TYLER, Texas — Friends of Dejah Hood said Wednesday they want her to be remembered for who she was — a kind person full of life — not for what happened to her.
Hood, 18, was found dead behind the Hollytree Apartments in Tyler Tuesday. Tyler police arrested Jamaurea Jermain Britton, 19, in connection with her death.
Dejah's friends, LaMonica Hull, Maurese Johnson and TaMonica Hull, are grieving their beloved friend whose life was taken too soon.
"My heart just dropped because it was just so unexpected. And then the way she went, like she didn't deserve that," LaMonica said.
Hood was missing for a day until Tyler police found her lifeless body. She was killed by someone she considered a friend.
"From what I know, she was there to comfort him because he didn't have anybody to talk to about things," LaMonica said.
Her closest friends said Dejah had an amazing personality and was full of energy.
"When you first meet her. It's like, you know her already," Johnson said.
Dejah recently graduated from Tyler High School. She had plans of moving to a big city and going to college.
"I hate that got ripped away from her before it even started," LaMonica said.
As they scroll through their memories of Dejah, one post stood out to them.
The Sunday before her disappearance Dejah posted a picture on Instagram with the caption “unforgettable.”
"I feel like maybe her spirit kind of knew that she was gonna go before her actual body knew," TaMonica said. "You could put somebody in jail all day long, but you can't bring nobody back."
Dejah's friends said they want her to be remembered for who she was not for what happened to her.
"He took my best friend from me," Johnson said. "Whatever he did to her. She had a strong fight."
Those who knew her best say they will miss Dejah's smile and her positive energy, but they will continue to keep her memory alive.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Dejah's family with the funeral expenses, click here to donate.