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https://cms.foxnews.com/wp/wp-admin/post.php?post=4446151&action=edit# – Hundreds gathered in a Fernley, Nevada, on Sunday to remember deceased 18-year-old Naomi Irion, who was abducted in mid-March before her remains were found in a remote area on March 30, according to local reports.
Irion was last seen in a Walmart parking lot on March 12, where she parked her car before taking an employee bus to her job at a Panasonic factory. Kidnapping and murder suspect Troy Driver can be seen in surveillance video getting into the driver’s seat of Irion’s vehicle and taking off with her on the passenger side.
“Today, we went to Panasonic and saw where Naomi worked. We met some of her team and all are missing her very much; Naomi was a hard worker, a fast learner, she knew many, and was kind and helpful with everyone. She was a pleasure to work with,” Irion’s father, Herve Irion, wrote in a Sunday night Facebook post.
Naomi Irion life celebration on April 10, 2022.
(Diana Dixon Church)
The family then attended a fundraiser event for their daughter and met with business owners whom Herve Irion described as “such loving people.”
“After that, we had Naomi’s celebration of life. Many came. We played some of her favorite songs. We received some wonderful gifts, with much love and hugs. Such a wonderful community. Tomorrow we are flying to Houston. We will miss the Fernley/Rino community very much,” her father added.
Hundreds of community members gathered for the event to celebrate the 18-year-old woman’s life, according to FOX 11 Reno and KRNV, a Reno-based ABC station.
Naomi Irion life celebration on April 10, 2022.
(Diana Dixon Church)
“Let’s make the change a good one. A good change. Let’s take care of each other. Look out for your neighbors, check on them. Check on each other,” Irion’s mother, Diana Irion, said at the Sunday event, according to the outlets.
NAOMI IRION CAUSE OF DEATH BEING INVESTIGATED AS A HOMICIDE
Hundreds in the Fernley community previously volunteered to help with searches for Irion in mid-to-late March before authorities eventually located her remains.
A Nevada judge on Friday ordered Driver, who faces first-degree murder and kidnapping charges, held without bail.
Naomi Irion life celebration on April 10, 2022.
(Diana Dixon Church)
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Prosecutors said Driver, a mining services worker living in Fallon, Nevada, abducted Irion from the Walmart parking lot before fatally shooting her and burying her body. They further allege that Driver disposed of his truck’s tires to try to cover up the crime.
Driver’s public defender, Richard Davies, said his client maintains his innocence but did not object to remaining in jail as Davies reviews evidence collected and conducts his own investigation. He hinted he may try and seek a change of venue for the case based on the intense interest it has drawn in the small town of about 20,000 residents, a 30-minute drive east of Reno.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
