Mikayla Miller, 16, Brought Smiles To Everyone's Faces

HOPKINTON, MA — Mikayla Miller made tea for her mother every night, often served as her dinner date, and loved to travel with her. Her mom says Mikayla was her shining star and they shared an indescribable bond.

“You know the old saying, two peas in a pod,” said Calvina Strothers, Mikayla’s mom, at a vigil. “That was us.”

Mikayla’s body was found by a jogger on the morning of April 18 in a wooded area near her apartment. Her family says that she was lynched by a group of teenagers, and allege that the DA and police are trying to write Mikayla’s death off as a suicide. Mikayla was 16 years old.

Mikayla was a student at Hopkinton High. She played basketball there, a hobby that began when she was six years old at Sacred Heart Church, her mother said. She was also an aspiring writer with plans to intern this summer with one of her mother’s hair salon clients. She hoped to tour as many colleges as possible next summer and eventually attend an HBCU.

In the summer, Mikayla and her mom liked to go on vacation — Maine and New Hampshire were two of their favorite spots — and do water sports and barbeque. Her favorite food was anything that involved buffalo chicken.

“She was my bright and shining star in this crazy world,” Strothers said. “She was a good listener and had a kind heart. And although she was only 16 years old, she gave better advice to others in times of need than I did.”

Her mother says Mikayla was a funny, loving, and caring person. She made tea for mother every night, and was often a mediator that could bring two people together.

“She wanted peace and serenity,” Strothers said at the vigil. “She wanted everyone to just be happy.”

Marissa Smith, a classmate of Mikayla’s, attended the vigil Thursday night. She said when she heard the news about Mikayla, her heart sank.

“She really did touch a lot of people here in a positive way,” Smith said. “She would always bring laughter wherever she went — she would always bring spirits up. She always brought smiles to everybody’s faces.”