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Layla Jeffery was a fiercely loyal friend who loved shopping and fashion. When she found something she loved, she would buy a second, so her best friend could wear it, too.
Why the young girl’s lifeless body was discovered in a nearby bushland in Donald, a small town north west of Melbourne, in the fading hours of Thursday afternoon, her family simply cannot understand.
Layla’s aunt, Kaitlyn Cheyne, held back tears on Saturday morning as she described the pain of knowing that the 13-year-old had left a light on when she left home in the very early hours of July 4 – five days before she was found.
The teen, who had been awake late last Friday night sending TikTok videos to her aunt, was home until just before 4am, Cheyne said.
“After that, we don’t have any confirmation of where she went or what has happened. We just know that she was here, and then she wasn’t.
“She had turned the light on before she left because she was planning to come back.”
Layla’s body was found late on Thursday afternoon by police who conducted an extensive ground and air search for the teen.
She was last seen on McCracken Avenue on the town’s western edge on Saturday, July 4. Her family reported her disappearance to police the following day.
Police said they were scouring bushland west of Byrne Street, near the Richardson River, which runs through Donald, when they found human remains.
Cheyne said that while Layla’s mother was doing “terribly” with the news, the family was grateful that their girl had been found.
“As hard as it is, and as horrible as it is, we were somewhat prepared for this outcome,” she said. “As much as we wanted her home, we were not naive, and so as best we can, we’ve been trying to prepare ourselves.
“Then, obviously, the worst occurred, but I would much rather that than us never, ever knowing what happened to her or where she went.”
On Saturday morning, SES members continued to comb through paddocks in Donald near Woods Street, near where the remains were found.
In a row of seven, the search team looked through the knee-high grass and shrubbery.
Forensic investigators could be seen taking photos near an overgrown vegetable patch on Saturday morning.
Police divers were expected to reach the scene on Saturday, as the Richardson River winds around the paddocks near where Layla’s body was found.
On Friday, Detective Inspector Dave Dunstan, from the missing persons squad, said police had arrested a 16-year-old boy from northern Victoria. He was charged with one count of murder on Saturday afternoon.
“He was known to police,” Dunstan said on Friday.
“We are quietly confident that those responsible are in custody now. We don’t think there’s anyone else who may be involved in this situation. It is a tragic outcome for the Donald community.”
Cheyne said Layla and the boy had met through mutual friends. “It’s a small town,” she said. “Everyone sort of knows everyone, and all of the kids they know they all know each other. So he had friends who knew her friends.”
Police said two women, a 53-year-old from Donald and a 55-year-old from Melbourne, were also assisting with inquiries. They have not been arrested.
As her family come to terms with the tragedy, Cheyne said she would remember Layla for how she had lived.
“She absolutely loved her friends. She loved shopping, and any time she would find anything, she would buy the same thing for her best friend because she wanted them to match.
“She took a lot of pride in her appearance. She had a lot of awareness of her own value and her own beauty, and she was absolutely gorgeous.
“[I] loved how sassy she was. You could tease her to no end, and she would give it right back. No hesitation, and no apologies ever because she knew she was right, and she was always so sassy and confident.
“We just want justice, but we just have to wait and see.”
The close-knit community in Donald, which is about 280 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, was left reeling after the discovery.
The Donald Football Netball Hockey Club encouraged all players over the weekend to wear something pink, “in honour of Layla”.
“Our small town is hurting,” they posted online.
“As a community, let’s stand together and support one another during this incredibly difficult time. May we find strength in each other as we navigate the days ahead.”
The local footy and netball club is firmly woven into Donald’s social patchwork – one local joked the main street would probably seem abandoned on Saturday morning, as 90 per cent of the town were in Charlton, supporting the mighty Royal Blues.
Brothers Lindsay and Colin Somerville own the Donald Newsagency and said that with families spanning generations living in the small town, most people knew one another.
“The mood here is very sad, and people just want to talk about it – everyone is just shocked it could happen in Donald,” Lindsay said.
“Most people have been here for years and years and years, and the kids don’t move away much.”
Donald residents dropped off a bevy of home-cooked meals to Layla’s family on Saturday, while others made offers to buy her mother and brother outfits for the teenager’s remembrance service. A crowdfunding campaign to cover funeral costs has reached almost $20,000 in donations.
Much of Donald’s activity happens along the Sunraysia Highway, which is flanked by railway lines and grain silos as you drive into the town. The main shopping strip is dominated by shopfronts from the 1800s and early 1900s, still showcasing hand-painted signs and Australian flags proudly displayed in the shop windows. Murals depicting local life can be seen on building walls.
John McConville, chairman of Donald’s progress association Donald 2000, said he was feeling “sick in the stomach” when thinking about the young teen’s death.
“Our entire community is walking around, shaking their heads – we’re devastated,” he said. “This doesn’t happen … it shouldn’t happen in a small, wheat-belt town like this.”
“Communities like this, we trust everyone and we welcome everyone. Now we might be looking over our shoulder instead.”
He said Layla’s mother, Tahlia Cheyne, was regarded around Donald as an “amazing, wonderful” person, and her family generally kept to themselves. She previously worked at Bendigo Bank, before she had to resign due to illness.
“This is going to change that family forever, and it’s not fair,” McConville said. “This community is rallying behind them, but that won’t bring Layla back.”
In a statement posted online on Saturday morning, the Donald and District Racing Club extended its “deepest condolences to Layla’s family, friends and all those whose lives Layla touched”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this incredibly difficult time. We stand with the Donald and wider community as we come together and offer our support, compassion and strength to one another as we navigate this heartbreaking loss.
“Fly high, beautiful girl.”
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