Taryn and her siblings were placed in their grandmother's care due to their mother's substance abuse issues.
A grandmother is currently on trial after her 8-year-old granddaughter was found dead.
Police confirmed that the body of Taryn Summers was discovered in a black plastic bag on the floor of a car this April.
The young girl was reported missing by her grandmother on April 12.
The 8-year-old was in the care of her grandmother Connie Smith when she went missing. Her two siblings, 16-year-old Tristan Sexton, 14-year-old Taylor Summers, ran away from their grandmother's home in 2020. They now live with another relative.
The grandmother, Connie Smith, was originally charged with first-degree murder, but the charges were changed after she was arrested. She is now being charged for failure to notify a death and felony destruction, alteration, or concealment of evidence, People revealed.
Sources believe other charges may be added when a postmortem is completed on the young girl's body.
Police were called to the grandmother's home on April 12. They discovered a part of the carpet was missing and days later they found blood on the wall.
They then discovered a black Lexus on the grounds of the home. When they searched the car they found the body of the 8-year-old girl. She was wrapped in a bin bag and placed on the floor of the backseat. It is believed the young girl's shirt and face was covered in vomit when she was found.
The car belonged to Smith's son, but she was seen driving it the day her granddaughter disappeared.
Investigators understand that the grandmother collected Taryn from school on April 12. The young girl was spotted sleeping in the back of the car.
Her grandmother carried her back inside and then sent her to her bedroom as a form of "punishment", reports claim.
What happened next has not yet been disclosed.
Taryn's cause of death is unknown at this time.
Speaking about the young girl, a source told
People, "She was just as innocent as a little child could be. I pictured her running away with her little pink backpack and thought she'd be home for dinner. I guess I was wrong."
A GoFundMe page was set up to raise funds for the
girl's funeral.
Her aunt remembered her as a "very funny and smart" girl.
"Taryn is so loved and was a bright light taken in such an evil way from this world way too soon and she will be greatly missed. Please help us give her the funeral/memorial she deserves and help us celebrate her life."
