Topeka church hosts prayer vigil for recent rape, murder victim
4 October 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Disgusted and heartbroken. That’s how people in Topeka are feeling about the tragic death of Zoey Felix.
While her passing is affecting many, her memory still lives with the people who knew her. Zoey Felix was loved by all of her neighbors. Whenever she needed a place to go, to eat, basically anything, her neighbors stepped up.
“Sweetest little girl ever, just looking for love,” Zoey’s neighbor Sharon Williams said. “She needed love and so we gave it to her. Everybody out here cared for her, so we called her our neighborhood daughter. And this is my granddaughter, her best friend, she just moved over here with me, so her and Zoey played together every day, so this is taking an effect on her as well.”
More people are being affected by Felix’s passing than just her neighbors. It’s leaving an empty feeling inside for several people, including city leaders.
“What happened to Zoey was tragic,” District Four Councilman Tony Emerson said. “I can’t give enough praise to our police department. They quickly apprehended the person who did this, the monster of it was a person who did this. You know right now, frankly, I don’t care about statistics. What I care about is what happened to this little girl.”
The pain runs deeper for Emerson.
“You know I have three daughters myself, and I just can’t imagine the pain that the family is going through and that our community is going through,” Emerson said. “This is such a shock whenever you have an innocent child like this, brutalized and murdered. It’s just the worst thing in the world.”
Zoey’s passing marks the 26th homicide of the year in the capitol city. Mayor Michael Padilla says when it comes to crime in the city, we all can do more.
“I think it all boils down to how we treat each other,” Mayor Padilla said. “And that’s how I see the rise, is if there are people in this community who resort to violence rather than conversation and discussion, seek resources for help, that’s something that we need to re-emphasis.”