Photo: Getty Images
Kailia Posey, the child star who appeared on reality show "Toddlers and Tiaras", took her own life.
Posey's mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman said in a statement that her daughter 'made the rash decision to end her earthly life.'
Her body was found Monday inside a car at a park in Washington state.
Birch Bay State Park, where Posey was first discovered by authorities, is a 194-acre state park located along the Strait of Georgia shoreline, about nine miles from the Canadian border, and features a scenic rocky beach and large camping ground.
Posey had just celebrated her 16th birthday on April 19 and attended her high school prom over the weekend.
As a child, Posey starred on "Toddlers and Tiaras", a TLC series following the families of kids who competed in beauty pageants. The reality show ran for seven seasons from 2009 to 2013.
Posey began competing in pageants when she was three years old. She became a popular meme after she was caught grinning from ear-to-ear during a segment on "Toddlers and Tiaras".
She kept up with the pageant circuit throughout childhood and adolescence, having most recently competed for the Miss Washington Teen USA title in February.
Although she was not crowned winner of February's competition, Posey earned the title of Miss Lynden Teen USA last year.
Posey was a freshmen student at Lynden High School in Washington. According to her Miss Washington Teen biography, she was named to the Dean's List during the 2020-21 school year.
Her mother announced last week that Posey had earned a spot on the high school's football cheerleading team for the upcoming season.
After high school, the teen planned to study aviation in college and become a commercial pilot.
Source: TMZ, E!
Photo Credit: Unknown.