Young cheerleader mourned as South Jersey police investigate her sudden death

Sailor Lane Righter would have turned 9 on Sunday, and dozens of people have honored her life on Facebook as authorities investigate why the young cheerleader with a bright smile died on New Year's Eve.

The Camden County Prosecutor's Office has yet to release the cause and has stayed silent since announcing last week that it was conducting a "sudden-death investigation."

Sailor died at Kennedy Hospital in Stratford, less than 30 minutes after a sibling called 911 from the family's home and said she wasn't breathing.

Only family members were home at the time of the incident, "ruling out the involvement of unknown individuals," the prosecutor's office has said.

No one has been charged.

Sailor is the daughter of a Stratford police officer, Kenneth Righter. He declined to comment at his home last week, and the department has not returned calls.

On a Facebook page dedicated to Sailor, friends, family, and even those who didn't know her have posted pictures of themselves wearing red in the last week.

A family friend asked people to wear the color, saying Sailor loved Harley Quinn, a comic book character who was portrayed by Margot Robbie last year in the movie Suicide Squad.

Alexis Bommer and her family, who own a plumbing business in neighboring Laurel Springs, donned red in a photo they posted Thursday on Facebook. Bommer, 25, said that she doesn't know Sailor's family, but that both Laurel Springs and Stratford are mourning her loss.

"It's crushing to everyone," she said.

Sailor's mother, Vencenia, also posted a picture of Sailor's two brothers, Seamus and Bryce, wearing red shirts Thursday.

"Her brothers wearing red to support their baby sister," she wrote. Earlier in the week, she said on the page, "Thank you everyone. This makes me smile just knowing how loved she was. it is so incredible."

Vencenia Righter declined to comment to the Inquirer this week.

Sailor participated in Sterling Lady Knights Cheerleading, a recreational squad, and was on its Mini Majesty team.

"She adored cheerleading and playing softball," her obituary said, calling her smile "infectious." "She will be forever missed by her family."

A memorial service was held Friday in Stratford.

On Facebook, people posted pictures of snow angels in Sailor's memory the following day.

The 911 call from Sailor's home along Union Avenue in Stratford came at 1:50 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

"We need help now," one of her siblings told a dispatcher, according to a recording of the call provided by Camden County officials. The sibling did not give the dispatcher his name.

"My mom just went upstairs and found her, and she told me to call 911," he said. "She's not breathing."

He then told the dispatcher the family was headed to the hospital.

Sailor was pronounced dead at Kennedy at 2:15 p.m., authorities said.

mboren@phillynews.com

856-779-3829 @borenmc