Authorities have confirmed one murder charge but withheld many details because both children are minors.
PIEDMONT, Ala. — A murder case involving the death of 10-year-old Katheryn Aliceanna Bigbee is moving forward with many details sealed from public view because the accused person is also a juvenile, officials said.
The case has left Piedmont with two public certainties and many unknowns. Police say Katheryn was found after a missing-child report late April 17, and the Calhoun County coroner says she died from multiple stab wounds. Police also say another juvenile was taken into custody and charged with murder. They have not released the suspect’s name, age, relationship to Katheryn, court status or possible motive.
That limited record began with a 10:51 p.m. call to Piedmont police about a missing juvenile at an undisclosed address. Police Chief Nathan Johnson said officers responded immediately. What they found changed the nature of the call. Johnson said officers discovered a female with extensive injuries who appeared to be dead. The child was later identified as Katheryn, a Piedmont Elementary School student. Authorities said another juvenile was arrested and charged with murder. “This is an active and ongoing investigation,” police said in a statement. Officials said the nature of the case and the involvement of juveniles prevented them from releasing more information. That statement has become a central feature of the case, because the basic legal action is public while much of the evidence remains private.
The secrecy is not the same as inaction. Johnson said the case has been turned over to Calhoun County District Attorney Lynn Hammond for further prosecution. Prosecutors are expected to review police reports, coroner findings and other investigative material before the case advances. No public hearing date has been announced. Officials have not said whether the accused juvenile remains in detention, whether counsel has been appointed or whether prosecutors will ask for any transfer out of juvenile court. The result is a legal process that may continue without the same level of public filings normally seen in adult criminal cases. For Katheryn’s family and the wider community, that means the timeline, motive and relationship between the children may remain unanswered for some time.
The few known facts have been repeated across police, coroner and school statements. Katheryn was 10. Her full name was Katheryn Aliceanna Bigbee. She was a student at Piedmont Elementary School. Officers were called late on a Friday night. The call began as a missing-child report. A second juvenile was charged with murder. The coroner confirmed multiple stab wounds and ruled the death a homicide. Police have not said whether the home was Katheryn’s residence. They have not released the address. They have not said who else was present, whether there had been earlier concerns involving the children or how long the fatal encounter lasted. They also have not said whether a weapon was found.
The narrow release of information has placed added weight on public statements from the school and community. Piedmont Elementary School described Katheryn as “a sweet little girl” who brought smiles, kindness and a bright light to its halls. The school said she had a joyful, spunky personality and loved reading. Grief counselors were made available for students and staff. Those details do not explain the crime, but they offer a record of the child at the center of it. In cases involving minors, official documents can speak mostly in legal terms. Here, the school’s tribute has provided the fuller picture of Katheryn as a classmate and student, while police limit what they say about the suspect.
Piedmont’s size has also shaped the public response. Johnson said the victim and suspect were both from Piedmont, adding that it is the kind of small town where people know one another. Residents told local reporters the city is quiet and close-knit. That closeness can make unanswered questions harder to carry. A death inside a home, an unnamed juvenile suspect and a sealed legal process leave room for grief without much explanation. Officials have asked for patience, but they have not set a date for when more information might be released. The community is left with formal statements, school memories and the knowledge that investigators are still working.
People who spoke publicly after Katheryn’s death described a town trying to absorb another loss involving a young person. Jerry Stewart, president of the Piedmont Ministerial Association, said Piedmont had faced other recent tragedies, including the deaths of two sisters in Spring Garden and a Piedmont senior in a car accident. “Now, this tragedy, we just, we need a lot of prayer support, spiritual support,” Stewart said. Resident Avery Gowens said the community was trying to help the family and support one another. “We’re helping each other through this because this is very traumatic for the family,” Gowens said. Their comments showed that the case has become both a criminal matter and a shared civic wound.
Family comments have carried the same mix of grief and uncertainty. Blake Trammell, identified in reports as a relative, said the family had been torn apart by Katheryn’s death. He said she was “a light in any room she walked into” and wrote that the family did not have answers, only more questions. That statement reflects the public posture of the case. Officials have confirmed the charge but withheld the details that could answer why the attack happened, what led to it and what evidence links the accused juvenile to the killing. Police have said only that they continue to work the investigation.
The next formal step rests with the district attorney’s office and the juvenile court process. As of May 10, authorities had not released the suspect’s name, the next hearing date or any additional charges. The murder charge remains pending, and Katheryn’s school and family continue to grieve while the legal case moves under juvenile confidentiality rules.
Author note: Last updated May 10, 2026.