Talent show soothes pain of South View HS
A talent show at South View High School Thursday night helped soothe the pain of losing two members of the South View family within weeks of each other.
Posted — Updated“I am out here to support Danielle Locklear and Mr. Parnell,” said Jessica Kennedy, a student at the school. “I feel for their families for their loss and I understand how it feels.”
Danielle Locklear, 15, was a sophomore at the school when she disappeared on March 11. Her body was found in the South River on April 3. Her ex-boyfriend and another teen are charged with her murder.
William Parnell, 39, a South View math teacher, was killed on May 9 when his car smashed into the back of a school bus on U.S. 401 South near Lillington.
Both deaths were too much for Jasmine Bogan, who was in one of Parnell's math classes last semester.
“I couldn’t stand it. I broke down and cried,” she said. “He was, overall, I learned more from him than any of my other math teachers.”
For the families of Locklear and Parnell, the show was a sign of goodwill that helped ease the pain of their losses.
“I feel mixed emotions to see everybody out here,” said Chena Papa, Locklear’s aunt. “It really uplifts my spirits.”
The talent show was also a fundraiser for a campus memorial in honor of Locklear and Parnell.
“It just warms your heart it really does,” said Tara Platt, who represented Parnell’s family at the event. “He was a great teacher, a great friend, he cared about these kids so much and it's really great to see how much they cared about him as well.”
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