BELDING, Mich. – Shauna Smith said she was heartbroken to learn that after two days of searching her 10-year-old son, Devon Morrison, was found dead in the Flat River Monday.
“My world it crashed,” she said. “It just crashed.”
On Saturday, Morrison told his family he was going fishing and never came home. Hundreds of volunteers from the area searched day and night. After learning that Morrison had died, the community came together for vigils.
The first vigil was held at the Encounter Church in Belding. Crowds stood shoulder to shoulder to pray for the deceased boy.
From there crowds moved to the bridge crossing the Flat River at Ashfield Street, one of Morrison’s favorite fishing spots. When police found his body, not far from the bridge, they also found his fishing pole beside him.
Smith said fishing is what her son was born to do.
“We tried over and over to not let him go by himself,” she said. “Keep him from certain places while he was down there. But he was stubborn and said he was going to a friends and we would still find him there.”
When Morrison never returned from a fishing trip Saturday morning, police and community responded by searching day and night, combing the riverside.
Smith describes the two days her son was gone as torture.
“It was the not knowing. Not knowing if he was abducted. Not knowing if he was hurt or lost. Not knowing anything.”
She also said she was overwhelmed by the support her family received during her tough times.
“He was just all boy,” she said. “He was just very sweet. He loved people, would talk to anybody, everybody.”
As Smith deals with the loss of her son, she tries to push some thoughts from her mind. She tries not to ask what went wrong, or why.
“These are questions we will never have answers to,” she said. I can’t dwell on how it happened or why it happened. It happened and now it’s time to put it all to rest. Go on and learn how to deal without my baby.”
The family is still in the process of making funeral arrangements. FOX 17 has learned he will be buried at Houghton Lake and a memorial service will be held in Belding.
