Trey Ganem, of SoulShine Industries in Edna, posted photographs on Facebook of the pink casket he designed for Sierra Patino, whose decomposed body was found Sept. 2. The girl had been missing since Aug. 27.
The casket showed Sierra with an arm around Minnie Mouse and her name in large pink block letters.
"It hit home for everybody in here," Ganem told KENS-TV. "As soon as we heard the story, my heart just dropped."
Sierra's mother, Priscilla Nicole Torres, 27, of Jacinto City, is accused of wrapping the girl's body in a blanket and putting her into the closet of Esparza's Houston apartment. She was charged with tampering with evidence, along with her boyfriend, Santiago Esparza Jr., 30, of Houston.
Ganem has designed a My Little Pony casket for Maleah Davis, KENS reported.he also made caskets for the Sutherland Springs shooting victims in 2017, the television station reported.
"Sierra Patino's story captured the hearts of everyone here at SoulShine," Ganem wrote on Facebook. "We had the privilege of creating her casket in a Minnie Mouse theme, which she loved. You can see her light shined through the design and may it shine on for eternity. Sending all of our love and prayers to her loved ones."
Ganem ended the post with “#JusticeForSierra”.
Sierra's great-aunt called Ganem two days after the girl's body was found, KENS reported.
After several hours of computer design and painting by hand, with Sierra’s picture nearby, Ganem finished the casket, signed it, prayed over it and delivered it to Sierra's family Saturday, the television station reported.
"They loved it," Ganem told KENS. "The reaction you get, it's like, 'It's so beautiful,' and they're crying, and they're loving on you. Like, this business is like no other."
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