Two Mississippi Teen Girls Are Found Dead 12 Hours after Attending Their Homecoming Dance

When two 16-year-old Mississippi best friends went to their homecoming dance, their families had no idea they would never return. The teenagers were found dead the next day.

Baleigh Bowlin and Chloe Taylor were 16-year-old best friends who studied at East Central High School in Jackson County, Mississippi. They met each other daily at school and were inseparable, according to their families.

The girls were brilliant students and loved each other's company more than anything. Their friends and family knew how fond they were of each other, but no one was aware that the girls would also breathe their last together.

The Best Friends

Bowlin and Chloe dressed up on October 15, 2022, to attend their homecoming dance. They wore their best outfits and headed to their high school together, hoping they would have a great time there.

After having a fantastic Saturday night, the girls went to a nearby Waffle House before heading home. They were last seen together at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, after which they went missing.

When the girls didn't return home on Sunday morning, their families gathered to look for them. They divided themselves into teams and began searching for the teenagers.

The Overturned Car

Soon, Chloe's uncle, Robbie Taylor, spotted an overturned 2012 Nissan Altima in the woods near Highway 613 and Rum Reeves Road. Upon walking closer, he saw his niece buckled up in the driver's seat and her friend in the passenger seat.

Friends and family who arrived at the accident site said it looked like the car had rolled over multiple times.

Robbie was shaken to the core after discovering the unresponsive girls by the side of the road. He tried to stop passing cars for help because he couldn't figure out what to do next.

Bad News

Soon, other family members and first responders arrived at the scene. The girls were finally found 12 hours after they were last seen. However, the bad news was that both of them had already passed away.

The authorities soon concluded that the girls' car slid off the road and crashed into an embankment and a tree. However, the cause of the crash was still under investigation.

Friends and family who arrived at the accident site said it looked like the car had rolled over multiple times. The families of both teenagers were devastated after learning about the unfortunate incident.

Grieving Friends and Family

"They were best friends," Chloe's mother, Natalie Mann-Taylor, said. "Glued to the hip. They loved each other and were always there for one another."

On October 17, friends and family of the teenagers gathered at the accident site and set up a makeshift memorial. They left colorful flowers, notes, and balloons and hugged each other while thinking about the late girls. Superintendent John Strycker said:

"I just notice a numbness right now, and it's hard to describe."

Bowlin's grandmother, Carol Rouse, was also at the memorial site and shared that her daughter was killed in a car crash in 2019. She revealed that her daughter and Bowlin resembled each other a lot. Rouse added:

"They lit up our whole family, and they're just gone."

Kristen Coleman Kibby, a cousin of Bowlin's mother, set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help the family cover funeral expenses. As of October 18, more than $2,200 out of $5,000 have been raised through 35 donations.

Don't Lose Hope

Garon Tate, Wade Baptist Church student and family pastor, revealed that many students in the past year had to deal with similar situations where high school students had suddenly passed away.

Tate added that he and his fellow pastors always support students in such times. He wanted children to know that they were not alone. Tate said:

"Even on the worst days, there's hope. Through Christ, we have hope."

The Comments

Besides friends, family, and the residents of Jackson County, netizens also felt terrible for Bowlin and Chloe. They left messages of support for the family. Here are some of the comments from FOX19's Facebook post about the incident:

"My heart breaks for these two beautiful young ladies and their families. May God give you comfort and peace."

― (@Kenney FA) October 18, 2022

"So sad. Prayers for their family, friends, and classmates. Just so sad."

― (@Selina Jones McDine) October 18, 2022

"It can happen in the blink of an eye."

― (@Lauren Elizabeth) October 18, 2022

No parent deserves to bury their child at such a young age. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bowlin and Taylor families as they deal with the pain of their irreplaceable loss.

Click here to read another heartbreaking story about a 12-year-old Michigan boy who died in a car crash on his way home from a school football game.