May 6, 2006 3:18 pm US/Eastern
Memorial Held For Teen Found In Franklin Park
BOSTON (CBS4) ―
A memorial was held on Saturday at Milton High School for 19-year-old Dominique Samuels, whose burned, lifeless body was found in Franklin Park last weekend.
Officials do not believe the young woman was the victim of a random attack inside the park and have not ruled out the possibility that Samuels may have been brought to Franklin Park from another location.
The Medical Examiner's office has yet to determine the manner and cause of death, but there is evidence suggesting an accelerant was used to burn the body. Police are questioning gas station owners, asking whether they saw anyone filling canisters last weekend. Investigators believe Samuels was dead prior to the body being set on fire.
Samuels, who is one of eight children in her family, was a 2004 graduate of Milton High School and a former captain of the cheerleading squad there.
She was living in Roxbury and working at the Old Navy store in Dorchester. Samuels was also an active member of the Jubilee Christian Church on Blue Hill Avenue.
Investigators returned to Dominique's apartment on Woodbine Street in Roxbury for a third consecutive day on Friday. They also checked another undisclosed location.
Dominique's mother, Edwina, spoke out about the incident for the first time on Friday at the Roxbury Presbyterian Church.
"Our family is completely and utterly devastated over the loss of our precious Dom, who was our family teddy bear. There is no expression; verbal or written, known to man that can express our pain. Needless to say our family will never be the same again."
Edwina spoke about her grief but did not talk about the case or what happened to her daughter.
Investigators are urging anyone who may have seen or spoken to Samuels on either Friday or Saturday to please come forward.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
