Little Gracelyn Vick went missing on Sunday afternoon in Saucier.
Her family reported that she had stepped outside around noon to play in the yard but did not return.
Numerous rumors have been spreading online.
As time went by without any updates, her family reached out to the authorities. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi initiated an urgent search that lasted about six hours.
Local law enforcement, Gulf Coast Search and Rescue, helicopters, drones, and around 40 community volunteers all joined the effort to find Gracelyn.
Sadly, her body was discovered later that day near her family’s property.
No arrests have been made yet.
Deputies secured a portion of the family’s property, which included a swing set and areas designated for livestock. Crime scene investigators spent several hours documenting the area and collecting evidence, continuing their work into the evening.
Gracelyn’s body was removed from the site around 8 p.m., as reported by WLOX.
On Monday, Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley addressed some of the numerous rumors circulating online about the investigation. A family member revealed that the body of 6-year-old Gracelynn Vick was found near her home in Saucier.
“As of now, no one has been taken into custody, and it’s too soon to say whether foul play is suspected,” Haley stated. “This investigation is still ongoing.”
An autopsy is scheduled for Monday at the state crime lab in Biloxi to help ascertain the cause of Gracelyn’s death, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
In the wake of Gracelynn Vick’s heartbreaking passing, an outpouring of support for her family has been seen on social media.
Mother’s Third Heartbreaking Loss.
At Saucier Elementary, grief counselors have been called in to support students as they navigate the sorrow of losing their young classmate.
For her mother, Vicky Lynn (Wedgeworth) Hutcherson, the anguish is nearly unbearable—Gracelynn is the third child she has lost in recent years, as reported by the Sun Herald.
Just last year, in March 2024, Gracelynn’s 13-year-old stepsister, Victoria Hutcherson, tragically lost her life in a horrific accident on U.S. 49. Authorities indicated that she was a passenger in a minivan attempting to cross four lanes of traffic when it collided with a dump truck. Victoria, an eighth grader at West Wortham Elementary School, was fondly remembered by her family as a caring big sister who adored her siblings.
In July 2021, the family faced another tragedy when 18-year-old Larry Hart, Gracelynn’s brother, passed away due to a medical condition, according to his obituary.
Please keep the family and friends of 6-year-old Gracelynn Vick from Saucier, MS, in your thoughts and prayers as she was found deceased…
Posted by United Cajun Navy on Sunday, April 13, 2025
This is an incredibly heartbreaking story. Rest in peace, little Gracelynn. Let’s hope the authorities are allowed the time and space to conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the truth of what transpired.