Funeral set for 9-year-old Skyler Kauffman, murdered last week in suburban Phila.
(CBS/KYW/AP) TELFORD, Pa. - Skyler Kauffman, the 9-year-old girl who was brutally assaulted and killed before being stuffed into a trash bin near her suburban Philadelphia apartment, is being laid to rest today.
Funeral services for Kauffman were scheduled for Monday morning in Telford.
A memorial ceremony was held for the girl Sunday night. Hundreds lined up outside a Telford funeral home to say their goodbyes, reports CBS station KYW.
"The closing of the casket was hard, very hard," one mourner said.
An estimated 700 people showed up for the viewing, many saying they feel helpless, and wish they could do more to help her loved ones deal with the loss.
"She was 9-years-old," said Skyler's mother. "An innocent child. What did she ever do to him?"
That "him" she is referring to is 24-year-old Jim Troutman, who was arrested after a detective noticed what appeared to be blood on his shoes. According to court documents, Troutman told detectives he used his hands to choke Skyler to death in the basement of their apartment building. After he allegedly murdered her, court documents show he told police he put Skyler's body in a dumpster.
Skyler and a friend had previously fled Troutman's apartment a month before the murder, after he invited them to use his bathroom. Police say, what happened then didn't rise to the level of criminal activity.
Troutman is being held without bail on charges of first degree murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.
Complete Coverage of Skyler Kauffman on Crimesider
