Tanya White, one of her cheer coaches, remembered the teen's “beautiful smile and presence."
“She always was the first to hug me,” White said at Monday night's vigil. “She was officially my favorite.”
Flowers and notes to Tristyn and her family were left outside the community center where she was last seen.
Her parents reported her missing around 10 a.m. on Sunday and a neighbor found Tristyn's body in a heavily wooded area that evening, St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said during a news conference on Monday afternoon. Hours later, investigators made an arrest.
“The community helped us solve this case,” Hardwick said.