What began as a typical Sunday playtime turned tragic when 6-year-old Gracelyn Vick vanished from her family’s yard in Saucier, Mississippi. Relatives reported the girl missing after she failed to return from playing outside, sparking an intensive search operation involving Gulf Coast Search & Rescue, multiple law enforcement agencies, and dozens of local volunteers. After six desperate hours, the unthinkable happened – searchers found Gracelyn’s body on the family property.
Sheriff’s deputies cordoned off the rural homestead with its swing set and animal pens as crime scene investigators worked well into the night. An autopsy has been ordered to determine how the vibrant young girl met her untimely end. The tragedy hits especially hard for Gracelyn’s mother, who has now buried three children in four years – losing a daughter to a horrific traffic accident in 2024 and a teenage son to illness in 2021. Counselors are helping classmates at Saucier Elementary cope with the loss.
