Dozens of people in Sterling came together for a vigil to remember the teen who went missing the day after Christmas and was found stabbed to death this week.
“It’s good to see everybody here. It just goes to show you how many people he touched,” Megan Malbaurn, of Sterling, said about Todd TJ Allen.
Long-time friends donned Allen’s favorite kind of t-shirt: tie dye.
“He was just a really fun-loving human being. Just the image of the classic, happy-go-lucky hippie kid that got along with everybody and never had a bad word to say about anybody,” Malbaurn said.
Friday police revealed one of Allen’s friends stabbed him to death during a drug deal in the woods.
The revelation ended weeks of speculation since Allen disappeared on Dec. 26 and concerns he had been seriously hurt while riding a dirt bike.
Hundreds, including some at the Saturday night vigil, had tirelessly searched for the teenager.
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“Everybody had a glimmer of hope,” Malbaurn said.
On Friday, police found the teenager’s body in woods near the home of 19-year-old Kevin Weismore.
Weismore told detectives he planned on selling Allen marijuana and he only grabbed a knife after Allen pulled out a gun.
Police say they never found a gun and Allen’s mother believes he never owned one.
It's a case still with unanswered questions and that has rattled many in this close-knit community who knew both teenagers.
“It really hit close to home,” Melissa Malbaurn, said.
As for the suspected killer, Kevin Weismore is locked up on a million dollar bond. He’s due in court on Tuesday.