COOKEVILLE, Tenn (WTVF) — A 15-year-old went missing this week, and within one day investigators discovered she was dead.
The parents of Olivia Taylor reported her missing Wednesday; her body was found Thursday afternoon.
The news comes as a shock to the Cookeville community.
"Hold your babies; you never know. One more hug would be great," said mom Stephanie Harness.
Harness said talking about her daughter brings her joy even through the pain.
Olivia Taylor was her youngest child, the baby.
"She's funny; she's smart. Everybody loved her. Everybody. She was just so, so lovable, and just knew — she was in ROTC. She wanted to be a special operations medic. She wanted to save lives," Harness said.
Harness said Olivia had everything to live for — her family, her friends, and her pets.
"She was just — she's my favorite little person, you know? She brought me letters like all the time, little notes," Harness said.
The teenager went to spend time with friends, and when she didn't come home, Harness said she knew something was wrong.
The family filed a missing person's report on Wednesday, and by Thursday, this family and the Cookeville community were hit with tragic news.
"This is the last thing in the world I ever would have thought. She didn’t deserve it," said Harness.
Olivia’s body was found by Putnam County Road Department employees in a "wooded area east of Cookeville" early Thursday afternoon.
Olivia's death is being investigated as a murder by the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
"I think the death penalty should definitely be an option right there; I don't know why it wouldn't be," Harness said.
Police do have a suspect: 63-year-old Charles "Chuck" Carter.
He's in jail, being held without bond — charged with one count of aggravated statutory rape.
Harness said she’s glad a suspect is behind bars.
This grieving mother wants the Cookeville community to use this time to remember her daughter for the goodness she brought to the world.
"The world's not going to be very good without her, honestly," said Harness.
Carter was originally held on a $50,000 bond, but the Putnam County Sheriff's Office later reported Carter is now being held without a bond.
