Friends and family of Rosemary Clarke Middle School student Lakoda Hamilton gathered on Sunday, November 24 for a candlelight vigil to honor the memory of the 12-year-old.
Hamilton died days after being struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Leslie Street and Our Road while riding a minibike in the early evening hours last month.
Hamilton’s aunt, Rebecka Ayers, has been his caretaker and guardian since his mother died of cancer years ago.
Ayers spoke to the Pahrump Valley Times about the roadside vigil held at the site where the fatal crash occurred.
As a seventh grader at the middle school, Ayers said Lakoda was a typical, fun-loving young boy who spent his leisure time socializing with classmates, playing video games and kicking up dust while riding dirt bikes out in the desert.
Heinous, heartless acts
While grieving the loss of her nephew, Ayers said her sorrowful emotions have turned into bewilderment and anger after receiving a series of mysterious, callous and atrocious text messages from Lakoda’s own cell phone that apparently was retrieved by an unknown individual sometime after the fatal crash.
“I don’t know who it is, but there’s a person who keeps texting from Lakoda’s Snapchat and from his phone,” Ayers told the Pahrump Valley Times. We don’t know who has it because they turned off the location function. They made comments like, “Good morning, Happy Thanksgiving,” and “Oh, I miss you very much.” That’s not a joke, because he’s gone. I want my nephew’s phone back. I just don’t understand why somebody would do something like that.”
Additionally, the boy’s roadside memorial inexplicably disappeared from the spot it was placed where the fatal collision occurred, Ayers said.
On a final note, Ayers said Lakoda’s cremated ashes were placed alongside his late mother’s ashes.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Lakoda’s mini bike has not been charged by the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes