Buried my 17 yr old nephew yesterday....hug ur kids!!

crazyblondeb

Cant really go into the whole story, but yesterday we bured my

17 yr old nephew....just reminds me of how important family is...

http://www.abc17news.com/news.php?id=4324

Any fights, squabbles..arent important!

shelley

Quarterback

You are right CB. Family is important and arguments are silly.

So sorry about your loss. Such a young age.

QB

***UPDATE 11:00 P.M.***

Friends and family gathered Wednesday night in the Cosmo Park skate park in Columbia to remember James Hickem. The candlelight vigil began around 8 p.m. and lasted nearly two hours. More than 150 people showed up, bringing balloons, candles and stuffed animals.

Jeffery Green, Hickem's uncle, led a prayer and an extended period of silence before one of the gathered played "Amazing Grace."

ABC 17 News spoke to family members after the vigil. They said Wednesday they have some tough questions for Columbia police, such as how someone considered "in custody" can escape.

When asked how a teenage boy can be missing for days without anyone saying anything, Green said it wasn't unusual for Hickem to be missing for short periods of time.

"James would go missing a day or so very once in a while," said Green. "[This time] both his mom and his dad knew, felt something was wrong."

Visitation for Hickem will be Friday at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Grace Bible Church in Columbia. The funeral will be 1:00 p.m. Saturday, also at Grace Bible Church.

*** UPDATE 7:00 P.M. ***

The quarries where James Hickem was found are very big and literally hit the border of Cosmo Park where he was last seen by his friends and police. Hickem's Parents also hadn't heard from him since Friday, and called the Boone County Sheriff's department Monday night looking for him.

Hickman's friends say he loved the skate park. Crockett Crossland was one of Hickem's friends, he said "Skateboarding, drawing, having fun with friends living his life to the fullest those were his things."
Friday night police say some of the kids at the skate park were supposedly drinking and smoking marijuana. Jill Schlude with the Columbia Police Department said, "Mr. Hickem actually walked up and said he was responsible for the alcohol so the officers were then of course going to deal with that issue since he was under the age of 21."

Police took Hickem to their car somewhere in the parking lot next to the skate park and began searching him, that's when they said he took off and fled heading east into the woods. Schlude said, "There was a short foot pursuit and then of course other officers showed up to try and look for him and in the park there's lots of places to hide it's a really large park."

Police never found him, but Boone Quarries are only about a mile away from Cosmo park, it's there where police said they found Hickems body on Tuesday somewhere in the quarry. Police said there are still a lot of un-answered questions."Schlude said, Details, was he intoxicated, things like that, those are just things right now we can't talk about until the investigation is completed."

Hickem's friends said they wish things went differently Friday. Crockett said, "They could have approached it more calmly instead of spooking him like that and having him just run out and get himself killed."
Police are still looking into if anyone heard from Hickem anytime between Friday night and Tuesday.

*** ORIGINAL STORY ***

A Columbia teenager was found dead at quarry in northwest Columbia.

A worker at Boone Quarries spotted the body of James Hickem, 17, on Tuesday. It came four days after police officers said Hickem ran officers at a park near the quarry, but it is still not clear if the two events are related.

Police responded to reports at Cosmo Skate Park of teenagers drinking and smoking around 4:30 p.m. Friday. While officers questioned a female about some nearby bottles of alcohol, Hickem approached the officers and said the alcohol belonged to him. One of the officers started to search Hickem, but he took off running through the park to the east.

Additional officers responded, but were unable to find Hickem. He had been given a trespass warning by the park ranger earlier in the year.

The medical examiner will determine Hickem's cause of death. The investigation remains open.

Author: ABC 17 News Staff

Nov 15, 2011 9:55 PM

N.drew

So very sorry

tec

I'm so sorry, Shelley!

While officers questioned a female about some nearby bottles of alcohol, Hickem approached the officers and said the alcohol belonged to him.

This stood out to me. He wasn't willing to let someone else take the rap for him. Sounds like he was also willing to take the rap for his friends. I'm so sorry for this loss. Strength to you and your family, Tammy

It made me think of my nephew from 10 years ago, and I found there was a thread on here about him.

3rdgen

So very sorry for your loss. My condolences to his parents. I lost my 21 yr old son and can tell you that my heart goes out to all of your family. I hope in time you have peace.

Buried my 17 yr old nephew yesterday....hug ur kids!!

crazyblondeb

Quarterback

Ding

crazyblondeb

N.drew

tec

mrsjones5

EmptyInside

palmtree67

3rdgen

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