NEWTON, NC — A small town murder mystery.
People were shocked when a friend found Maggie Daniels dead 12 days ago in her Newton apartment.
Police quickly ruled the death a homicide. Now a killer is on the loose, and Daniels’ family and friends want answers.
“If you were in a bad mood, you would just see her smile and it would instantly brighten your day,” says Amanda Beverly, who played basketball for Maggie Daniels at Newton-Conover High.
Amanda joined hundreds of others connected to the murdered 31-year-old for a memorial service in the school gym Wednesday.
Daniels’ family came down from Ohio, where she was buried Monday, to take part in a celebration of her life in North Carolina.
Like so many, Beverly is still trying to get over the shock of her coach’s death.
“I actually heard from my friend at work that I went to school with, and I didn’t believe it until I got home that night and saw the news,” says Amanda. “And I actually have a picture for her family that I drew.”
Teacher, coach, counselor: it seems the whole community of Newton loved Maggie Daniels. And now this community is asking why she had to die, and who killed her?
A video during the memorial displayed some of Maggie’s social media posts.
One reads: “I hate when things come to an end without an explanation.”
That’s a feeling shared by the people of Newton. Police and the SBI continue to work the case, but there is little information on how Daniels died, and no suspects have been named.
“Who did this? And that’s one thing that’s lingering in us,” says Marilia Carter, who works for the school district. “We want some kind of answer. We want to know what happened to her.”
“We just want answers,” says Newton resident Brandy Mullis. “We want the individual, individuals found… and justice.”
Newton police say they are following up on tips and leads from an expanded neighborhood search earlier this week.
