MS Coast car crash victims honored during candlelight vigil on birthday of survivor

Three recent Gautier High School graduates were honored and memorialized Thursday night during a candlelight vigil at Gautier High School.

Hundreds of community members, students of the Pascagoula-Gautier School District, and family members of Se’Dhari Watson-Person, Kyla “Muffin” Watkins, and Tatyanna Richmond showed up at Gautier High School’s stadium to remember the lives of Watson-Person and Watkins, and to pray for Richmond, as they waved candles and cellphone lights.

Watson-Person, Watkins and Richmond, who were best friends and students at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, were involved in a fatal accident on U.S. 49 in Stone County early Tuesday morning. Watson-Person and Watkins died as a result of the accident, while Richmond remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Gautier Mayor Casey Vaughan, who helped organize the vigil, spoke during the event, acknowledging the loss of the two girls and hoping people would pray for Richmond, whose birthday was Thursday, the day of the vigil.

Religious leaders from several community churches, including New Era Baptist Church, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Agape One Ministry, First Baptist Church, as well as others also led the community in prayer.

Family members of Watkins attended the vigil, including her grandmother Carole Robinson, who originally gave Watkins the nickname “Muffin,” by which she was widely known, after the chubby cheeks and light colored afro Watkins had as a child.

“She was very bubbly, she got along with everyone,” Robinson said told the Sun Herald.

Watkins’ aunt, Danyelle Harris, who also was in attendance, lit up when she talked about her.

“I remember Muffin from when she was born up until now went from my sweet Muffin to my sassy Muffin. She had a smile that could light up the room, and people were drawn to her. She was a fashionista and loved to dress. Her hair and her makeup were on point,” Harris said about Watkins. “My mother, her grandmother, absolutely adored her. We’re going to miss her. We miss her.”

Dr. Ladd Taylor, vice president of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, shared a story of the three girls bond, describing how when one girl would go anywhere on campus, like a trip to the business office, all three girls would go.

“It really touched my heart that people came out not only for Muffin but for all three of the girls. You could feel the love from Forrest General to here to Mobile and when the college came to the hospital. You could feel the love for all three of the girls,” Robinson said.

Take a look at photos from the vigil.