DALLAS — The family of an 87-year-old woman found dead inside her home is remembering her as a woman who "was loved by everyone she spoke to.”
“She was always helping," described Anita Thompson's granddaughter Danye’ll Jefferson. "At our church, she cooked, did fashion shows."
Police said Thompson was found dead in her Fortune Lane home in Oak Cliff on Tuesday. Family said someone reportedly attempted to break inside the day before. The next day, a family friend went to check on Thompson.
“She went in, saw her laying there, and she ran out and called 911,” Jefferson recounted.
“We thought it was natural causes,” she added.
Andre Stefan Buggs, 58, was wanted for the killing. He later turned himself in, police said, and was charged with murder.
Jefferson said Buggs lived next door with his parents, and neighbors said the 58-year-old would help Thompson cut the grass.
“He was a good dude,” said Billy Chapple, one of those neighbors.
Another neighbor told WFAA Thompson would always shower everyone with affection - there wasn’t a day that went by where Thompson wasn’t smiling.
“People would come get her, take her to the store, whatever else she needed,” Chapple explained.
Jefferson said Thompson loved to cook and worked for American Airlines for years. Although her grandmother is no longer alive, Jefferson said, in the end, her grandmother taught her to never hold grudges, and live life to the fullest.
“She was always like, 'think positive, everything will be alright,'” Jefferson explained.
Thompson leaves behind two children and several grandchildren. Her family said it’s hard to keep count, though, because she would treat everyone like her family.
Funeral arrangements have been set for Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church in Terrell.