Emily Kate Moberley, an 8-year-old girl, passed away on August 31, 2022, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Born on December 16, 2013, in Lexington, Kentucky, Emily was a vibrant child who loved gymnastics and was a member of the Bronze competitive team. She had a fondness for wearing dresses, particularly in her favorite colors of pink and purple. Emily was a student in the gifted and talented program at Carolina Forest Elementary School, where she was in the third grade.
Described as energetic and friendly, she had a caring nature, often showing concern for the well-being of her family and their pets. She also enjoyed drawing, crafts, and spending time with her family.
The circumstances surrounding Emily's death were tragic. On the afternoon of August 31, 2022, Horry County police responded to a welfare check at her family's home on Centennial Circle. Upon entering the residence, officers discovered the bodies of Emily, her 11-year-old brother, Eric William Moberley, and their 42-year-old mother, Laura Moberley. All three had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The Horry County Coroner's Office later ruled Emily's and her brother's deaths as homicides, and their mother's death as a suicide.
At the time of the incident, Emily's parents, Laura and William Moberley, were engaged in a custody battle that had commenced in June of that year. Laura Moberley, who was a reading loss interventionist at Carolina Forest Elementary School, was identified as the suspect in the deaths of her children. The community was deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of the two children and their mother. The Horry County School District, where Laura had been employed since 2018 and where Emily was a student, expressed its profound grief and offered counseling services to students and staff. Funeral services for Emily, her brother, and her mother were held on September 8, 2022, at Carolina Forest Community Church, followed by a burial at Centenary United Methodist Church Cemetery.
