Funeral for missing girl set for Tuesday

The funeral for missing teen, 17 year old A’sha Rucker, will take place at 2pm on Tuesday at New Hopewell Baptist Church on Dorchester Road in Belton.

A family friend told News Channel 7 on Sunday that the family is still in a state of shock.  “You can’t describe what they’re going through they are living every parent’s worse nightmare right now,“  Heather Holcombe said.  To make matters worse, she says, the family has heard rumors circulating around town that somehow the mother was invovled.  “For anyone to start rumors that Lavette may be involved is absolutely ludicrous.  There is now way,“ she said.

Nearly a hundred friends and classmates gathered outside of the community center where A’sha Rucker’s car was found to light candles for her Saturday night.

The body of the missing Williamston teenager was discovered early Friday evening.

Greenville County deputy coroner Scott Ramsey says that the body of 17-year old A’sha Rucker was found outside of an abandoned home on Long Cane Lane in southern Greenville County shortly before 6 pm. According to authorities, some children were playing in the area when they noticed the body face down in the yard.  “I still don’t believe it was her.  It’s just too unbelievable that’s she gone,“ a classmate said.

Friends and classmates sang “Amazing Grace” during a candlelight vigil.  Many of the teens wept and screamed her name during the vigil.  Police were called when some classmates made accusations about what lead to Rucker’s death.

An autopsy was completed Saturday morning and the cause of death is pending further tests, Ramsey said.

Greenville County Sheriff’s spokesman Matt Armstrong says that they are treating Rucker’s death as a death investigation, suspicious in nature.

Rucker was reported missing by her family on Wednesday after she failed to show up for school or pick up her sister later in the day from school. Her belongings were found shortly thereafter along the side of the road and her car was found at the Caroline Community Center in Williamston.