Memorial reward fund established in honor of Kamille ‘Cupcake’ McKinney

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — In Friday morning’s press conference hosted by the Birmingham Police Department, Crime Stoppers Chairman Frank Barefield announced the creation of a memorial fund in honor of Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney. The fund was provided by excess donations received by the community concerned for Cupcake’s safety and hopeful return.

Below is the official announcement provided by Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama.

The following was released by Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama :

Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama (CSMA) has established the Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney Memorial Reward Fund to assist law enforcement in soliciting information from the public in future cases of child abduction or disappearance.

Crime Stoppers mourns the loss of Cupcake, a three-year-old abducted at a birthday party and whose remains were found earlier this week. We also send our deepest sympathies to her family in this unimaginable time of grief. This tragedy has gripped metro Birmingham, countless people around the world, and the law enforcement community.

During the search after her abduction, Crime Stoppers incredibly received more than 400 tips, with several of these being helpful to investigators in this case. Accordingly, Crime Stoppers will be paying a reward to the anonymous individuals who provided the tips that resulted in arrests.

The influx of tips was also accompanied by extremely generous contributions from the public. CSMA extends a special thank-you for your generosity and caring for this child. To date, Crime Stoppers has received more than $35,000 in donations, all kept separate from our normal reward funds. Crime Stoppers will use these contributions to establish the Kamille “Cupcake” McKinney Memorial Reward Fund. This Fund will provide reward money for potential use by local law enforcement agencies in the hopefully unlikely event that any other child in the metro area is abducted or goes missing in the future. Any donors who have questions regarding the use of funds provided on behalf of Kamille McKinney may contact CSMA during business hours at 205-224-5003.

“There is no silver lining in the Cupcake tragedy,” said Frank Barefield, chairman of the CSMA Board of Directors. “However, we are deeply moved by the public’s generosity during the investigation of her kidnapping. We hope the memory of Cupcake is somehow kept alive not only in our community, but also in the generosity of these donors.”