St. Clair County teen found dead remembered for infectious smile as community mourns

ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - "Leah had a very infectious smile very outgoing," said Ashten Presnar, a family friend. "She was a lot like her mom, she could light up a room.

Community in shock after St. Clair County teen found dead on walking trail

While police say they don't believe there is any threat to the public, they won't know exactly how Leah Connor died until an autopsy is completed.

On Saturday morning Leah Conner told her family she was going for a walk, something she did often. But when the St. Clair County teenager didn't come home, her family called 911 and police began searching for her.

About 24 hours later they found her body on a walking trail a few miles from her home in Avoca.

"We live in a bubble, we're out in the county," said Lisa DeGrande, a family friend. "We have a small community of three thousand people that live in the town of Yale. You just don't think things would ever happen like this."

While police say they don't believe there is any threat to the public, they won't know exactly how Leah died until an autopsy is completed.

One of five sisters, Leah was a junior at Yale High School. Michigan State Police are investigating. Police said the investigation is ongoing, and anyone who has information about Conner's death is asked to call 810-664-2905.

Just one day after the tragedy, family friends are wearing blue ribbons to honor Leah - it was her favorite color - and focusing on how she lived rather than how she died.

She had such a beautiful soul and I want everyone to know, I want to scream it to the world," said Kayla Harris, a family friend.

"I feel like people think it's just words that you say because this happened, but I have never seen her not smile, never," said DeGrande.

Leah Conner

"She would make you feel very special when she was little, she would give up her toys to another kid to play with," Harris said. "She would rather (have) you be happy. And that's how she was with her sisters, too, and her mom. She would just walk through the kitchen and just hug them and say 'I love you' just because. That is who she was."

Family friends are desperate to do something to help and set up a GoFundMe for Leah's family.

"No parent should have to worry about the funds to be able to bury their child," DeGrande said. "If Trish was here and the roles were was reversed, she would have done it in a heartbeat for any one of us."