VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach mother is remembering her 15-year-old daughter as creative, loving and compassionate, one week after police say she was stabbed and killed at the Chase Arbor apartments.
Karrie Chapman says her daughter, Kayleigh Delfino, loved animals, nature, and spending time outdoors. She also enjoyed fishing with her father at a pond across the street from their home.
Chapman described Delfino as her "babybear" and says she grew up loving sunflowers and dolphins while always looking for ways to help others.
Delfino also had a passion for art, often bringing her creative ideas to life. Chapman showed one of her daughter's original character designs, which a friend later had made into a doll.
The past week has been difficult for Chapman and her family as they try to process their loss.
Chapman says her last conversation with her daughter was when Delfino told her she was going to a friend's house around noon last Monday. When Chapman tried reaching her daughter around 2 p.m. and did not receive a response, she became concerned.
Chapman says she eventually tracked her daughter's phone to the apartment complex, where she saw a large police presence. She approached an officer and asked if they knew where her daughter was.
Chapman says the officer began explaining the situation before she interrupted to ask whether her daughter was dead. The officer confirmed that she was.
Virginia Beach police have arrested a 17-year-old in connection with Delfino's death. The teenager has been charged with second-degree murder and stabbing in the commission of a felony.
Chapman says the support from the community has helped her family during an incredibly difficult time. However, she says they are still struggling to understand how someone they believed was their daughter's friend could be responsible for her death.
The 17-year-old charged in the case is expected to appear in court later this week.
"It's so heartbreaking cause we don't know the answers, we don't know the why, we have all these questions and just don't know, and I don't think we're ever really going to know," Chapman said
If you would like to support Kayleigh's family during this time, click here.
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