Oct 3, 2007 6:22 pm US/Central
Friends, Family Celebrate Nailah Franklin's Life
28-Year-Old Found Dead In Calumet City Woods
CBS 2's Dana Kozlov and Joanie Lum contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Nailah Franklin, 28, was found in a wooded area in Calumet City after being reported missing.
The death of Nailah Franklin has touched the lives of many Chicagoans. Friends, Colleagues and even strangers gathered Wednesday for Franklin's funeral at Trinity United Church.
The service ended at about 8:30 p.m. So many people attended that they needed help controlling traffic. But the funeral was really a celebration of her life, cut short by a killer or killers who have yet to be caught.
Trinity United Church of Christ on West 95th Street has a large sanctuary and many people have paid respects to Franklin's family, reports CBS 2's Joanie Lum.
Inside, there were enlarged photographs of the young woman with the engaging smile that people across the area have recognize in the past two weeks.
Fanklin was only 28 years old. But at her funeral relatives said she lived those years to the fullest, describing her as the superstar of the family, an energy force, their "it" girl.
Hundreds of people shared their grief Wednesday night as the investigation into Franklin's death continues.
"She was a person that was a part of my life at some point, and just the whole situation together, it's very tragic," said Franklin's high school friend Alicia Wright.
Franklin, a Chicago resident, disappeared September 18. She was reported missing on September 19. Her family then launched a major missing persons campaign. A few days later her abandoned car was found in Indiana. Five days after that her naked, badly decomposed body was found behind a vacant Calumet City business.
Investigators say they don't know how or where she died.
"She was just a really good girl, a very positive energy and I recently went through a loss myself, my father just passed, so I just feel the spirit of just coming out and being really supportive of her and her family," said friend Amon Nickerson.
Police have said little about their investigation into this case, which has so many people asking "why?"
"Her family has a lot of restless nights because they don't know, so I'm sure they want to get some closure; a lot of us here want to get some closure behind this and hopefully we'll have that soon," Nickerson said.
Inside the church was an urn with her remains. The family calls this a celebration of life because everyone says the young woman was full of life and energy.
Besides tributes by Franklin's sister and best friend, letters of condolences from Sen. Barack Obama, Rep. Bobby Rush and Gov. Rod Blagojevich were also read to the family. Throughout it all dozens of pictures of Franklin in life smiled upon the mourners.
Police say they are making progress in their investigation, but have not arrested anyone in connection with her death.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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