Mourners remember Dale mother and son slain in their home

Jeanine Mullen had an infectious laugh, inviting smile and big heart, family and friends said Saturday during the funeral for Mullen and her 4-year-old son, Waltfredo, who were found shot to death last week in their Dale home.

What Mullen, 34, and her son -- described by family as a lovable, free-spirited child -- didn't have was the fate they deserved.

"Jeanine was a person who appeared to do small things but impacted big people," said Alleen Porter, Mullen's close friend and mentor at Shanklin Elementary. "Jeanine loved life more than life itself. We loved her, but God loved her best."

Hundreds of mourners attended the music-filled 11 a.m. service, packing the bleachers and lining the walls of the Whale Branch Middle School gym.

Dozens of family members -- including Mullen's parents, Frank and Roberta -- sat at the front, nearest to the flower-adorned, white casket where Mullen and Waltfredo lay.

"She was the apple of everyone's eye," said family friend Asia Palmer, turning toward Mullen's surviving sons Jaseri Mullen, Jaion Mullen, and Jeremiah Daise. "I know you're going to make her proud."

There have been no arrests in the double-homicide case. Beaufort County Sheriff's deputies arrested Mullen's boyfriend, Earnest Stewart Daise, 27, on drug charges Monday -- but authorities are not saying if Daise is a suspect or person of interest in the incident. He is currently being held without bond at the Beaufort County Detention Center

The tragic death of Mullen and her son stunned the community, said the Rev. Michael Haskins, pastor of Second Mt. Carmel Baptist Churchin Beaufort. He urged attendees to contact authorities if they had any information about the crime.

"We have been and still are shocked, angry, outraged ... surprised at the suddenness, the savagery, the brutality," Haskins said. "All of us really are so tired, so frustrated, so sick of the violence."

Several of Mullen's friends and relatives read aloud from letters and recited poetry they wrote after learning of her death.

Jameelah Mullen, Jeanine's cousin, said she wished she could have done something to protect Waltfredo.

"I know you wouldn't want me to cry," said Jameelah Mullen, fighting back tears. "So I reflect on your smile -- a smile that could light up a room. But the tears keep falling."

The night sky will look a little brighter now, said Mullen's close friend Alexis DeLaney.

"God brought you into this world with a plan and a purpose, and I believe he took you because your mission was accomplished," said DeLaney, her voice cracking. "I'll be looking for two new stars until we meet again."