Police Explain 6-Year-Old’s Death. She Crawled into Barrel, Got Trapped – ryan

Authorities in Mississippi are sharing new details about what happened to Gracelynn Vick, the 6-year-old girl who was found dead hours after disappearing from her yard earlier this week.

At a press conference held on Thursday, April 17, Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley said that Gracelynn’s death was a “tragic accident” — and that while playing outside on Sunday, April 13, she crawled inside a nearby barrel, then got trapped inside.

“There were absolutely no signs of foul play,” Haley told reporters. “The residence had security cameras that covered the area where the barrel was located.”

“After reviewing the video multiple times, it was determined that while playing outside, Gracelynn went inside the barrel herself and closed the lid inside, which caused the lid to be stuck and trapped Gracelynn inside,” he continued.

The Biloxi Sun Herald reported that her family, who had a farm, usually kept animal feed in it, but that day the barrel was empty.

According to the footage, Haley said, nobody else walked to the area where Gracelynn was located until after her family began searching. “There was no way to get to that area without coming into the view of the camera,” he said. “All family and volunteers in the area of that barrel at any time were not seen tampering it.”

The sheriff also said the results of the autopsy supported the evidence, saying, “There was no sign of trauma, sexual abuse or neglect.”

“Hopefully this clarifies some of the many rumors we have seen throughout social media,” Haley continued.

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The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office previously said that Gracelynn went outside to play around noon local time and was reported missing a short time later.

Local authorities searched on foot as well as by using helicopters and ATVs, according to officials, who said that deputies searched the premises and surrounding neighborhoods. She was found around 6 p.m. and pronounced dead.

During the press conference, Haley noted that, according to police’s recreation of events, based on Sunday’s heat index, that the child “would have experienced a combination of heat stress and limited oxygen supply inside the barrel which would have led to her death.”

“This effect would be similar to that of a child being stuck in a hot car during the summer,” he added, before noting that an exact cause of death is still under investigation.

Gracelynn’s death came just over a year after her 13-year-old sister Victoria died in a crash, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported at the time. Years earlier, in July 2021, her brother, Larry Hart, died at the age of 17, according to an obituary. The Biloxi Sun Herald reported that he died of a medical condition.

The sheriff described Gracelynn’s death as a “tragic event” that has shaken up the community.

“It has been an emotional week for us all here,” Haley said. “This young girl, I have a personal connection through my granddaughter because they went to school together. They were friends. It’s been rough on my family and the people who work here.”