Friend of teenager found dead along SR 509 near Burien reflects on losing ‘my shoulder to cry on’

It’s been more than two weeks since sheriff’s deputies found 16-year-old Keyeleas Brewer dead on the side of State Route 509 in Seattle. The King County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating and are asking that anyone with information come forward.

Madelyn Ernst said that Keyeleas was her best friend. The two met at school about two years ago.

“She was my best friend until the day she left,” Madelyn said. “When people see a 16-year-old girl that died, I see my shoulder to cry on and someone that I miss laughing with everyday.” Madelyn said that Keyeleas was someone that you could always depend on and that she lit up any room she walked into.

“She was one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, she had such a good soul, she was an amazing spirit,” she said. Madelyn said she still can’t believe that her best friend is gone.

“It’s hard to, like, even think that stuff happens in general and when it happens so close to you, it really is hard,” she said. There are still many unanswered questions surrounding Keyeleas’ death. Officials have not yet released what the cause and manner of her death were.

“I want to know what happened to her, I want the situation to be brought to justice and I want her to be—I just really want to know what happened to my best friend, I really do,” Madelyn said. The King County Sheriff’s Office is still asking anyone with information or video from the morning of October 7 to come forward.

“She was a real person and I want to make sure people humanize her and people don’t see her as just another statistic because she was everything to a lot of people,” Madelyn said.

©2022 Cox Media Group