Kids and teens have one thing in common: They can’t always see the bigger picture. Their underdeveloped brains and lack of life experience make them inherently trusting, which is something that can be equally wonderful and horrifying. Our job as parents is to help them try to see past the now and consider all the ways their decisions can take them in the future, good and bad. Then, as they grow, we have to trust them to make the right decisions. It’s a lesson I find particularly tough to teach my 7-year-old boy, and I imagine as hormones intensify it’ll only get harder.
Of course there was no way that 14-year-old Florida teen Danika Troy could have known that her impulsive decision to sneak out of her home on a Sunday night would lead to her brutal murder.
People reported that on December 4, 2025, authorities released a statement that Danika’s body had been found in Pace in a wooded area near the home she shared with her mom, Ashley Troy, and 8-year-old sister. It is now believed she was shot and burned by 14-year-old and 16-year-old boys, the latter of whom she had a “crush” on.
In a news conference, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson warned, “This is where it gets really horrific. The 16-year-old…stole his mother’s handgun and shot Danika Troy.”
He added, “It’s bad enough you kill a 14-year-old. You’re 14. You’re 16. They shot her multiple times then they set her on fire.”
KOMO reported that 16-year-old Gabriel Williams and 14-year-old Kimahri Blevins allegedly lured the teen into the woods, shot her multiple times, doused her in gasoline, and then lit her on fire. According to the report, Williams allegedly confessed to detectives that Danika had made “hurtful” comments about him that upset him. Blevins requested a lawyer and was arrested. Both are being held by the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Ashley told People that she believes her daughter thought she was just sneaking away to spend time with a boy she “loved,” referring to Williams.
“She was currently grounded for doing the same thing,” her mom told the outlet. “Kids just don’t think about consequences. She trusted him. It wasn’t hard to lure her. He had her heart. She would do anything for him.”
Ashley originally reported her daughter missing on December 1, saying she was gone before she woke up. “I thought he was hiding her to be together,” she shared. “I had no idea those boys could do this.”
Ashley went on to claim that Williams had “led her on” for at least three months. “She just wanted to be in love for Christmas,” she told People. “She was innocent and just wanted to be loved.”
A family friend has organized a GoFundMe account to help cover expense for her funeral. It’s raised more than $27,000 thus far.
