Years after toddler starved to death, community members put her to rest

OAKMONT, Pa. — Years after a toddler was beaten and starved to death in an Oakmont home, she was finally laid to rest.

Three-year-old Bella Seachrist‘s death in 2020 rocked the tight-knit Oakmont community. Community members gathered on Tuesday morning to honor the little girl’s life and lay her to rest at Plum Creek Cemetery

Three people were convicted for their roles in Bella’s death: her father, her stepmother and her stepaunt.

Oakmont Police Chief Michael Ford said the case was the worst he had seen in his career.

“This is the worst thing I’ve seen in 32 years of law enforcement and my service in the Marine Corps. I think it’s the worst that anyone has seen. but today is not about that. This is for closure in all that these people had to see,” Ford said.

The chief said he called Les Leasure, who worked in the records department during the case, to see if they could hold a proper burial for Bella.

“We all agreed it was the proper thing to do and the only thing to do,” Leasure said.

Within a few days, Plum Creek Cemetery donated the headstone and burial site, Rev. Dr. William Scott agreed to do a service. Burket-Truby Funeral Home had kept Bella’s ashes preserved for five years in order to make a traditional burial possible.

“Provide her with something that she was never given when she was alive, which is some dignity. I think, hopefully, we’ve done that now,” said Plum Creek Cemetery Business Manager Brady Clark.

The community all agreed that the best way to honor Bella was to set the aside their negative feelings and to focus on giving her respect and dignity.

“This is not a day of anger. This is a day of peace. This is a day of Bella being set free to enjoy her life wherever she may end up eternally. This is her day,” Ford said.

It also served as a demonstration of how strongly a community can come together in the worst of times.

“The people that showed up had me in tears in the police car driving there,” said Ford.

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