Music, Wolf-Howls At Memorial For Slain 8-Year-Old Santa Cruz Girl

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) - A memorial for a slain 8-year-old girl in Northern California was marked by music, laughter and a video appearance from Madyson Middleton herself.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that about 1,000 people filled the seats of Kaiser Permanente Arena Sunday for a celebration of Madyson's life in her hometown.

Musicians from the Santa Cruz artists' community where Middleton lived and was killed last month performed. A local band played a song called "Howl at the Moon" written in Madyson's honor. Her mother said wolves were Madyson's favorite animal, and the howl has become a popular way to honor her.

The crowd watched a video Madyson made of herself not long before her death, giving a tour of the community where she lived and "doorbell ditching" a neighbor.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.