Pod Insights True Crime with Kendall Rae Life360 App Helps Police Find Missing 13 Yr. Old: Justice for Savannah Copeland About this episode In 2024, 13-year-old middle schooler Savannah Copeland was stabbed to death by a local 15-year-old boy. Using the tracking app Life360, her parents were able to track her phone which helped in leading them towards her location on a trail in the woods. Instead of a regular memorial on the spot where Savannah was found, her parents wanted to turn the area into a peaceful place in nature for people to enjoy or go to pay their respects.
Please consider contributing towards the Copeland's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-savan... https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-savannah-graces-family-through-tragedy
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1:06 Kendall Rae? Hello, everyone, and welcome back to True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thank you so much for joining me today. And if you're new, then welcome. I'm so happy to have you here. So, guys, today, I won't sugarcoat it. We are talking about a devastating case, I mean, as they all are. But today, we are talking about the murder of a 13-year-old girl, a seventh grader, Savannah Copeland. And what happened to her, there are just no words. It is beyond horrific. And I debated on whether or not to cover it because it's so new. It's still very much developing. There's still a lot that we don't know. But I was really inspired by hearing her family speak, especially her father, Michael,
1:48 Kendall Rae? and just his strength and his love for his daughter is... It just makes me emotional thinking about it. And not to mention the community surrounding this family, the people who have fought to make sure that Savannah's story is told and that people are more aware, that they are trying to do everything they can to support this family through one of the worst things that could ever happen to you, which is losing a child in the way that this family did. And even though these cases are so difficult to speak about, especially now as a parent myself, I just...
2:25 Kendall Rae? It's hard to even imagine being in the Copeland's family's shoes at this time. But I think it's really important that Savannah's story is told, that their story is told, that other parents are made aware of what can happen and how to best keep your child as safe as you possibly can. And this family really did do so much to try and keep Savannah safe. So I'm hoping that we can show them support as they head into the next phases of this case. And speaking of support, I also wanted to make sure that if their family is watching this, or if anyone knows the Copeland family and can get them a message, we're going to be doing our best to reach out as well. But I would love to get them a hope grant. If you're not aware, my foundation, Higher Hope, offers two different grants.
3:10 Kendall Rae? The hope grant is one of them, and we're basically seeking to provide one-time financial assistance to victims of a violent crime, as well as to their families. So we would love to help you guys in whatever way you need. We can start that conversation and figure out how to do that. And I think I mentioned this last week as well, but for any of you out there who are curious about what we are doing through the Higher Hope Foundation, you can actually check out our impact report for 2024, which we just had launched in September. So this is just what we have been able to do in a short amount of time, thanks to all of your support. And again, just watching the shows helps us fund the foundation and everything that we're doing. But if you're interested in making a donation to Higher Hope, we would greatly appreciate it. It will allow us to help even
3:53 Kendall Rae? more families and like-minded nonprofits and organizations. So if you want to learn more about my foundation, it will be linked below in the description box. And if you are listening to this episode on a podcast platform, you can find it linked in the show notes. And then before we even get started, I really want to make sure that we can show this family as much support as possible. So if you would like to make a donation directly to them, you can do so by checking out their GoFundMe, which I'll definitely be telling you more about today. And that will be linked in the show notes and description box of this episode as well. The support that this family has received from their community and people all across the country has been really beautiful to see. And to see how this family has done everything they can to make sure that Savannah is remembered.
4:34 Kendall Rae? For who she was and as a light for other people going forward as her light will continue on, even though she is no longer with us. It's just, it's been very beautiful, emotional and inspiring, quite frankly. And before I get into telling you about Savannah, who she was and her story, at least what has been reported at this point in time, I have to, as always in cases like this, just say right off the bat that everyone that I'm speaking about in today's episode is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. So with that being said, let's get into her case.
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6:28 Kendall Rae? I want to start out by telling you about the amazing little girl that Savannah was. Savannah Grace Copeland, or Van, as her family called her, was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on September 3rd, 2011 alongside her twin brother Casey. And that's another reason why this case is just that much more heartbreaking. The fact that she has a twin brother, I mean, I'm sure many of you know out there that the twin bond is just so special. It's hard to even put into words the connection that twins often, in most cases, develop. And I am just heartbroken for her twin brother. And of course, for their entire family as well. She also has an older brother named Britton and her incredibly active and involved, loving parents, Michael and Amanda.
7:13 Kendall Rae? And one thing that I found to be so beautiful when learning about Savannah was her relationship with her father. Her and her father, out of anyone in their family, were just so similar. I mean, they were like, she was a carbon copy of him in a lot of ways, as far as her personality went. Her dad has explained that he's a bit on the introverted side, and so was she. Savannah was always pretty shy and didn't mind spending time alone. She was very independent. And I guess the two of them would be able to spend time together without saying anything. And I think that just shows how special of a connection the two of them had, how well they understood each other. And I mean, obviously, the two of them talked to each other as well. But the fact that they could just be in each other's company and that was enough without saying much,
7:58 Kendall Rae? it's very special. Now, as for the things that Savannah really enjoyed in life, there are quite a few, including music, art, and scary movies. But if there's one thing that she loved more than anything else beside her friends and family, of course, it was tumbling. Like a lot of young girls, Savannah started gymnastics pretty young. And it became clear pretty quickly that her favorite part of it was tumbling. And so, by the time that she got to middle school and she went to Powell Middle School, she had the opportunity to start cheerleading, and that became the obvious choice for her. Her parents even got her private tumbling lessons, and it was always something that she worked very hard at. And cheerleading ended up being The thing that really got Savannah out of her shell.
8:39 Kendall Rae? And I think we can all agree that there's really nothing like seeing someone finally find something that they thrive in and getting to watch them in that environment. Especially when that thing is what really brings out their true spirit, what breaks them out of their comfort zone and just getting to see them thrive in that atmosphere. It's so fun. It's so cool, especially when they're young. And that was cheerleading for Savannah. Her shyness seemed to just kind of melt away. And it's funny, I loved this. Her coaches say that she could run circles around all the other girls, or rather, she would skip circles around all the other girls. They say that she was always skipping around during practice and seemed to be just having so much fun, having this energy about her that wasn't always there.
9:24 Kendall Rae? And one of the things that I especially loved learning about her is that she wanted to be the person carrying around the big megaphone during games. It's just so cool that most of the time she was such a shy person, a little more reserved and introverted. But then in that environment, she just, you know, all of that went away and she was having so much fun and the crowd was having fun with her. Her family was super involved. They would go to all of her cheer events where she was cheering on the players of whatever, you know, sport she was cheering for. But her family would be there cheering for her. And her dad even said they had these like big cutouts of her head that they would hold up. And, you know, they were just full on supportive of her in every way.
10:06 Speaker 03 Her spunky personality was the icing on the cake for our squad.
10:10 Speaker 04 The Powell Mac cheerleading coaches say Savannah Copeland was quiet until you gave her the megaphone.
10:17 Speaker 05 The girls were like, oh no, I don't want that. And she was like, give it to me.
10:20 Speaker 04 She loved to tumble, never missed a practice, and soon took on the role of a leader.
10:26 Speaker 05 She just had an aura, a presence about her that was a genuine and loving presence.
10:32 Speaker 06 But yeah, she, she just loved being out there with everyone and, and doing the things that cheerleaders do. And the Copelands were constants at Powell Middle Games. To cheer on their girl, Van, as they called her. These, this big head on a stick, her face. And we would hold it up and yell at her. And I mean, everyone in the stands would hear us and see it and laugh.
10:59 Kendall Rae? And it wasn't just cheerleading and tumbling. Savannah also excelled in other sports like karate. And she was known for being a great student in school. Her dream was actually to one day go to the University of Tennessee for college and study forensic anthropology, which I think shows you just how cool Savannah was. I mean, at age 13, to already have the career aspiration of being a forensic anthropologist is just so, you know, out of the norm of what a seventh grader would say they want to do when they grow up. And God, it's just especially hard talking about victims who had the goal of going into a field like that and helping others. For those who don't know what a forensic anthropologist is, it's someone who studies human remains to help solve criminal cases.
11:43 Kendall Rae? Savannah clearly wanted to help other people and make an impact. And she had such an interest in that field. And to have lost her life before she got the chance, it's just so wrong, so unfair. And God, what a, what a loss to society. And that brings me to what happened on October 22nd, 2024. So very, very recent. That morning seemed like any other day for Michael, her father. When he woke up, he always got up earlier than everyone else in the house and left for work before everyone was even up. And when he got to work, he gets a call from Savannah's mom. And she is shocked to find that Savannah is not in her bed.
12:26 Kendall Rae? As she's waking up all the children in the house, Savannah is not there. So she immediately calls Michael and as soon as he hears this, he just turns around and goes home right away because this is incredibly unlike her. And any parent would just be terrified in this situation immediately. And when I say that this was shocking to Michael and Amanda, I say that mainly because obviously your child just not being where they're supposed to be is shocking and very scary, but also because Savannah was an Incredibly well behaved teenager and I will explain more of what I mean when we get into things later on, but this just was so, so out of character for her. Now, I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the Life360 app. It's an incredible app.
13:10 Kendall Rae? I've never used it myself because my child doesn't have a phone yet. She's two years old, but it is a tool that I will definitely be using when that time comes and it's incredible resource for parents. So if you don't know about it, definitely look into it. But basically it's an app that allows users to share their real time location with a designated group of people. A lot of parents use it to help keep track of their kids and their movements. And what's nice about it is it doesn't just show you where that person is at that exact moment, it also shows you where they've been. It's almost like a digital trail and it goes as far as to let you know if they're riding in a car, even if the car isn't moving. So it has a bunch of cool features and it is something that every family should be utilizing
13:55 Kendall Rae? or something like that. I'm not sure what else is on the app market, but I have heard wonderful things about Life360 and I know that it has helped in numerous cases. And just another safety tip for parents out there, it's also a great idea to use something like an Apple AirTag or something similar when it comes to keeping track of your kids. So just something to throw out there. And luckily Savannah's parents had the Life360 app installed on Savannah's phone. So of course that was their first move. Check the app and see if they could locate her that way. And when they first opened the app, what was strange is it showed that Savannah was close by. So they did what, you know, any parent would do in that situation and they physically
14:38 Kendall Rae? went outside to look for her in the areas that the app said that she was. Now, it's been reported that her phone had died, so they weren't able to reach her by calling or texting. And because of that, they basically had to follow the path that Life360 said that she went and try to figure out where she currently was. But even after following her path according to the Life360 app and also knocking on neighbors' doors and asking them to check their Ring doorbell footage or whatever. Cameras that they had set up at their homes, they were not able to locate her. And the app was showing that she went missing sometime between midnight and 2:30 a.m. But because her phone had died, they weren't able to find her exact location. And then later that afternoon, they ended up hearing the sound of sirens,
15:23 Kendall Rae? and they just knew that she had been found. The remains of 13-year-old Savannah Copeland were discovered not too far away, on a dirt trail behind a community pool near Powell High School. She was discovered by someone who was just walking that path, and it was clear by her injuries that she had been stabbed. And unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to save her at that point. And a pocket knife is ultimately what authorities say was used to take her life. And it's unknown how quickly she succumbed to her injuries, but it's just, God, it's horrific to think about what that must have been like for her.
15:59 Speaker 07 The morning after Powell Middle's first basketball game of the season, Michael was on his way to work. A call from his wife brought silence. Savannah was missing. The family used an app to trace her digital tracks up until her phone died. They scoured the area before Knox County deputies launched a search.
16:18 Speaker 06 Her Life360, which is an app that you can get, made it look like she was walking there.
16:24 Speaker 07 12 hours later, a detective knocked on the Copeland's door. Savannah's body was discovered along a trail.
16:31 Speaker 06 It's a surreal feeling that, you know, for a moment, you just, you don't feel like it's real. And you just expect to wake up from it.
16:42 Kendall Rae? But this was a nightmare that they didn't wake up from.
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17:58 Kendall Rae? Their beautiful 13-year-old daughter, who they were just cheering for in the stands of a basketball game literally the night before, was gone. And it turns out that the person responsible was someone that they knew. 15-year-old Malakaya Lamar Harris was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
18:18 Speaker 06 At around 4:45 this afternoon through dispatch, we received a call on a possible deceased body on a trail over in Broad Acres subdivision. Our officers responded to that, did find a body.
18:39 Speaker 06 And tonight, just around 9:00 PM, detectives identified a person of interest and arrested a 15-year-old male and is being charged with second-degree murder. In the death of a 13-year-old young lady.
18:55 Kendall Rae? And like I mentioned earlier, at this point in time, there's very little information available about him and about the circumstances that led to Savannah's murder, but I'll share what we know as of this point in time. According to Michael, Malakai was not only someone that they were familiar with, but also someone that they had welcomed into their home. He was someone that they had sympathy for, someone that they even cared for. Now, the extent of that care is not something that has been too reported on at this point in time. I did learn that he was living with his grandfather and his siblings at the time of the murder, so part of me wonders if their family, Savannah's family, had tried to step up and show him
19:38 Kendall Rae? support because maybe he wasn't getting that at home, or was going through, you know, emotional struggles, family structural problems, things like that. And I don't know, that's just kind of, kind of the vibe I'm sensing. Either way, though, it doesn't really matter. I mean, he was someone that they knew, someone that they cared about, and he was now someone who was responsible for the murder of their child. And that has understandably come with a lot of conflicting emotions for their family.
20:09 Speaker 07 Within hours, detectives named a suspect, 15-year-old Malakai Harris. He was a friend of Savannah's and her family.
20:17 Speaker 06 There's a lot of conflicting emotions. Of course, the, the natural one to move toward is anger and rage toward him. But this is someone we cared about.
20:31 Speaker 07 Do you have any indication why?
20:34 Speaker 06 No. Something made him angry. And...
20:43 Speaker 06 He's not at an age where they really understand fully consequences.
20:48 Kendall Rae? Now, following Malachi's arrest, he was brought to the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center. And because he's only 15 years old, which is legally a minor, this case has started in juvenile court. But it might not stay there because there was a hearing on November 13th where prosecutors stated their intention of trying Malachi as an adult. And this is something that the Copeland family does support. However, it's not as simple as just trying him as an adult. There has been and will continue to be a pretty lengthy legal process to elevate this to adult court. But prosecutors are willing to fight for it. A judge will first need to hear the evidence against him. And then, of course, they'll need to evaluate his mental health. And lastly, the judge will have to determine what is in society's best interest.
21:33 Kendall Rae? And these are all things that can't just happen overnight or quickly.
21:37 Speaker 03 Knox County prosecutors want to try a teenage murder suspect as an adult. They announced their plans this morning in court. 15-year-old Malachi Harris is charged with killing 13-year-old Savannah Copeland. Reminder, the details of this case are graphic. And joining us now to break down the state's request is 10 News anchor Shay Smith. And Shay, you were in court this morning. Yeah, Brittany, that's right. It was another status hearing for Harris. And police say Harris killed Savannah Copeland in October with a pocket knife on a trail near Powell High School. Right now, he is in juvenile court because of his age. However, today, the state announced it wants to move this case to adult court. The judge says there are several legal steps he'll have to go through before the teen can be transferred.
22:22 Speaker 03 The first one, the state has to prove there is probable cause that Harris committed the crime. It's basically like a mini trial. The state will bring the key evidence they have against Harris. The second step, checking his mental health status. He'll likely go through psych evaluations, which could take weeks or up to months. Now, the third, the judge must determine by law if it's in society's best interest to keep him in juvenile court or transfer him to adult court.
22:49 Kendall Rae? And like I said, the decision to attempt to Try him as an adult is something that the Copeland family fully supports and I do too. If this 15-year-old boy is really guilty of what he is accused of, which may I remind you is stabbing a 13-year-old girl with a pocket knife and then leaving her there to die, then I believe he should have adult-like consequences. Now, this is a very complex and controversial topic that people feel different ways about. And, you know, I think it really depends on the situation. And ultimately, the purpose of the juvenile system is that there's hope for rehabilitation, of course.
23:30 Kendall Rae? And there are cases where kids get into trouble, do some pretty bad things, but are able to turn it around and turn into wonderful, productive members of society. But there are also cases where kids get into trouble and they continue to go on to be serious offenders and dangers to society. I don't think it's something that you can make a generalization on when it comes to the juvenile system as a whole and how each case can be conducted. It's really a case-by-case basis, but I really agree with the family that the consequences just need to match the severity of the crime that he committed. And the problem with him going through just the juvenile court is he would likely be released in just a couple of years.
24:15 Kendall Rae? On the other hand, if this goes to adult court, he will be facing 15 to 25 years for the charge of second-degree murder, and that would be served primarily in an adult detention center. And I'm sure most of you know this, but if an adolescent is tried in adult court, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to go right into adult prison if they are found guilty. I mean, in some cases, that does happen, and I'm not explaining this fully, it's a very complicated topic, but most of the time, they will start their sentence in juvie and then they are transferred when they turn 18. However, most cases that start in juvenile court tend to stay there, and given the severity and true violent nature of this case, it is reasonable to believe that he could be tried
25:00 Kendall Rae? as an adult, although there is no doubt that- His defense attorney is going to fight it. In November, his attorney filed a request for discovery, meaning that the prosecution has to hand over what evidence they have against him. And they were given until January 14th to do that. And January 14th was also the date for the next hearing in this case, which was supposed to be when they discussed trying Malakaya as an adult. But I'm really confused because I was not able to figure out if this hearing even happened. I mean, most of the time I can find some article that states whether it happened or if it was postponed for some reason. But I scoured the internet. I could not find anything with any information about this hearing and whether or not it even occurred, at least as of the day I'm recording this episode,
25:45 Kendall Rae? which is February 13th. And it had been previously mentioned by prosecutors that they weren't sure if the forensic testing would be finished by January. So maybe they just haven't gotten the results back of that and the hearing was pushed back. That's definitely a possibility. I just, I don't know for certain. I do know that the defense said that this is going to take six to eight months to determine. So I'm not sure if they're just trying to stall or if something like this really does take that amount of time. And as of right now, police have not revealed the communication between Savannah and Malakaya that led to her meeting up with him. And I'm sure this is something her family desperately wants to know. And they also haven't shared a possible motive. And obviously, these are two things that people really want to know.
26:30 Kendall Rae? But of course, because we're talking about two minors here, a lot of that information has to be kept private.
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27:50 Kendall Rae? And when this case first broke, the media wasn't even naming either of them publicly. Eventually, they did release their names, obviously. But at this point in time, they're not even releasing photos of Malakia. So if you're watching this episode, that's why I have not included a photo of him. I have no idea what he looks like. Now, there is one short video of him, and he's walking in handcuffs, and you can't see his face. And I'm not sure when we'll get to see it. But what I am sure is how emotionally devastated, confused, and angry this family is. And if it were any of us, I'm sure we would feel the exact same way. I know I would. And I don't think I could hold the same composure and grace that this family has.
28:31 Kendall Rae? Because anger and rage is definitely not the only feelings that they are feeling and not the only feelings that Michael has displayed. Through their faith and with the support of their community, Michael and their family have been able to find light in this darkness. And the way that he talks about it is really just so beautiful.
28:50 Speaker 06 When you're in a dark place...
28:55 Speaker 06 Sometimes it's difficult to see anything until you realize that there is still a light there and it actually looks brighter because you're in a dark place. But the reality is that that light has always been there.
29:09 Speaker 06 I'm a religious person, so I'm gonna say that that light comes from God, but it is seen through the community, through the relationships and the people that we are surrounded by.
29:19 Kendall Rae? And in a different interview, Michael did open up about how he feels some anger at Savannah in a way, which I totally understand that emotion. I mean, you've got to just be all over the place emotionally, but he's, he feels angry that she left that night and he just doesn't understand why. Plus, he has access to all of Savannah's Life360 data, and so he knows that sneaking out is not something that she had ever done before, so I'm sure he's just so confused as to why she did it that time and how she was potentially lured out of her home. And just to be clear, I think by no means is he blaming her. I mean, no one's blaming her. She's 13 years old.
30:00 Kendall Rae? But I understand his feelings of anger and confusion, just not understanding why that night of all night she left. I think at the end of the day, it's just so shocking that this was so unlike her. But there could be information that's not known at this point that shows her being manipulated and, like I said, lured out of her home.
30:23 Speaker 06 Anger is okay. It's a natural emotion. We need to be angry, and I am very angry. I don't show it, but I am angry at a number of people.
30:34 Kendall Rae? Can you tell me who?
30:36 Speaker 06 I'm angry at Savannah. Why did she go out that night? I've never, she's never gone out, as far as I know.
30:46 Speaker 06 You know, I mean, I could look at her Life360 every single day and I could see she didn't sneak out. She never went out. We never had to worry about that. She was, she was generally speaking terrified to go out. Going out at 12 o'clock at night, not the best thing in the world, generally speaking. So she knew these things, and so it was an absolute shock to us that she would have gone out, so. Yeah, I'm mad at her. I'm angry at this kid who did that. That was a betrayal of trust. I'm angry at this kid's family that I have opinions about now.
31:25 Speaker 06 But I think the discipline in our faith is that we recognize that that road that I just went down, talking about my anger, can so easily turn into hatred and rape.
31:42 Kendall Rae? And I love that faith is something that this family has always been able to come back to, to really lean on. And I've said this before in other episodes. And, you know, I'm not religious myself, but I think it is so beautiful that in times like this, people have something like faith to help guide them and help make sense of things. I absolutely recognize the power of faith and the comfort of faith and, you know, what it really means to people in times like this. And also being part of an organized religion and being part of a church can offer so much community to families. And it's really amazing, the amount of support that the Copelands have been able to find, not only through their church, but through their entire community. And I loved learning about what's been done to honor Savannah and help this family.
32:27 Kendall Rae? So I wanted to share that with you guys today, starting with her cheer team, because they've done multiple things that are just beautiful and show how caring and mature they all are at their young ages as well, to honor Savannah in the way that they have. And the biggest thing that I just loved hearing about was, two weeks after Savannah's life was taken, there was a cheer competition that they had all been practicing for, Savannah included. And like I said earlier, she loved being the one to hold that megaphone. So that was originally going to be part of their routine. And after what happened, though, none of her teammates wanted to take her place. And I totally understand that. That had always been Savannah's role in their routine, and it just didn't feel right for anyone else to do it.
33:09 Kendall Rae? So someone had the brilliant idea of playing a recording of Savannah's voice at the start of the routine, so it felt like she was still part of it, even though she's gone. And for a group of teens who are already going through so much, losing a friend and a teammate, You know, it's just amazing to see that they thought to include her in that way.
33:27 Speaker 04 Coach Courtney Groom says the weight of the tragedy has changed her team of middle schoolers.
33:32 Speaker 03 They, they were a lot stronger than I thought, but it was hard seeing how hurt they all were.
33:37 Speaker 04 Terri Shalander is not only a coach, but a mom.
33:39 Speaker 05 We love them like we love our own kids. So it was devastating for us. And then to have to go tell my daughter that she's now missing a teammate and a friend.
33:50 Speaker 04 With an ongoing criminal investigation into Savannah's death, cheer became a safe space for the girls to talk about their teammate and their friend.
33:58 Speaker 03 Parents volunteered their homes and we could go and let the girls sit together and just be together. They could cry. They could tell stories and laugh.
34:05 Speaker 04 After devastation, the world keeps spinning. And two weeks after Savannah's death, Palmac Cheer Team had to compete. The team honored Savannah in their clothes.
34:14 Speaker 05 Went out and bought blue Def Leppard t-shirts. She loved music and hair bands and her dad loves Def Leppard.
34:22 Speaker 04 But the girls also knew they wanted to leave space for her on the mat.
34:25 Speaker 05 They immediately, we don't want somebody to take her place. Nobody else wants to do the megaphone. Can we do a recording? Does anybody have it on video?
34:34 Speaker 04 After some searching, they found the audio.
34:37 Speaker 05 So she was still able to keep her place and her position in the program. And it all started out with her yelling out loud, it's touchdown time.
34:46 Speaker 04 Through her love of cheer and the love for her teammates, Savannah's voice will always live on.
34:53 Kendall Rae? And another beautiful thing that these young girls have done to honor Savannah is host a donation drive to raise money for their local animal shelter because Savannah just absolutely loved animals. She's described as loving all living creatures, even something as small as a spider. So this was just another way for them to give back in her memory. And not only that, they've also created an award in her name that will be given out to someone on the cheer team every year. It'll go to the person who most embodies Savannah's character, which they described as spunky and eager. And it wasn't just her team that has showed this family support because not long after Savannah was murdered, her family went to a basketball game to support the cheerleaders because like her dad said, once a cheer dad, always a cheer dad.
35:37 Kendall Rae? He's such a real one. I just, oh my gosh, Michael is so awesome. But when they were there, the opposing team's cheer squad actually brought their family flowers. It's just, I love hearing young people being so in touch with their emotions and caring for others in this way. It's just so beautiful.
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36:36 Speaker 07 Hi, I'm Jenna Oshkowitz. You might know me from Glee. This is At the Table, the food allergy podcast, a show about food, connection, and what it really looks like to live with food allergies. Each episode, we hear stories from real people like Daniel.
36:50 Speaker 06 People would always think I was lactose intolerant, so I just kind of shortened my explanation to I'm deathly allergic, in a big way that defined a lot of my childhood.
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38:07 Kendall Rae? Then there's the church, which has also been outspoken in their support for the family. In fact, the pastor's husband actually built this beautiful cross for Savannah, which now sits along the trail where her life was taken from her. And it's blue because blue is Savannah's colors. And that's actually why I have set my background to blue today to honor her in a small way. And I love what they have done with this spot because it's really become a memorial where people will, you know, drop flowers and candy and other things that remind them of Savannah. And the sentiment around this memorial is another huge reason that I felt compelled to tell you about this case because oftentimes memorial sites just feel really dark and sad, understandably so.
38:51 Kendall Rae? But their family has spoken about, especially Michael, how he wanted this to be seen as a beautiful place. Obviously, it is a spot where a 13-year-old innocent child was murdered. But at least for himself, Michael has said he's decided not to look at it as a place of tragedy, but rather he wants it to be seen for the beauty of the space. And that's actually why he decided to turn it into a place where people can come and spend their time. And for a few weeks, it was just the cross. But later in December, he and a handful of others transformed that part of the trail into this place that anyone can enjoy, whether they knew Savannah or not.
39:28 Speaker 00 It's been that community support that's given this grieving family hope.
39:31 Speaker 06 And it helps to kind of restore my faith in God and in everyone around us.
39:37 Speaker 00 And while it's easy to imagine this path in memorial brings back memories of tragedy.
39:41 Speaker 06 Right now, it's, you know, there's, there's not a lot of joy or genuine happiness.
39:48 Speaker 00 Copeland and this family are finding a way to change the narrative on what this place means. Instead of grieving here, they want people to see it as a reminder of who Savannah was, hoping it sends a message to others to take time to be kind to each other instead of focusing on the bad.
40:03 Speaker 06 I'm not going to allow my heart to be filled with that kind of rage. It's going to be filled with compassion. That's the only way I know how to defeat evil.
40:14 Kendall Rae? To Michael Copeland, this is the sound of devotion. He and some friends are transforming the site where his 13-year-old daughter Savannah was found stabbed to death.
40:23 Speaker 06 The idea of your child being found in the dirt and it's still just being in the woods and in the dirt is not.
40:34 Speaker 06 The kind of thing I want to come, sit down at when I come to this area.
40:40 Kendall Rae? Copeland plans to spend a lot of time in this space. He says Savannah would have enjoyed it, too.
40:45 Speaker 06 She liked to sit alone. She's kind of introverted like I am. So she was comfortable sitting by herself and just being in her own world.
40:54 Kendall Rae? The area will be a patio space with benches and Savannah's cross. While it will always remind him of his daughter, he wants the space to be for everyone.
41:03 Speaker 06 I don't want it to be just a place to remember my child. I want it to be a little bit more meaningful for anyone, even if it's people who have lost somebody or people who just want to come and be silent for a little while.
41:18 Kendall Rae? To the landscapers who came out to help Saturday, Copeland says it warms his heart to have their support. For them, it's just their way of giving back to a family they care about. We love your husband. We see him every day. And we can't imagine what you're doing. So with each laying a flagstone, an area of tragedy gets one step closer to being a space for community. Getting justice for Savannah is obviously everyone's biggest focus right now. But another major goal of theirs is to make sure that Savannah is never forgotten. And their community is making sure that at least one of those two things happens, which I'm pretty sure both are going to happen. I really hope, but they're definitely making sure that Savannah is not forgotten.
42:03 Kendall Rae? In mid-November, the Copelands' neighbors wanted to do something to show that they're thinking of them. So they decided to all start putting blue lights on their porch as both a symbol of Savannah and a symbol of support. And it started with just a few, but it quickly grew to over 50 homes and businesses. And even volunteers with a local business started going door to door, passing out these blue lights for people to use, something that Michael says that they're very grateful for. Lights outside, almost every house in the Powell community are blue. It's a tribute to a 13-year-old girl. Volunteers with a local business walked around to deliver those lights this morning. It's a way to honor the life of Savannah Copeland.
42:41 Speaker 03 We care about our community and the people in it.
42:44 Speaker 06 And we just want to show our support to the Copeland family. The power of community has been wonderfully overwhelming and has really made me grateful for everything that we have here.
42:57 Kendall Rae? Their whole family has expressed how truly grateful they are for the support that they've received. And if there's anything positive to come from all of this, it's that. And I guess that's really been the message here, that there is enough strength in community and how despite this horrible, horrible, unimaginable tragedy, there has been some light. Michael has said that as difficult as it is, embracing all the different emotions is what makes us human. And I completely agree. And there's no, you know, one way to feel. There's a million different emotions going on. And I'm sure that they're just all happening at once for this family and for the community. And when Michael was asked if he will ever be able to forgive Malakaya for what he has done, he said that he already
43:42 Kendall Rae? has. And not forgiving him because he deserves it, forgiving him because he doesn't want this person's actions to control who he really is. Do you think you will ever forgive this person?
44:04 Speaker 06 Yeah, I do. Forgiveness is a wonderful word. When these kinds of things happen, we talk about forgiving. It's not necessarily, it's not at all because that person deserves it. It is almost entirely because we are done letting that person's crimes control who we are.
44:37 Kendall Rae? Michael has also said that at some point, he wants to sit down face to face with his daughter's killer and ask him why. Why Savannah, especially after all the things that they had done for him, which again, I'm not sure what those things were and the extent of the relationship. But it sounds like they were really supportive of him. Again, if you would like to also support this family, a GoFundMe page has been created to help them. And as of the time I'm recording this, they've raised almost $52,000 out of their $60,000 goal. So if making a contribution to this family is something that you're able to do financially, please consider doing so. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely going to see how I can help them through the Higher Hope Foundation via a grant.
45:22 Kendall Rae? But if you're not in a position to donate, I totally understand. Even doing something as small as, you know, sharing Savannah's story, showing this family some type of support, whether that's on social media or even leaving a comment on this episode in case they read them. I think as many words of support, encouragement, and love that this family can get, the better. The Tennessee House of Representatives did pass a resolution on January 16 honoring Savannah's memory, which is nice, but in all honesty, her family wishes they would do more. For anyone who doesn't know, passing a resolution basically means approving an official statement of their opinion. But it doesn't actually do anything in terms of the law, which is obviously ultimately what their family wants.
46:04 Kendall Rae? What they really want, what they're hoping for, is increased access to mental health care, which is something that every state really can improve upon. There is just no reason for a 13-year-old to be murdered by another teenager. I think everyone can agree, we need some serious improvements in our mental health systems in this country as a whole. And I want to leave you with one more clip from Michael, and I think these are very important parting words.
46:31 Speaker 07 Michael shared a message with Savannah's cheer team, a message that can apply to all. Extend goodness and grace, even in the midst of heartache.
46:41 Speaker 06 Don't wait. Do it often, do it all the time, do it as much as you can, because the person standing next to you who seems completely fine may be hurting. And a simple, kind word from you may make all the difference in the world on that day.
46:56 Kendall Rae? Of course, I wish there was more that I could share with you guys about Savannah's case. I wish there was already justice and I wish I knew more about what the path to justice is going to look like. But it just, you know, it might be a little while until we have that information. I do have hope. I really feel it in my bones that there will be justice for Savannah and justice in the means that the family feels is necessary. And I'm sure a lot of you have already commented at this point or connected it in your own mind, but this case does remind me of two other very high-profile cases and many others. But I wanted to specifically mention the Tristan Bailey case and the Nicole Lovell case.
47:37 Kendall Rae? Nicole was also 13 years old when she was lured out of her home by another teenager who stabbed her to death. It's a heart-wrenching case. And then Tristan was another 13-year-old middle school cheerleader who was stabbed to death by, you guessed it, a teenage boy. Tristan's case in particular has been talked about a lot in the true crime world. And God, it makes me sick thinking about what happened to these three young girls and what they went through in their final moments of life. The attorney for Tristan's family has actually spoken out about what happened to Savannah and said that the Bailey family would love to extend any support they can. They also have the Tristan Bailey Foundation and they're willing to help the Copelands with whatever they may need as well.
48:18 Kendall Rae? And it's just another great example of how much support this family has been able to get, not only in their own community, but from people across the country. And even people across the world, I'm sure, have reached out. And I know that, you know, my audience is global as well. And if we can make them feel even more uplifted and that we are behind them every step of the way as they head into, you know, seeking justice. It's going to be a long and difficult road. The more support that they have, the better. But God, what a heartbreaking case. I'm just, oh, there are no words for this family. I wish there was something that I can say, but there's just not. This never should have happened. And if we can, as a community, do as much as we can to try and help
49:02 Kendall Rae? prevent this from happening to other young people, then we've, we've got to do it. These cases have got to be talked about, no matter how painful they are.
49:13 Kendall Rae? That is going to be it for me today, guys. Thank you for joining me for another episode. And make sure you follow the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. It really does help me out. If you want to watch the video version of this show, you can find it on my YouTube channel, which will be linked, or you can just search Kendall Rae. I will be back with another episode soon, but until then, stay safe out there.
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Previous A Person Close to Her Did the Unthinkable… the Tragic Case of AJ Hadsell Next Husband Charged With Her Murder, yet His Wife Is Still Missing… Where Is Mamta Kafle Bhatt? Page updated November 4, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated