More Than 1,000 Mourn UMW Student Grace Mann, 20

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More than 1,000 mourners gathered Tuesday morning in Falls Church to say goodbye to a special woman, Grace Rebecca Mann, 20, whose life was cut short Friday. The funeral was streamed live online.

Mann was a student at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, where she was found unconscious Friday afternoon by two females roomates; she later died at an area hospital.

Police have charged a fourth housemate, Steven Vander Briel, 30, with first degree murder in her death. He remains in jail without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford and is set to make a court appearance on May 19 after an initial appearance today. He is seeking a public defender, according to a report by NBC-4.

Friends and family including dozens of college students from University of Mary Washington jammed the 10 a.m. funeral service Tuesday at Temple Rodef Shalom, 2100 Westmoreland St. in Falls Church. The service was to be followed by interment at King David Memorial Gardens.

“Our hearts are simply broken,” parents Melissa and Thomas Mann said in a statement. “Our beautiful, sparkling, compassionate wonderful, funny, brilliant Grace is not with us.” Thomas Mann is a Fairfax County judge.

Fredericksburg Police said Tuesday that Mann’s death was caused by “asphyxia due to strangulation” per the state medical examiner’s office.

Fredericksburg.com reports that suspect Briel lived in the Seattle area in September and works as a freelance social media manager. Police said Briel is originally from New Jersey, the news site reported.