Family reburies Amanda Lankey

FLAT ROCK, Mich. (WOOD) - Amanda Lankey's 3-year-old niece Isabella sang the only song at Amanda's re-burial service on Monday.

Isabella was born five years after her Aunt Amanda was murdered in Newaygo County.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star," she sang as Amanda's mom, Victoria Foster, wiped away tears.

About two dozen family and friends gathered around the gravesite near Detroit where Amanda was buried in June 2004.

Newaygo County detectives had kept her head and hands as evidence in the case, but recently released the rest of her remains to the family.

Family and friends gathered about 100 yards away from the gravesite, in a gently falling snow, as a funeral director placed a white box holding the rest of Amanda's remains in the vault with her casket.

Then, as the vault was re-buried, they gathered at the gravesite for a small service. They stood in a circle, holding hands, as they recited the Lord's Prayer.

"It just feels like the first time all over again, but at least this time we know she's complete," her mother, Victoria Foster said. "We know she's in heaven. Her spirit's whole, it's always been whole, ,but this is another part of closure for our family and for Amanda."

Amanda was 13 when her body was discovered in the Manistee National Forest in 2004. She had disappeared two weeks ealier while spending the night at the home of Cecil Wallis Sr.  He was later identified as a person of interest, but killed himself before the investigation was over.

Prosecutors have charged Wallis' sister, Candace Wallis-Baumgartner, a former White Cloud police officer, and her son, Marcus Wallis, with perjury in the Lankey investigation.

"Somebody will talk and hopefully we can figure something out and get some answers, and everybody can rest at ease," Amanda's brother, James Khan, said. "That's all we want."