Whatcom law enforcement investigating death of juvenile found in Birch Bay State Park - Bellingham Herald
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Several Whatcom County law enforcement agencies are investigating the death of a juvenile found Monday in Birch Bay State Park.
While People.com reported that the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said that the death investigation is for 16-year-old Kailia Posey, who was a childhood star on TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras,” sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald the department has not confirmed anything as it is an active investigation.
Trooper Jacob Kennett confirmed to The Herald that the Washington State Patrol was called at 1:26 p.m. Monday, May 2, to the state park in northern Whatcom County to help the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Blaine Police Department with an investigation into the death.
Kennett said he could not release any details on the death or the investigation at this time, including the identity, age or gender of the juvenile.
“State law actually severely limits what we can release because it is a juvenile,” Kennett told The Herald.
Kennett said multiple agencies, including the sheriff’s office and Blaine Police Department, are handling different aspects of the investigation.
He also told The Herald that just because the body was found in a state park does not designate which agency will serve as lead in the investigation.
On Monday, Posey’s mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman, posted about the death of her daughter on Facebook, saying, “I don’t have words or any thoughts. A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever.”
Posey starred in the TLC series that followed the families of children who competed in beauty pageants that ran for seven years (2009-13), according to a Daily Mail article, and she continued to compete as a teen.
She recently participated in the 2022 Miss Washington Teen USA pageant, where her bio listed her as being a freshman at Lynden High School. The bio also stated she plans to study aviation in college and become a commercial pilot.
Posey’s social media accounts show pictures of her in Lynden and elsewhere in Whatcom County, including one photo in a July 31, 2021, post taken in Birch Bay. A Feb. 5 post shows her wearing a Miss Lynden Teen USA sash.
Posey began doing pageants when she was 3 years old, her mother said on “Toddlers & Tiaras.”
“She’s a pro once she hits that stage,” her mom said on the show. “She’ll say she’s nervous, but once she hits that stage she is a pro. She’s going to beat you — every time.”
In addition to competing in pageants, Posey performed with Cirque du Soleil and appeared in the Netflix film “Eli,” according to her Miss Washington Teen USA biography.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 4:19 PM.
source: https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article261047577.html
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