Bidding farewell to Steven

As dusk and then darkness settled across the campus, hundreds of people gathered at Willows High School for a candlelight vigil for slain teen Steven Furtado.

Tuesday’s event was organized by students with the help of Glenn County mental health workers to help a grieving community remember a young man full of life who was taken too soon.

Tears flowed through laughter as friends, teachers and family members shared stories of the Eagle Scout, athlete and musician who touched so many lives.

“Steven was kind of like a son to me,” said auto shop teacher Erik Hanson. “He was not only my student but he bagged my groceries on Sunday. He was a special, wonderful kid.”

Furtado and girlfriend Jenny Carrigan, both 18, were killed sometime between the late evening hours on Saturday and the early morning hours on Sunday, according to the Plumas County Sheriff’s Department.

Carrigan’s mother discovered the bodies around noon on Sunday. Autopsies performed Tuesday in Reno indicated that Furtado and Carrigan were each stabbed multiple times.

Initial reports were that Furtado had traveled to Chester on Saturday to take Carrigan to her senior prom, but the investigation concluded the couple did not attend, a sheriff’s official said.

Within hours of the discovery of the couple’s bodies, authorities arrested Carrigan’s former boyfriend Reyes Carrillo, 18, whom authorities say acted alone in killing the two teens.

Carrillo has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of first-degree burglary. He is being held in the Plumas County Jail without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on June 4.

At the vigil, friends talked about the couple that had been dating just two months after meeting at a band event in Sacramento.

“You can see that they were a man and woman who cared deeply for each other,” said Stephanie Stone. “I will never forget the adults they were becoming and the adults they didn’t get a chance to be.”

Band member Cody Burrows recalled the time Carrigan had come to Willows to attend a band event with Furtado, but the couple suddenly disappeared when they were unloading band equipment.

“We formed a search party to look for Steven and Jenny and we were calling out their names,” Burrows said. “Pretty soon we saw them coming out of the darkness. All Steven had to say was, “We took a walk.”

Many spoke of the kind of person Frutado was – kind, responsible, fun, caring, honest and hard working.

“He loved life,” others said. “He loved his parents and older sister, Ashley Fisher, and was looking forward to becoming an uncle. He touched people in a way that should not be forgotten.”

But as much as Tuesday’s vigil was an accolade to a young man whose life was tragically cut short by the hand of another, it was homage to his parents, Dan and Denise Furtado.

“It says a lot about the parents,” Warren Wehmeyer said of the vigil. “It’s a great tribute to Dan and Denise for raising such a wonderful kid. I didn’t know anyone who worked harder or was more dedicated. No one worked so hard for a cause than Steven.”

Although many of the remarks about Furtado drew smiles and laughter, some brought tears as family and friends spoke of the emptiness they will feel the rest of their lives without him in their lives.

Tanner Baird, Furtado’s best friend since the second grade, openly wept as he spoke through his grief.

“Steven and I were always together, even if we were fighting and not talking to each other,” Baird said. “His family was like my family. His parents were like my parents. We are all going to miss him. We loved him.”

Although the high school band, led by teacher Ellen Pastorino, started the ceremony with “The Wind Beneath My Wings” and “You Raised Me Up,” it was a livelier rendition of “Twist and Shout,” that paid a final tribute to their friend and fellow band member.

Following the ceremony, Amy Lindsey, the mental health counselor who has been at the school all week, spoke of how the students are helping each other talk though their grief.

“These kids are amazing,” Lindsey said. “They are resilient and they support each other. If they see someone crying in the hallway, whether they know them or not, they are there with a hug and a kind word.”

Health Services Director Scott Gruendl said at a press conference earlier this week that talking is probably the best thing young people can do during a tragedy such as this.

“It’s important for parents to keep tabs on their kids,” Gruendl said at a press conference earlier this week. “They may not know what to do, but just letting their kids talk will help.”

Gruendl said Furtado death is set apart from the deaths of other students that recently devastated the community.

“This is a murder,” he said. “Emotions get out of control and (people) may have feelings of anger. What is important is that they not act on that anger.”

As evidence of emotions running to high, Gruendl cited the tragic death of Carrigan’s brother who succumbed to injuries he received in a vehicle accident as he raced home to be with his mother following news of his sister’s death.

Help with the Funeral

Contributions to help with the funeral expenses of the slain teen can be made to the Steven Daniel Furtado Memorial Fund at any US Bank.