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Hundreds attend candle light vigil for missing Sumter County man found dead

Hundreds attended a candle light vigil on Sunday in honor of 23-year-old Derrick Slater, after he was found dead over the weekend.

REMBERT, S.C. — Hundreds attended a candle light vigil on Sunday in honor of 23-year-old Derrick "Snacks" Slater, after he was found dead over the weekend.

RELATED: Missing Sumter man found dead, ruled suspicious

The community gathered on Pisgah Road, just behind the Dollar General store in Rembert. Many wore orange clothing in honor of Slater's favorite color and vibrant personality.

Credit: Kayland Hagwood
Hundreds gather in Rembert as 23 balloons are released for Derrick Slater's 23 years of life.

He was a Rembert native and a graduate of Crestwood High School. He had also recently been promoted to manager at a McDonald's in Camden and was expecting his first child in November.

RELATED: 'He was a loving young man': Sumter County mother remembers son's life 

During the vigil, 23 balloons were released in honor of his 23 years of life. 

"His laughter could fill a room and you could be having your worst day and then seeing Snacks and hearing him tell a joke or something, that's what made the difference in so many people's lives in this community," Brian Alston, Slater's cousin said.

The vigil was initially planned to be a search party after he went missing last week, but instead, hundreds of family and friends gathered to send him home to heaven after his death. 

RELATED: Sumter police look for missing person

According to law enforcement, Slater’s body was found a short distance from where his vehicle was located on Coon Ridge Road on October 25.

Slater’s death has been ruled suspicious, and based on a preliminary investigation, his death appears to have been the result of a robbery.

"When I think about my nephew Derrick, he is a very jolly, go-lucky person. He was always the life of the party. He was always a jokester," Harry McLeod said.  "I'd just like to thank the Sumter County Sheriff's Office for their fast work in working the case and bringing Snacks home to us."

Family hope that Slater's death will serve as a reminder to end area violence and for the community to come together in unity.

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