time. Do it as much as you can because. Because the person standing next to you who seems completely Fine may be hurting. And a simple kind word from you may make all the difference in the world on that day.
- [43:42]
Kendall Rae
Of course, I wish there was more that I could share with you guys about Savannah's case. I wish there was already justice, and I wish I knew more about what the path to justice is going to look like. But it just, you know, it might be a little while until we have that information. I do have hope. I really feel it in my bones that, that there will be justice for Savannah and justice in the means that the family feels is necessary. And I'm sure a lot of you have already commented at this point or connected it in your own mind, but this case does remind me of two other very high profile cases and many others. But I wanted to specifically mention the Tristan Bailey case and the Nicole Lovell case. Nicole was also 13 years old when she was lured out of her home by another teenager who stabbed her to death. It's a heart wrenching case case. And then Tristan was another 13 year old middle school cheerleader who was stabbed to death by, you guessed it, a teenage boy. Tristan's case in particular has been talked about a lot in the true crime world. And God, it makes me sick thinking about what happened to these three young girls and what they went through in their final moments of life. The attorney for Tristan's family has actually spoken out about what happened to Savannah and said that the Bailey family would love to extend any support they can. They also have the Tristan Bailey foundation and they're willing to help the Copelands with whatever they may need as well. And it's just another great example of how much support this family has been able to get, not only in their own community, but from people across the country. And even people across the world, I'm sure, have reached out. And I know that, you know, my audience is global as well, and if we can make them feel even more uplifted and that we are behind them every step of the way as they head into, you know, seeking justice, it's going to be a long and difficult road. The more support that they have, the better. But God, what a heartbreaking case. I'm just, oh, there are no words for this family. I wish there was something that I can say, but there's just not. This never should have happened. And if we can, as a community, do as much as we can to try and help prevent this from happening to other young people, then we've, we've got to do it. These cases have got to be talked about, no matter how painful they are. That is going to be it for me today guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode and make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel which will be linked. Or you can just search Kendall Ray. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then stay safe out there.