Family seeks leads in teen's killing

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Friends of a slain teen are turning to social media to help solve the case.

Vanessa "Honey" Malone's loved ones created a Facebook page to generate leads and donations to a Crimestoppers reward fund for information leading to an arrest. The page, R.I.P. Honey, has more than 125,000 "likes" so far.

"I've gotten people all the way from Singapore and Mexico," the girl's mother, Flora Malone, told Channel 2's Shae Rozzi at her home in Stone Mountain.

Malone said she appreciates the support from strangers but is really hoping for answers from witnesses. She said she doesn't understand how someone can live with themselves knowing about a murder and not offering any information to police.

"They killed her. Somebody killed her, and they don't care. They're getting up and living their life every day and it's killing us," she said.

Dekalb County police spokeswoman Mekka Parish told Rozzi that investigators believe Honey Malone interrupted an armed robbery the night of Oct. 23 in the Hampton Village apartment complex.

"We're told there were at least two people tied up inside the apartment," Parish told Rozzi over the phone. "Those two individuals stated there were four to six men with guns who were robbing them. They heard someone else enter the apartment. Then, heard shots."

Friends are also using the Twitter hashtag #justiceforhoney to help generate leads. Her friends will be gathering at Stonecrest Mall in Lithonia at noon Saturday to hand out flyers to help solve the crime.

In the meantime, Malone's mother shared with Rozzi how much she's missing her daughter.

"I call her phone just so I can hear her voice," she said. "I try so hard not to break down because I keep saying that we're going to celebrate her life."

Malone said she can't celebrate her daughter's life until police arrest the person responsible for her death.

"You robbed us of her whole future. She had dreams. She wanted to go places. She wanted to travel and have fun, and she has none of that now," Malone said.

Crimestoppers is offering a reward for information leading to an arrest in this case. Tips can be made anonymously to 404-577-8477.

WSBTV