SHERIDAN, Ark. (KTHV) - The Sheridan community is mourning the loss of a 17-year-old Austin Moody. He was found dead Thursday and the Grant County Sheriff's Office is investigating it as a homicide.
It's been four day and there are still no details, suspects, or arrests have been confirmed.
As friends, family, and all who knew Moody hope to have those questions answered soon, for now they're remembering him for much more than his tragic death. He was a high school football player, hard worker, and an active church and community member.
"We were like two peas in a pod, you couldn’t really split us apart when we got together," said Moody’s cousin, Jerrod McGee.
McGee is still struggling to accept that his cousin is gone.
"It didn’t matter where you were or what kind of day you were having, if he was around it made you happy," said McGee.
He was known as a smart kid who cared about his school work. An active church member, he was also known for his strong faith.
"He was just a great Christian and no matter what, like when it came to school and stuff, straight A's. When you look at him, he made you want to step up your game and be a better person."
"He was such a strong Christian. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind where he went and he wasn't afraid to show it," said Whitney Davis who hired Moody at Sonic last February. “He was so smart and so good at what he did that in no time he had already learned every position in the store"
Moody played football at Sheridan High School, ran track and field, and practiced Taekwondo, winning the 2008 world championship in sparring.
"He wanted to play football out of high school and go to college," said McGee.
The Sheridan School District has counselors on hand for students as they mourn the loss. Superintendent Jerrod Williams released a statement saying:
“As you can imagine, our entire school community is heartbroken over this tragedy. However, we are fortunate to have received an outpouring of much-appreciated support from our community and from other school districts during this difficult time. I also could not be more grateful for the many ways our faculty and staff have demonstrated love and compassion for our students and each other. During the coming weeks, we will mourn together, and we will heal together. We ask for continued thoughts and prayers for the student's family and friends as well as our students, faculty and staff."
“If he walked into the room and you were having a bad day, he would just come up and give you a big hug," said Davis.
Doing what he loved, nearly 50 trucks cruised through Sheridan Saturday
“We just cruised his favorite roads and did what he loved to do," said McGee.
McGee said what makes it the hardest is not knowing why and how this tragedy happened.
“We got to take it day by day, but we have to remember he would want us to be strong for him," said McGee.
The Sonic he worked at in Sheridan is collecting donations and there is a GoFundMe account set up for Moody's family which you can find by clicking here.