HARTLAND (AP) – More than 300 people turned out for a memorial service for a 13-year-old boy who police say was killed by his mother’s live-in boyfriend.
The service, held at the Hartland Consolidated School, allowed friends and family to share stories about Anthony Tucker and to mourn the loss of the boy, the youngest homicide victim so far this year in the state.
“Anthony Tucker was a bright light, a truly bright light whose flame was snuffed out too early,” the Rev. Mark Tanner said.
Tucker’s aunt, Cathy Tucker Elliott, has said the boy led his mother and sisters to safety before being shot on Tuesday outside his home in Palmyra.
Anthony Tucker’s best friend, Scott Loureiro, spoke of his friend’s heroism at Saturday’s memorial.
“When we got out of high school, we said we were going into the military together and be a couple of heroes. But Anthony beat me to it. Just before he died he became the biggest hero I ever heard about,” Loureiro said.
Troopers charged Todd Curry, 39, with murder. Curry was taken to the Somerset County Jail after the shooting but was later transferred to a psychiatric hospital. He’s scheduled to make his first court appearance on Jan. 3.
The shooting followed complaints that Curry had assaulted Tucker’s mother and fired shots in a boundary dispute with neighbors.
During the service, Tanner read a list of Anthony’s favorite things, which was written by his 10-year-old sister, Adrienne. It included fishing, sledding, wrestling, building snow forts, playing games on the Internet and competing in rock-throwing contests.
He was a kind big brother, she wrote, who even let her put makeup on his face. “We will miss you forever. Anthony James Tucker, you will always be in our hearts,” she wrote.
Tucker’s family allowed the media to record the service as a way to raise awareness about domestic violence.
“His death should not be in vain,” the family said in a statement released at the service.
“Domestic violence and child welfare issues need to be addressed to prevent a tragedy such as this from happening again.”
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