Hundreds gather to farewell allegedly murdered teen Layla Jeffery

Hundreds of community members gathered at a memorial service to pay tribute to a teenage girl after her remains were found in western Victoria earlier this month.Layla Jeffery, 13, was reported missing from Donald, near Horsham, on July 5, with authorities finding her body days later in nearby bushland.A 16-year-old boy was arrested and has been charged with murder.He is due to face court next month.On Friday afternoon, family, friends and community members packed the Donald Memorial Hall to remember Layla.People gathered near the side of the road during the funeral procession. (ABC News: Nethma Dandeniya)Many were wearing pink Hello Kitty clothing or black hoodies, which were Layla's favourite clothes.In an emotional eulogy, Layla's aunt, Kaitlyn Cheyne, said the teenager loved fashion, movies, music, singing and taking photos, with all the songs played throughout the service coming from her playlists."There are not enough words in the entire English language, or every language combined, to adequately describe who Layla was," Ms Cheyne said."She was so many things to so many people; she was both shy and confident in many different ways, funny, sassy, kind, generous, stylish, sweet, cheeky, loving and considerate."I could go on and on, but it would still never be enough words to express the depth of her character or the loss we are all feeling."Pink balloons were carried by family and friends as it was one of Layla's favourite colours. (ABC News: Nethma Dandeniya)An impact on allMs Cheyne said Layla had had an impact on the lives of everyone who knew her or had the privilege of meeting her, and that she would have conquered the world "if she hadn't been taken from us"."From day one, she was encouraged and supported to be able to find out who she was and do it on purpose," Ms Cheyne said."Though her years were far shorter than she deserved over that time, she grew into someone who felt a deep love for her family and friends, with a strong sense of self and the confidence to back it up."She was all something of a paradox, because she often disliked being perceived and liked to simply exist quietly alongside those she loved most."Layla Jeffery, 13, was last seen in Donald on July 4. (Suppied: Victoria Police)Layla was born in Shepparton, then lived in Benalla for a few years before returning to Shepparton.She had only been in Donald for three years."Layla [was] a bright spark of light attracting friends like moths to a flame, she was also an amazingly generous girl, always buying two of everything, so she and her friends could match," her aunt said.Ms Cheyne thanked the community and those who had helped her and the family during this difficult time.Family and friends gather to remember the life of Layla Jeffery. (ABC News: Nethma Dandeniya)A father's tributeLayla's father, Aaron Jeffery, read a poem at the service."You can share tears that she's gone or you can smile that she has lived," he said."You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back, or you can open your eyes and see that she has left."Your heart could be empty because you can't see her, or it can be full of the love that you show."You can remember her for only that she is gone or you can cherish her memory and let it live on."You can cry and close your mind … or you could do what she would have wanted, smile, open your eyes, love and go on."The town of Donald sits on the edge of the Richardson River. (ABC News: Darryl Torpy)'A lot of memories'Buloke Shire Council Mayor Graeme Milne said the memorial service was "very well conducted"."It was a real Layla service, and her family had a lot of input into putting it together and in my opinion, it was a great opportunity for people to just grieve and put this step of the process behind them," Cr Milne said."A tragedy like this is one of those things that will bring home a lot of memories to a lot of people."I think having the service in town in a public place has meant a lot to the community."The community has been fantastic, they've certainly found it hard, they've come together very nicely and supported each other all the way through."The alleged murder has had a major impact on the small town, with police last week calling a public meeting to allay community fears.Last night, Donald's grain silos were lit in pink lighting as a tribute to Layla.Silos near Donald were lit up in pink to remember Layla Jeffery. (Supplied)Cr Milne said Layla would forever be remembered by the Donald community."There's talks of murals … I've had two offers of bench seats and things with her name to be set in somewhere in the park," Cr Milne said."She'll be remembered … her cohort friends are young, and they make memories, they'll remember and they won't forget it and neither will the wider communities because of the horrific circumstances around her [death], she'll be etched [in Donald] for a long time to come."Cr Milne said the community was still feeling a little bit angry about the whole situation, particular with a loss of a young person.