Friends and former teammates of Nicole Ayres gathered on the field where she once pitched, for a candlelight vigil to remember the former Deptford High softball player.
The murdered 22-year-old was remembered Wednesday night as “awesome,” “a good kid” and someone who was always there for her friends.
On the same night of the vigil, more details emerged about how Ayres knew her alleged killer, Stephen Headley.
Ayres was killed early Monday morning. Headley is accused of stabbing her multiple times in the head, neck and back early Monday morning after the two met up at a Wawa in Medford, New Jersey.
The two first met at a party a few months ago, police sources told NBC Philadelphia’s Rosemary Connors.
The extent of their relationship still isn’t known, but after he allegedly beat, stabbed and then dumped Ayres body in a field in Southampton, Headley went to his mother’s house, sources said. His mom then called State Police to turn in her own son.
Police tried to negotiate with Headley to peacefully surrender, sources said. But, the 28-year-old ran away on foot and into the street where he was hit by a pickup truck.
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Headley suffered a fractured back, two fractured ankles and multiple fractured ribs from the accident and remained in stable condition at a Trenton hospital Wednesday night.
Once he is healthy enough to be released, he will be taken into custody and tried for Ayres murder.
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