TEEN DRIVER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHILE SPEEDING OVER 100 MPH AND UNDER INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
Posted Date: 10/2/2009 4:37:41 PM
Orange County District Attorney
Press Release
-----------------------------------------------------------Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney
401 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
For Immediate Release
Case # 08ZF0039
October 2, 2009
Contacts:
Susan Kang Schroeder
Public Affairs Counsel
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami
Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486
TEEN DRIVER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE
IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL
WHILE SPEEDING OVER 100 MPH AND
UNDER INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
*First minor tried as an adult in Orange County for DUI murder
SANTA ANA – A teen driver was sentenced today to 15 years to life in state prison for murdering a 16-year-old girl while speeding over 100 mph without a license while under the influence of alcohol. Milad Moulayi, 18, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 6, 2009, of one felony count of second degree murder and one misdemeanor count of driving without a license. The 17-year-old defendant, who was indicted on Oct. 22, 2008, is the first juvenile in Orange County to be charged as an adult with murder in a drunken driving crash.
Homicide Case Against Moulayi
On Aug. 27, 2008, Moulayi's learner's permit had been suspended in juvenile court and he was ordered not to drive for one year. His mother was present in court with the defendant and was aware of the order by the judge for her son not to drive.
On Aug. 28, 2008, Moulayi had a party at his Santa Ana home and consumed several alcoholic drinks. At approximately 2:40 a.m., he left his house to drive his friend, 16-year-old Mackenzie Frazee, back to her house. He ignored pleas from several of his friends not to drive because he was too intoxicated. The defendant was traveling at speeds between 102 mph and 112 mph in his Mercedes Benz sedan on Newport Avenue in Tustin. The defendant lost control of his car, drove over the center median, crashed into a light pole, causing the car to split in half. The front half of the car caught on fire, and the Orange County Fire Authority had to cut Frazee free from her seatbelt.
The victim was transported to Western Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead due to blunt force trauma. Moulayi, who had a blood alcohol level of .11 percent, was also transported to the hospital and treated for cuts and bruises.
During the sentencing today, the victim's mother and father gave emotional victim impact statements. Frazee's mother, Melissa Beck, recalled stories of Mackenzie, a "beautiful, intelligent, witty, caring, artistic, talented, and compassionate" daughter, and the life-long devastation it caused when Moulayi killed her. Beck stated, "I still see her close group of friends. They come over to visit and go up in her room to hang out. We laugh at stories about her. Then when they leave I have an overwhelming feeling of sadness come over me, seeing them grow up a little more each time I see them, and wondering how much Kenzie would have grown up by now."
The victim's father, Lance Frazee, addressed the court and explained, "As a parent, the worst pain you can feel is when your child hurts. I can say with all certainty that the day my daughter's life ended, my life ended with it." He also told the court, "When [Mackenzie] was about 12 years old, she fell asleep on the way home after a movie. When we got home, I picked her up and carried her into our house, and as I put her to bed she asked me, "Daddy, will you always be able to carry me?" I said, "Yes." The last time she was carried, I watched while my best friend and family members carried her out of the church, barely able to carry myself as I followed her casket."
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
Misdemeanor Case Against Moulayi's Mother, Niloufar Didehvar
Approximately one month after the crash, on Sept. 25, 2008, Moulayi was driving with his mother Niloufar Didehvar, 52, in the passenger seat. The crash caused by Moulayi was under investigation at the time and Mouyali was in violation of a court order by driving without a license. His mother, who had been informed by a parole officer as well as the judge that her son was not authorized to drive, allowed Moulayi to drive despite the order against him.
While Moulayi was driving, an officer from the California Highway Patrol observed Didehvar in the passenger seat without a seatbelt and performed a routine traffic stop. Upon realizing that her son was driving without a license, Didehvar was arrested. The officer recognized Mouyali as the driver from the crash that killed Frazee.
On Feb. 13, 2009, Didehvar pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts (Case #08CM10379) including contributing to the delinquency of a minor, allowing an unlicensed driver to drive, and disobeying a court order. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of informal probation.
Deputy District Attorney Brad Schoenleben prosecuted the case against Didehvar.
______________________________________________
Mackenzie was born on the 4th of July in 1992 at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville North Carolina. She was part of a military baby boom that happened after Desert Storm, they were commonly known as "Gulf War" babies. A very high number of them were born with complications and birth defects due to something that we as soldiers experienced in Iraq. Mackenzie was born with a hole in her heart and she had issues with her digestive system as well. She was in and out of doctor offices while growing up, all the while living a "normal" life, and seemingly unaware, or maybe just refusing to let it affect her. This is the way Mackenzie lived her life, refusing to let anything negative into her bright and beautiful existence. She was a very happy and an extremely intelligent baby who learned to speak and walk very quickly. She was also a very artistic child, a talent she would carry with her throughout her life. From the time she started preschool and throughout her education she was constantly praised by her teachers for her great attitude, her ability and her intelligence. The only issues that I can remember her having was in preschool when she refused to stay down at nap time, instead she preferred to walk around and talk to the other kids while they slept, and this became a daily issue and possibly a lifelong tendency (the talking even if no one was listening part). It became such an issue that one of the staff was actually fired for tucking the blankets into her cot, to keep her from "mingling" with those sleeping. This led to the only two spankings she ever received from me, (which was the single hardest thing I ever did in my life). The other I remember happened when she was around ten years old and she had finished a test earlier than everyone else and decided she would draw on the back of her test to pass the time, another " skill " she would carry with her through life. As a matter of fact, it is her drawing of the sunflower that graces the logo for this journey. Mackenzie was completely driven by music her entire life. She knew every word to every song, new or old. She knew music from her grandparents era, she knew her mothers music, my music, her music, it didn't matter as long as it was music. I was blessed to see Mackenzie grow up with great friends all during her life, friends who she loved and friends that loved her through thick and thin. They would all tell you that she was the funniest, carefree, loving person that any friend could ask for. As a freshman in high school, Mackenzie would go on to represent the United States with People to People as a Student Ambassador Representative in Europe. She spent the summer studying in Rome, London and eventually living with a family while studying in Paris. This is when I feel she finally started to be curious about other places and cultures. Since getting out of the military, I have spent the last seven summers at our house in Spain, every year trying to talk Mackenzie into coming with me. It was only that last summer when she called me in Spain saying that she was bored. I offered to fly her over , never expecting her to say yes, but she did. So just days after turning sixteen years old, Mackenzie flew by herself from Los Angeles to Germany and from there to Spain. I remember seeing her come out of customs, the confidence in her face and walk, I came to the realization that my little girl was now a young lady, I had known it sooner but could only then admit it. This is a great example of who Mackenzie always was, confident, unafraid, always ready for the next step. Mackenzie was the victim of a divorce and came through on the other side still loving and focused as ever. I missed a lot of time with her while deployed to other countries, but in my absence her mother did a wonderful job with her. Mackenzie was a parents dream, she was loving, respectful, compassionate and appreciative; I never had to tell her anything twice. She was grateful for any little thing she was given, always thanking you for whatever she got, even if it wasn't what she wanted. She was the kind of girl who always held the door for others, always said please, (sometimes repeating it over and over to take advantage of my weakness- which was her). I remember once being in a grocery store parking lot when she was about seven years old, and she left my side to help an elderly woman carry her grocery bags to her car and put them in her car for her. She always would make me proud and would never do anything to embarrass her family. She always seemed wise far beyond her years. I had been home from the military a very short time when the September 11th attacks happened and I felt that I needed to go back, but how to tell Mackenzie? I went to her school and picked her up to inform her of my decision, knowing nothing could change my mind. I asked her if she understood what had happened and why, and she replied that she did. Next I asked her , "Don't you want Daddy to go and get the people who did this? " and she replied with the only words, from the only person who could have changed my mind, and the words that will stay with me the rest of my life. She said, " You have been doing this long enough Daddy, its someone else's turn.". She very well may have saved my life that day, but by not going , it ensured me being here for the last years of her life. Mackenzie was the only innocent thing I have ever known in my life. She was, and is, the one thing I loved most in my life, and I now know that I will never experience a love like hers again in my lifetime. The only thing that keeps me going is that the one constant in Mackenzie's life, was love. She was loved more than anyone ever could be loved and she gave more love than anyone possibly could give. She loved her family, her friends, and even those she did not yet know. Mackenzie knew without a doubt that she was the most important thing in my life as well as her mother's and that will never change. In all my travels, in all my experiences, in all my life, I have never known anyone like Mackenzie and I can say with all certainty that I never will again. She was my baby girl and the love of my life. Her laugh and her smile didn't only light up a room, they lit up the world.
The Journey
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Mackenzie's Missing Miles. My name is Lance Frazee and this website and this journey are both dedicated to the memory of my daughter, Mackenzie Eileen Frazee, whom was carelessly and tragically taken from me without warning by a drunk driver on August 28, 2008. I, as the rest of Mackenzie's family and friends, have been left emotionally crippled and lost beyond comprehension. I was fortunate enough to spend the last few weeks of Mackenzie's life with her at our house in Spain where she at last grasped the importance of being "out there" seeing it all. She expressed her desires to see other countries such as China and India. I told her these are beautiful places but she was born and raised in a country that was like none other and that it was important for her to understand where she comes from to help her understand and appreciate these foreign lands that she would explore. She had regretted not taking advantage of the opportunity to travel with me through this amazing country on many of my journeys and see its many wonders. We then decided that we would "just go" with every chance that presented itself. Needless to say, Mackenzie was killed just days after returning home and those plans, like so many others were gone forever. It is with that promise in mind, that I decided shortly after her death that I would take her ashes and walk from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, spreading her ashes in some of the places that she was so excited to see. This journey will take me from my and Mackenzie's home in Laguna Beach California, to Tustin California, where she was killed, and across The United States to Cape Fear Hospital in North Carolina, where she was born when we were stationed at Ft. Bragg NC and on to Wilmington NC and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way I will speak in numerous schools and communities, telling Mackenzie's story and trying to raise awareness towards the hazards and consequences of drinking and driving, and at the same time hopefully find some kind of peace that I am so desperately in need of. These will be just some of the miles that Mackenzie missed but they will be walked because of how much I am missing Mackenzie. This site will let you follow this journey from start to end and allow others that never had the privilege, to be introduced to Mackenzie and experience what an incredible human being she was and what an impact she had on so many in such a short time.
Hundreds attend memorial for Tustin teen killed in crash
By ELYSSE JAMES
2008-09-02 03:00:00
Sunflowers, letters and a pair of black sunglasses were laid beside the body of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee before her funeral service Tuesday afternoon.
Large flower arrangements and posters filled with photos and notes decorated the corner of the foyer surrounding the casket, most including sunflowers, Frazee's flower of choice. Inside Red Hill Lutheran Church, a projection screen with a yellow sunflower background proclaimed "A celebration for the life of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee."
Hundreds filled the church during the service, given by the Rev. Seth Britton. The song "Shout to the Lord" played as the casket was carried to the front of the church. At the end of the service, the church's Praise Team performed "Shine Jesus Shine" as mourners walked outside.
Nicole Frazee was one of three who gave eulogies of the 16-year-old. She shared with the crowd her niece's "individuality, compassion and soul, and love for life" through a story about Frazee waking her daughter one night so the two could walk to Jamba Juice with their cheerleading shorts over their pants, singing the Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps" the whole way.
She told another story of a time when her niece had been fishing and when her fish couldn't be thrown back because the hook had been lodged too deeply, Frazee named the fish and played with it through its last minutes, then insisted on a proper burial.
Nicole Frazee said her niece, who would have been a junior at Foothill High School, had wanted to change the world.
"She was a unique free spirit who threw all inhibition into the wind," she said, adding that Frazee would want everyone to toss their inhibitions, be silly and make someone smile.
"Mackenzie is not gone. She simply exists elsewhere," she said.
Cousin Monique Cantu shared stories of her childhood, using an aunt's good lemons for a lemonade stand and spending afternoons in the pool playing mermaid games. Cantu's nickname was Rainbow, and Frazee's was Sparkle.
"Her nickname, Sparkle, sums her up," Cantu said.
Aunt Jenny Lopez read from a letter she wrote to Mackenzie, calling her a "hilarious, loving and beautiful girl."
Raye Kreidel met Frazee as a student ambassador. The two toured Europe together and became good friends.
"She's a sweetheart," Kreidel said. "At first she was really shy and you don't expect what comes out of her mouth once you get to know her. She was a sweet girl. She was just really fun."
Frazee had been a good student, taking classes in art at Foothill High School. Her fifth- and sixth-grade teachers from Deerfield Elementary School in Irvine also attended the service and described her as an "exceptional student."
"She was well-liked by her peers and definitely she had a sparkle to her," said fifth-grade teacher Leann Schweer, standing next to sixth-grade teacher Christine French. "The staff enjoyed having her around. Her grandmother worked at the school. She was always helpful to everyone."
"She had a great spirit," said Carrie Harper, who knew Frazee when she was younger. "She knew every song on the radio."
Frazee died Aug. 28 after a car crash at La Colina and Newport Avenue. Frazee was pulled by paramedics from the wreckage of a 1998 Mercedez-Benz, but she died from her injuries at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.
Authorities said the car was sheared into pieces after crashing into a light pole early Thursday morning. The 17-year-old driver of the car has been taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Contact the writer: 949-553-2918 or [email protected]
© Copyright 2011 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved.
Posted Date: 10/2/2009 4:37:41 PM
Orange County District Attorney
Press Release
-----------------------------------------------------------Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney
401 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
For Immediate Release
Case # 08ZF0039
October 2, 2009
Contacts:
Susan Kang Schroeder
Public Affairs Counsel
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami
Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486
TEEN DRIVER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE
IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL
WHILE SPEEDING OVER 100 MPH AND
UNDER INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
*First minor tried as an adult in Orange County for DUI murder
SANTA ANA – A teen driver was sentenced today to 15 years to life in state prison for murdering a 16-year-old girl while speeding over 100 mph without a license while under the influence of alcohol. Milad Moulayi, 18, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 6, 2009, of one felony count of second degree murder and one misdemeanor count of driving without a license. The 17-year-old defendant, who was indicted on Oct. 22, 2008, is the first juvenile in Orange County to be charged as an adult with murder in a drunken driving crash.
Homicide Case Against Moulayi
On Aug. 27, 2008, Moulayi's learner's permit had been suspended in juvenile court and he was ordered not to drive for one year. His mother was present in court with the defendant and was aware of the order by the judge for her son not to drive.
On Aug. 28, 2008, Moulayi had a party at his Santa Ana home and consumed several alcoholic drinks. At approximately 2:40 a.m., he left his house to drive his friend, 16-year-old Mackenzie Frazee, back to her house. He ignored pleas from several of his friends not to drive because he was too intoxicated. The defendant was traveling at speeds between 102 mph and 112 mph in his Mercedes Benz sedan on Newport Avenue in Tustin. The defendant lost control of his car, drove over the center median, crashed into a light pole, causing the car to split in half. The front half of the car caught on fire, and the Orange County Fire Authority had to cut Frazee free from her seatbelt.
The victim was transported to Western Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead due to blunt force trauma. Moulayi, who had a blood alcohol level of .11 percent, was also transported to the hospital and treated for cuts and bruises.
During the sentencing today, the victim's mother and father gave emotional victim impact statements. Frazee's mother, Melissa Beck, recalled stories of Mackenzie, a "beautiful, intelligent, witty, caring, artistic, talented, and compassionate" daughter, and the life-long devastation it caused when Moulayi killed her. Beck stated, "I still see her close group of friends. They come over to visit and go up in her room to hang out. We laugh at stories about her. Then when they leave I have an overwhelming feeling of sadness come over me, seeing them grow up a little more each time I see them, and wondering how much Kenzie would have grown up by now."
The victim's father, Lance Frazee, addressed the court and explained, "As a parent, the worst pain you can feel is when your child hurts. I can say with all certainty that the day my daughter's life ended, my life ended with it." He also told the court, "When [Mackenzie] was about 12 years old, she fell asleep on the way home after a movie. When we got home, I picked her up and carried her into our house, and as I put her to bed she asked me, "Daddy, will you always be able to carry me?" I said, "Yes." The last time she was carried, I watched while my best friend and family members carried her out of the church, barely able to carry myself as I followed her casket."
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
Misdemeanor Case Against Moulayi's Mother, Niloufar Didehvar
Approximately one month after the crash, on Sept. 25, 2008, Moulayi was driving with his mother Niloufar Didehvar, 52, in the passenger seat. The crash caused by Moulayi was under investigation at the time and Mouyali was in violation of a court order by driving without a license. His mother, who had been informed by a parole officer as well as the judge that her son was not authorized to drive, allowed Moulayi to drive despite the order against him.
While Moulayi was driving, an officer from the California Highway Patrol observed Didehvar in the passenger seat without a seatbelt and performed a routine traffic stop. Upon realizing that her son was driving without a license, Didehvar was arrested. The officer recognized Mouyali as the driver from the crash that killed Frazee.
On Feb. 13, 2009, Didehvar pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts (Case #08CM10379) including contributing to the delinquency of a minor, allowing an unlicensed driver to drive, and disobeying a court order. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of informal probation.
Deputy District Attorney Brad Schoenleben prosecuted the case against Didehvar.
______________________________________________
Mackenzie was born on the 4th of July in 1992 at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville North Carolina. She was part of a military baby boom that happened after Desert Storm, they were commonly known as "Gulf War" babies. A very high number of them were born with complications and birth defects due to something that we as soldiers experienced in Iraq. Mackenzie was born with a hole in her heart and she had issues with her digestive system as well. She was in and out of doctor offices while growing up, all the while living a "normal" life, and seemingly unaware, or maybe just refusing to let it affect her. This is the way Mackenzie lived her life, refusing to let anything negative into her bright and beautiful existence. She was a very happy and an extremely intelligent baby who learned to speak and walk very quickly. She was also a very artistic child, a talent she would carry with her throughout her life. From the time she started preschool and throughout her education she was constantly praised by her teachers for her great attitude, her ability and her intelligence. The only issues that I can remember her having was in preschool when she refused to stay down at nap time, instead she preferred to walk around and talk to the other kids while they slept, and this became a daily issue and possibly a lifelong tendency (the talking even if no one was listening part). It became such an issue that one of the staff was actually fired for tucking the blankets into her cot, to keep her from "mingling" with those sleeping. This led to the only two spankings she ever received from me, (which was the single hardest thing I ever did in my life). The other I remember happened when she was around ten years old and she had finished a test earlier than everyone else and decided she would draw on the back of her test to pass the time, another " skill " she would carry with her through life. As a matter of fact, it is her drawing of the sunflower that graces the logo for this journey. Mackenzie was completely driven by music her entire life. She knew every word to every song, new or old. She knew music from her grandparents era, she knew her mothers music, my music, her music, it didn't matter as long as it was music. I was blessed to see Mackenzie grow up with great friends all during her life, friends who she loved and friends that loved her through thick and thin. They would all tell you that she was the funniest, carefree, loving person that any friend could ask for. As a freshman in high school, Mackenzie would go on to represent the United States with People to People as a Student Ambassador Representative in Europe. She spent the summer studying in Rome, London and eventually living with a family while studying in Paris. This is when I feel she finally started to be curious about other places and cultures. Since getting out of the military, I have spent the last seven summers at our house in Spain, every year trying to talk Mackenzie into coming with me. It was only that last summer when she called me in Spain saying that she was bored. I offered to fly her over , never expecting her to say yes, but she did. So just days after turning sixteen years old, Mackenzie flew by herself from Los Angeles to Germany and from there to Spain. I remember seeing her come out of customs, the confidence in her face and walk, I came to the realization that my little girl was now a young lady, I had known it sooner but could only then admit it. This is a great example of who Mackenzie always was, confident, unafraid, always ready for the next step. Mackenzie was the victim of a divorce and came through on the other side still loving and focused as ever. I missed a lot of time with her while deployed to other countries, but in my absence her mother did a wonderful job with her. Mackenzie was a parents dream, she was loving, respectful, compassionate and appreciative; I never had to tell her anything twice. She was grateful for any little thing she was given, always thanking you for whatever she got, even if it wasn't what she wanted. She was the kind of girl who always held the door for others, always said please, (sometimes repeating it over and over to take advantage of my weakness- which was her). I remember once being in a grocery store parking lot when she was about seven years old, and she left my side to help an elderly woman carry her grocery bags to her car and put them in her car for her. She always would make me proud and would never do anything to embarrass her family. She always seemed wise far beyond her years. I had been home from the military a very short time when the September 11th attacks happened and I felt that I needed to go back, but how to tell Mackenzie? I went to her school and picked her up to inform her of my decision, knowing nothing could change my mind. I asked her if she understood what had happened and why, and she replied that she did. Next I asked her , "Don't you want Daddy to go and get the people who did this? " and she replied with the only words, from the only person who could have changed my mind, and the words that will stay with me the rest of my life. She said, " You have been doing this long enough Daddy, its someone else's turn.". She very well may have saved my life that day, but by not going , it ensured me being here for the last years of her life. Mackenzie was the only innocent thing I have ever known in my life. She was, and is, the one thing I loved most in my life, and I now know that I will never experience a love like hers again in my lifetime. The only thing that keeps me going is that the one constant in Mackenzie's life, was love. She was loved more than anyone ever could be loved and she gave more love than anyone possibly could give. She loved her family, her friends, and even those she did not yet know. Mackenzie knew without a doubt that she was the most important thing in my life as well as her mother's and that will never change. In all my travels, in all my experiences, in all my life, I have never known anyone like Mackenzie and I can say with all certainty that I never will again. She was my baby girl and the love of my life. Her laugh and her smile didn't only light up a room, they lit up the world.
The Journey
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Mackenzie's Missing Miles. My name is Lance Frazee and this website and this journey are both dedicated to the memory of my daughter, Mackenzie Eileen Frazee, whom was carelessly and tragically taken from me without warning by a drunk driver on August 28, 2008. I, as the rest of Mackenzie's family and friends, have been left emotionally crippled and lost beyond comprehension. I was fortunate enough to spend the last few weeks of Mackenzie's life with her at our house in Spain where she at last grasped the importance of being "out there" seeing it all. She expressed her desires to see other countries such as China and India. I told her these are beautiful places but she was born and raised in a country that was like none other and that it was important for her to understand where she comes from to help her understand and appreciate these foreign lands that she would explore. She had regretted not taking advantage of the opportunity to travel with me through this amazing country on many of my journeys and see its many wonders. We then decided that we would "just go" with every chance that presented itself. Needless to say, Mackenzie was killed just days after returning home and those plans, like so many others were gone forever. It is with that promise in mind, that I decided shortly after her death that I would take her ashes and walk from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, spreading her ashes in some of the places that she was so excited to see. This journey will take me from my and Mackenzie's home in Laguna Beach California, to Tustin California, where she was killed, and across The United States to Cape Fear Hospital in North Carolina, where she was born when we were stationed at Ft. Bragg NC and on to Wilmington NC and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way I will speak in numerous schools and communities, telling Mackenzie's story and trying to raise awareness towards the hazards and consequences of drinking and driving, and at the same time hopefully find some kind of peace that I am so desperately in need of. These will be just some of the miles that Mackenzie missed but they will be walked because of how much I am missing Mackenzie. This site will let you follow this journey from start to end and allow others that never had the privilege, to be introduced to Mackenzie and experience what an incredible human being she was and what an impact she had on so many in such a short time.
Hundreds attend memorial for Tustin teen killed in crash
By ELYSSE JAMES
2008-09-02 03:00:00
Sunflowers, letters and a pair of black sunglasses were laid beside the body of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee before her funeral service Tuesday afternoon.
Large flower arrangements and posters filled with photos and notes decorated the corner of the foyer surrounding the casket, most including sunflowers, Frazee's flower of choice. Inside Red Hill Lutheran Church, a projection screen with a yellow sunflower background proclaimed "A celebration for the life of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee."
Hundreds filled the church during the service, given by the Rev. Seth Britton. The song "Shout to the Lord" played as the casket was carried to the front of the church. At the end of the service, the church's Praise Team performed "Shine Jesus Shine" as mourners walked outside.
Nicole Frazee was one of three who gave eulogies of the 16-year-old. She shared with the crowd her niece's "individuality, compassion and soul, and love for life" through a story about Frazee waking her daughter one night so the two could walk to Jamba Juice with their cheerleading shorts over their pants, singing the Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps" the whole way.
She told another story of a time when her niece had been fishing and when her fish couldn't be thrown back because the hook had been lodged too deeply, Frazee named the fish and played with it through its last minutes, then insisted on a proper burial.
Nicole Frazee said her niece, who would have been a junior at Foothill High School, had wanted to change the world.
"She was a unique free spirit who threw all inhibition into the wind," she said, adding that Frazee would want everyone to toss their inhibitions, be silly and make someone smile.
"Mackenzie is not gone. She simply exists elsewhere," she said.
Cousin Monique Cantu shared stories of her childhood, using an aunt's good lemons for a lemonade stand and spending afternoons in the pool playing mermaid games. Cantu's nickname was Rainbow, and Frazee's was Sparkle.
"Her nickname, Sparkle, sums her up," Cantu said.
Aunt Jenny Lopez read from a letter she wrote to Mackenzie, calling her a "hilarious, loving and beautiful girl."
Raye Kreidel met Frazee as a student ambassador. The two toured Europe together and became good friends.
"She's a sweetheart," Kreidel said. "At first she was really shy and you don't expect what comes out of her mouth once you get to know her. She was a sweet girl. She was just really fun."
Frazee had been a good student, taking classes in art at Foothill High School. Her fifth- and sixth-grade teachers from Deerfield Elementary School in Irvine also attended the service and described her as an "exceptional student."
"She was well-liked by her peers and definitely she had a sparkle to her," said fifth-grade teacher Leann Schweer, standing next to sixth-grade teacher Christine French. "The staff enjoyed having her around. Her grandmother worked at the school. She was always helpful to everyone."
"She had a great spirit," said Carrie Harper, who knew Frazee when she was younger. "She knew every song on the radio."
Frazee died Aug. 28 after a car crash at La Colina and Newport Avenue. Frazee was pulled by paramedics from the wreckage of a 1998 Mercedez-Benz, but she died from her injuries at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.
Authorities said the car was sheared into pieces after crashing into a light pole early Thursday morning. The 17-year-old driver of the car has been taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Contact the writer: 949-553-2918 or [email protected]
© Copyright 2011 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved.
TEEN DRIVER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHILE SPEEDING OVER 100 MPH AND UNDER INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
Posted Date: 10/2/2009 4:37:41 PM
Orange County District Attorney
Press Release
-----------------------------------------------------------Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney
401 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
For Immediate Release
Case # 08ZF0039
October 2, 2009
Contacts:
Susan Kang Schroeder
Public Affairs Counsel
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami
Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486
TEEN DRIVER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE
IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL
WHILE SPEEDING OVER 100 MPH AND
UNDER INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
*First minor tried as an adult in Orange County for DUI murder
SANTA ANA – A teen driver was sentenced today to 15 years to life in state prison for murdering a 16-year-old girl while speeding over 100 mph without a license while under the influence of alcohol. Milad Moulayi, 18, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 6, 2009, of one felony count of second degree murder and one misdemeanor count of driving without a license. The 17-year-old defendant, who was indicted on Oct. 22, 2008, is the first juvenile in Orange County to be charged as an adult with murder in a drunken driving crash.
Homicide Case Against Moulayi
On Aug. 27, 2008, Moulayi's learner's permit had been suspended in juvenile court and he was ordered not to drive for one year. His mother was present in court with the defendant and was aware of the order by the judge for her son not to drive.
On Aug. 28, 2008, Moulayi had a party at his Santa Ana home and consumed several alcoholic drinks. At approximately 2:40 a.m., he left his house to drive his friend, 16-year-old Mackenzie Frazee, back to her house. He ignored pleas from several of his friends not to drive because he was too intoxicated. The defendant was traveling at speeds between 102 mph and 112 mph in his Mercedes Benz sedan on Newport Avenue in Tustin. The defendant lost control of his car, drove over the center median, crashed into a light pole, causing the car to split in half. The front half of the car caught on fire, and the Orange County Fire Authority had to cut Frazee free from her seatbelt.
The victim was transported to Western Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead due to blunt force trauma. Moulayi, who had a blood alcohol level of .11 percent, was also transported to the hospital and treated for cuts and bruises.
During the sentencing today, the victim's mother and father gave emotional victim impact statements. Frazee's mother, Melissa Beck, recalled stories of Mackenzie, a "beautiful, intelligent, witty, caring, artistic, talented, and compassionate" daughter, and the life-long devastation it caused when Moulayi killed her. Beck stated, "I still see her close group of friends. They come over to visit and go up in her room to hang out. We laugh at stories about her. Then when they leave I have an overwhelming feeling of sadness come over me, seeing them grow up a little more each time I see them, and wondering how much Kenzie would have grown up by now."
The victim's father, Lance Frazee, addressed the court and explained, "As a parent, the worst pain you can feel is when your child hurts. I can say with all certainty that the day my daughter's life ended, my life ended with it." He also told the court, "When [Mackenzie] was about 12 years old, she fell asleep on the way home after a movie. When we got home, I picked her up and carried her into our house, and as I put her to bed she asked me, "Daddy, will you always be able to carry me?" I said, "Yes." The last time she was carried, I watched while my best friend and family members carried her out of the church, barely able to carry myself as I followed her casket."
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
Misdemeanor Case Against Moulayi's Mother, Niloufar Didehvar
Approximately one month after the crash, on Sept. 25, 2008, Moulayi was driving with his mother Niloufar Didehvar, 52, in the passenger seat. The crash caused by Moulayi was under investigation at the time and Mouyali was in violation of a court order by driving without a license. His mother, who had been informed by a parole officer as well as the judge that her son was not authorized to drive, allowed Moulayi to drive despite the order against him.
While Moulayi was driving, an officer from the California Highway Patrol observed Didehvar in the passenger seat without a seatbelt and performed a routine traffic stop. Upon realizing that her son was driving without a license, Didehvar was arrested. The officer recognized Mouyali as the driver from the crash that killed Frazee.
On Feb. 13, 2009, Didehvar pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts (Case #08CM10379) including contributing to the delinquency of a minor, allowing an unlicensed driver to drive, and disobeying a court order. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of informal probation.
Deputy District Attorney Brad Schoenleben prosecuted the case against Didehvar.
______________________________________________
Mackenzie was born on the 4th of July in 1992 at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville North Carolina. She was part of a military baby boom that happened after Desert Storm, they were commonly known as "Gulf War" babies. A very high number of them were born with complications and birth defects due to something that we as soldiers experienced in Iraq. Mackenzie was born with a hole in her heart and she had issues with her digestive system as well. She was in and out of doctor offices while growing up, all the while living a "normal" life, and seemingly unaware, or maybe just refusing to let it affect her. This is the way Mackenzie lived her life, refusing to let anything negative into her bright and beautiful existence. She was a very happy and an extremely intelligent baby who learned to speak and walk very quickly. She was also a very artistic child, a talent she would carry with her throughout her life. From the time she started preschool and throughout her education she was constantly praised by her teachers for her great attitude, her ability and her intelligence. The only issues that I can remember her having was in preschool when she refused to stay down at nap time, instead she preferred to walk around and talk to the other kids while they slept, and this became a daily issue and possibly a lifelong tendency (the talking even if no one was listening part). It became such an issue that one of the staff was actually fired for tucking the blankets into her cot, to keep her from "mingling" with those sleeping. This led to the only two spankings she ever received from me, (which was the single hardest thing I ever did in my life). The other I remember happened when she was around ten years old and she had finished a test earlier than everyone else and decided she would draw on the back of her test to pass the time, another " skill " she would carry with her through life. As a matter of fact, it is her drawing of the sunflower that graces the logo for this journey. Mackenzie was completely driven by music her entire life. She knew every word to every song, new or old. She knew music from her grandparents era, she knew her mothers music, my music, her music, it didn't matter as long as it was music. I was blessed to see Mackenzie grow up with great friends all during her life, friends who she loved and friends that loved her through thick and thin. They would all tell you that she was the funniest, carefree, loving person that any friend could ask for. As a freshman in high school, Mackenzie would go on to represent the United States with People to People as a Student Ambassador Representative in Europe. She spent the summer studying in Rome, London and eventually living with a family while studying in Paris. This is when I feel she finally started to be curious about other places and cultures. Since getting out of the military, I have spent the last seven summers at our house in Spain, every year trying to talk Mackenzie into coming with me. It was only that last summer when she called me in Spain saying that she was bored. I offered to fly her over , never expecting her to say yes, but she did. So just days after turning sixteen years old, Mackenzie flew by herself from Los Angeles to Germany and from there to Spain. I remember seeing her come out of customs, the confidence in her face and walk, I came to the realization that my little girl was now a young lady, I had known it sooner but could only then admit it. This is a great example of who Mackenzie always was, confident, unafraid, always ready for the next step. Mackenzie was the victim of a divorce and came through on the other side still loving and focused as ever. I missed a lot of time with her while deployed to other countries, but in my absence her mother did a wonderful job with her. Mackenzie was a parents dream, she was loving, respectful, compassionate and appreciative; I never had to tell her anything twice. She was grateful for any little thing she was given, always thanking you for whatever she got, even if it wasn't what she wanted. She was the kind of girl who always held the door for others, always said please, (sometimes repeating it over and over to take advantage of my weakness- which was her). I remember once being in a grocery store parking lot when she was about seven years old, and she left my side to help an elderly woman carry her grocery bags to her car and put them in her car for her. She always would make me proud and would never do anything to embarrass her family. She always seemed wise far beyond her years. I had been home from the military a very short time when the September 11th attacks happened and I felt that I needed to go back, but how to tell Mackenzie? I went to her school and picked her up to inform her of my decision, knowing nothing could change my mind. I asked her if she understood what had happened and why, and she replied that she did. Next I asked her , "Don't you want Daddy to go and get the people who did this? " and she replied with the only words, from the only person who could have changed my mind, and the words that will stay with me the rest of my life. She said, " You have been doing this long enough Daddy, its someone else's turn.". She very well may have saved my life that day, but by not going , it ensured me being here for the last years of her life. Mackenzie was the only innocent thing I have ever known in my life. She was, and is, the one thing I loved most in my life, and I now know that I will never experience a love like hers again in my lifetime. The only thing that keeps me going is that the one constant in Mackenzie's life, was love. She was loved more than anyone ever could be loved and she gave more love than anyone possibly could give. She loved her family, her friends, and even those she did not yet know. Mackenzie knew without a doubt that she was the most important thing in my life as well as her mother's and that will never change. In all my travels, in all my experiences, in all my life, I have never known anyone like Mackenzie and I can say with all certainty that I never will again. She was my baby girl and the love of my life. Her laugh and her smile didn't only light up a room, they lit up the world.
The Journey
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Mackenzie's Missing Miles. My name is Lance Frazee and this website and this journey are both dedicated to the memory of my daughter, Mackenzie Eileen Frazee, whom was carelessly and tragically taken from me without warning by a drunk driver on August 28, 2008. I, as the rest of Mackenzie's family and friends, have been left emotionally crippled and lost beyond comprehension. I was fortunate enough to spend the last few weeks of Mackenzie's life with her at our house in Spain where she at last grasped the importance of being "out there" seeing it all. She expressed her desires to see other countries such as China and India. I told her these are beautiful places but she was born and raised in a country that was like none other and that it was important for her to understand where she comes from to help her understand and appreciate these foreign lands that she would explore. She had regretted not taking advantage of the opportunity to travel with me through this amazing country on many of my journeys and see its many wonders. We then decided that we would "just go" with every chance that presented itself. Needless to say, Mackenzie was killed just days after returning home and those plans, like so many others were gone forever. It is with that promise in mind, that I decided shortly after her death that I would take her ashes and walk from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, spreading her ashes in some of the places that she was so excited to see. This journey will take me from my and Mackenzie's home in Laguna Beach California, to Tustin California, where she was killed, and across The United States to Cape Fear Hospital in North Carolina, where she was born when we were stationed at Ft. Bragg NC and on to Wilmington NC and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way I will speak in numerous schools and communities, telling Mackenzie's story and trying to raise awareness towards the hazards and consequences of drinking and driving, and at the same time hopefully find some kind of peace that I am so desperately in need of. These will be just some of the miles that Mackenzie missed but they will be walked because of how much I am missing Mackenzie. This site will let you follow this journey from start to end and allow others that never had the privilege, to be introduced to Mackenzie and experience what an incredible human being she was and what an impact she had on so many in such a short time.
Hundreds attend memorial for Tustin teen killed in crash
By ELYSSE JAMES
2008-09-02 03:00:00
Sunflowers, letters and a pair of black sunglasses were laid beside the body of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee before her funeral service Tuesday afternoon.
Large flower arrangements and posters filled with photos and notes decorated the corner of the foyer surrounding the casket, most including sunflowers, Frazee's flower of choice. Inside Red Hill Lutheran Church, a projection screen with a yellow sunflower background proclaimed "A celebration for the life of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee."
Hundreds filled the church during the service, given by the Rev. Seth Britton. The song "Shout to the Lord" played as the casket was carried to the front of the church. At the end of the service, the church's Praise Team performed "Shine Jesus Shine" as mourners walked outside.
Nicole Frazee was one of three who gave eulogies of the 16-year-old. She shared with the crowd her niece's "individuality, compassion and soul, and love for life" through a story about Frazee waking her daughter one night so the two could walk to Jamba Juice with their cheerleading shorts over their pants, singing the Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps" the whole way.
She told another story of a time when her niece had been fishing and when her fish couldn't be thrown back because the hook had been lodged too deeply, Frazee named the fish and played with it through its last minutes, then insisted on a proper burial.
Nicole Frazee said her niece, who would have been a junior at Foothill High School, had wanted to change the world.
"She was a unique free spirit who threw all inhibition into the wind," she said, adding that Frazee would want everyone to toss their inhibitions, be silly and make someone smile.
"Mackenzie is not gone. She simply exists elsewhere," she said.
Cousin Monique Cantu shared stories of her childhood, using an aunt's good lemons for a lemonade stand and spending afternoons in the pool playing mermaid games. Cantu's nickname was Rainbow, and Frazee's was Sparkle.
"Her nickname, Sparkle, sums her up," Cantu said.
Aunt Jenny Lopez read from a letter she wrote to Mackenzie, calling her a "hilarious, loving and beautiful girl."
Raye Kreidel met Frazee as a student ambassador. The two toured Europe together and became good friends.
"She's a sweetheart," Kreidel said. "At first she was really shy and you don't expect what comes out of her mouth once you get to know her. She was a sweet girl. She was just really fun."
Frazee had been a good student, taking classes in art at Foothill High School. Her fifth- and sixth-grade teachers from Deerfield Elementary School in Irvine also attended the service and described her as an "exceptional student."
"She was well-liked by her peers and definitely she had a sparkle to her," said fifth-grade teacher Leann Schweer, standing next to sixth-grade teacher Christine French. "The staff enjoyed having her around. Her grandmother worked at the school. She was always helpful to everyone."
"She had a great spirit," said Carrie Harper, who knew Frazee when she was younger. "She knew every song on the radio."
Frazee died Aug. 28 after a car crash at La Colina and Newport Avenue. Frazee was pulled by paramedics from the wreckage of a 1998 Mercedez-Benz, but she died from her injuries at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.
Authorities said the car was sheared into pieces after crashing into a light pole early Thursday morning. The 17-year-old driver of the car has been taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Contact the writer: 949-553-2918 or [email protected]
© Copyright 2011 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved.
Posted Date: 10/2/2009 4:37:41 PM
Orange County District Attorney
Press Release
-----------------------------------------------------------Tony Rackauckas, District Attorney
401 Civic Center Drive West
Santa Ana, CA 92701
For Immediate Release
Case # 08ZF0039
October 2, 2009
Contacts:
Susan Kang Schroeder
Public Affairs Counsel
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami
Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486
TEEN DRIVER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE
IN PRISON FOR MURDERING 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL
WHILE SPEEDING OVER 100 MPH AND
UNDER INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL
*First minor tried as an adult in Orange County for DUI murder
SANTA ANA – A teen driver was sentenced today to 15 years to life in state prison for murdering a 16-year-old girl while speeding over 100 mph without a license while under the influence of alcohol. Milad Moulayi, 18, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury on Aug. 6, 2009, of one felony count of second degree murder and one misdemeanor count of driving without a license. The 17-year-old defendant, who was indicted on Oct. 22, 2008, is the first juvenile in Orange County to be charged as an adult with murder in a drunken driving crash.
Homicide Case Against Moulayi
On Aug. 27, 2008, Moulayi's learner's permit had been suspended in juvenile court and he was ordered not to drive for one year. His mother was present in court with the defendant and was aware of the order by the judge for her son not to drive.
On Aug. 28, 2008, Moulayi had a party at his Santa Ana home and consumed several alcoholic drinks. At approximately 2:40 a.m., he left his house to drive his friend, 16-year-old Mackenzie Frazee, back to her house. He ignored pleas from several of his friends not to drive because he was too intoxicated. The defendant was traveling at speeds between 102 mph and 112 mph in his Mercedes Benz sedan on Newport Avenue in Tustin. The defendant lost control of his car, drove over the center median, crashed into a light pole, causing the car to split in half. The front half of the car caught on fire, and the Orange County Fire Authority had to cut Frazee free from her seatbelt.
The victim was transported to Western Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead due to blunt force trauma. Moulayi, who had a blood alcohol level of .11 percent, was also transported to the hospital and treated for cuts and bruises.
During the sentencing today, the victim's mother and father gave emotional victim impact statements. Frazee's mother, Melissa Beck, recalled stories of Mackenzie, a "beautiful, intelligent, witty, caring, artistic, talented, and compassionate" daughter, and the life-long devastation it caused when Moulayi killed her. Beck stated, "I still see her close group of friends. They come over to visit and go up in her room to hang out. We laugh at stories about her. Then when they leave I have an overwhelming feeling of sadness come over me, seeing them grow up a little more each time I see them, and wondering how much Kenzie would have grown up by now."
The victim's father, Lance Frazee, addressed the court and explained, "As a parent, the worst pain you can feel is when your child hurts. I can say with all certainty that the day my daughter's life ended, my life ended with it." He also told the court, "When [Mackenzie] was about 12 years old, she fell asleep on the way home after a movie. When we got home, I picked her up and carried her into our house, and as I put her to bed she asked me, "Daddy, will you always be able to carry me?" I said, "Yes." The last time she was carried, I watched while my best friend and family members carried her out of the church, barely able to carry myself as I followed her casket."
Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit prosecuted this case.
Misdemeanor Case Against Moulayi's Mother, Niloufar Didehvar
Approximately one month after the crash, on Sept. 25, 2008, Moulayi was driving with his mother Niloufar Didehvar, 52, in the passenger seat. The crash caused by Moulayi was under investigation at the time and Mouyali was in violation of a court order by driving without a license. His mother, who had been informed by a parole officer as well as the judge that her son was not authorized to drive, allowed Moulayi to drive despite the order against him.
While Moulayi was driving, an officer from the California Highway Patrol observed Didehvar in the passenger seat without a seatbelt and performed a routine traffic stop. Upon realizing that her son was driving without a license, Didehvar was arrested. The officer recognized Mouyali as the driver from the crash that killed Frazee.
On Feb. 13, 2009, Didehvar pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts (Case #08CM10379) including contributing to the delinquency of a minor, allowing an unlicensed driver to drive, and disobeying a court order. She was sentenced to 60 days in jail and three years of informal probation.
Deputy District Attorney Brad Schoenleben prosecuted the case against Didehvar.
______________________________________________
Mackenzie was born on the 4th of July in 1992 at Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville North Carolina. She was part of a military baby boom that happened after Desert Storm, they were commonly known as "Gulf War" babies. A very high number of them were born with complications and birth defects due to something that we as soldiers experienced in Iraq. Mackenzie was born with a hole in her heart and she had issues with her digestive system as well. She was in and out of doctor offices while growing up, all the while living a "normal" life, and seemingly unaware, or maybe just refusing to let it affect her. This is the way Mackenzie lived her life, refusing to let anything negative into her bright and beautiful existence. She was a very happy and an extremely intelligent baby who learned to speak and walk very quickly. She was also a very artistic child, a talent she would carry with her throughout her life. From the time she started preschool and throughout her education she was constantly praised by her teachers for her great attitude, her ability and her intelligence. The only issues that I can remember her having was in preschool when she refused to stay down at nap time, instead she preferred to walk around and talk to the other kids while they slept, and this became a daily issue and possibly a lifelong tendency (the talking even if no one was listening part). It became such an issue that one of the staff was actually fired for tucking the blankets into her cot, to keep her from "mingling" with those sleeping. This led to the only two spankings she ever received from me, (which was the single hardest thing I ever did in my life). The other I remember happened when she was around ten years old and she had finished a test earlier than everyone else and decided she would draw on the back of her test to pass the time, another " skill " she would carry with her through life. As a matter of fact, it is her drawing of the sunflower that graces the logo for this journey. Mackenzie was completely driven by music her entire life. She knew every word to every song, new or old. She knew music from her grandparents era, she knew her mothers music, my music, her music, it didn't matter as long as it was music. I was blessed to see Mackenzie grow up with great friends all during her life, friends who she loved and friends that loved her through thick and thin. They would all tell you that she was the funniest, carefree, loving person that any friend could ask for. As a freshman in high school, Mackenzie would go on to represent the United States with People to People as a Student Ambassador Representative in Europe. She spent the summer studying in Rome, London and eventually living with a family while studying in Paris. This is when I feel she finally started to be curious about other places and cultures. Since getting out of the military, I have spent the last seven summers at our house in Spain, every year trying to talk Mackenzie into coming with me. It was only that last summer when she called me in Spain saying that she was bored. I offered to fly her over , never expecting her to say yes, but she did. So just days after turning sixteen years old, Mackenzie flew by herself from Los Angeles to Germany and from there to Spain. I remember seeing her come out of customs, the confidence in her face and walk, I came to the realization that my little girl was now a young lady, I had known it sooner but could only then admit it. This is a great example of who Mackenzie always was, confident, unafraid, always ready for the next step. Mackenzie was the victim of a divorce and came through on the other side still loving and focused as ever. I missed a lot of time with her while deployed to other countries, but in my absence her mother did a wonderful job with her. Mackenzie was a parents dream, she was loving, respectful, compassionate and appreciative; I never had to tell her anything twice. She was grateful for any little thing she was given, always thanking you for whatever she got, even if it wasn't what she wanted. She was the kind of girl who always held the door for others, always said please, (sometimes repeating it over and over to take advantage of my weakness- which was her). I remember once being in a grocery store parking lot when she was about seven years old, and she left my side to help an elderly woman carry her grocery bags to her car and put them in her car for her. She always would make me proud and would never do anything to embarrass her family. She always seemed wise far beyond her years. I had been home from the military a very short time when the September 11th attacks happened and I felt that I needed to go back, but how to tell Mackenzie? I went to her school and picked her up to inform her of my decision, knowing nothing could change my mind. I asked her if she understood what had happened and why, and she replied that she did. Next I asked her , "Don't you want Daddy to go and get the people who did this? " and she replied with the only words, from the only person who could have changed my mind, and the words that will stay with me the rest of my life. She said, " You have been doing this long enough Daddy, its someone else's turn.". She very well may have saved my life that day, but by not going , it ensured me being here for the last years of her life. Mackenzie was the only innocent thing I have ever known in my life. She was, and is, the one thing I loved most in my life, and I now know that I will never experience a love like hers again in my lifetime. The only thing that keeps me going is that the one constant in Mackenzie's life, was love. She was loved more than anyone ever could be loved and she gave more love than anyone possibly could give. She loved her family, her friends, and even those she did not yet know. Mackenzie knew without a doubt that she was the most important thing in my life as well as her mother's and that will never change. In all my travels, in all my experiences, in all my life, I have never known anyone like Mackenzie and I can say with all certainty that I never will again. She was my baby girl and the love of my life. Her laugh and her smile didn't only light up a room, they lit up the world.
The Journey
Welcome, and thank you for visiting Mackenzie's Missing Miles. My name is Lance Frazee and this website and this journey are both dedicated to the memory of my daughter, Mackenzie Eileen Frazee, whom was carelessly and tragically taken from me without warning by a drunk driver on August 28, 2008. I, as the rest of Mackenzie's family and friends, have been left emotionally crippled and lost beyond comprehension. I was fortunate enough to spend the last few weeks of Mackenzie's life with her at our house in Spain where she at last grasped the importance of being "out there" seeing it all. She expressed her desires to see other countries such as China and India. I told her these are beautiful places but she was born and raised in a country that was like none other and that it was important for her to understand where she comes from to help her understand and appreciate these foreign lands that she would explore. She had regretted not taking advantage of the opportunity to travel with me through this amazing country on many of my journeys and see its many wonders. We then decided that we would "just go" with every chance that presented itself. Needless to say, Mackenzie was killed just days after returning home and those plans, like so many others were gone forever. It is with that promise in mind, that I decided shortly after her death that I would take her ashes and walk from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, spreading her ashes in some of the places that she was so excited to see. This journey will take me from my and Mackenzie's home in Laguna Beach California, to Tustin California, where she was killed, and across The United States to Cape Fear Hospital in North Carolina, where she was born when we were stationed at Ft. Bragg NC and on to Wilmington NC and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way I will speak in numerous schools and communities, telling Mackenzie's story and trying to raise awareness towards the hazards and consequences of drinking and driving, and at the same time hopefully find some kind of peace that I am so desperately in need of. These will be just some of the miles that Mackenzie missed but they will be walked because of how much I am missing Mackenzie. This site will let you follow this journey from start to end and allow others that never had the privilege, to be introduced to Mackenzie and experience what an incredible human being she was and what an impact she had on so many in such a short time.
Hundreds attend memorial for Tustin teen killed in crash
By ELYSSE JAMES
2008-09-02 03:00:00
Sunflowers, letters and a pair of black sunglasses were laid beside the body of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee before her funeral service Tuesday afternoon.
Large flower arrangements and posters filled with photos and notes decorated the corner of the foyer surrounding the casket, most including sunflowers, Frazee's flower of choice. Inside Red Hill Lutheran Church, a projection screen with a yellow sunflower background proclaimed "A celebration for the life of Mackenzie Eileen Frazee."
Hundreds filled the church during the service, given by the Rev. Seth Britton. The song "Shout to the Lord" played as the casket was carried to the front of the church. At the end of the service, the church's Praise Team performed "Shine Jesus Shine" as mourners walked outside.
Nicole Frazee was one of three who gave eulogies of the 16-year-old. She shared with the crowd her niece's "individuality, compassion and soul, and love for life" through a story about Frazee waking her daughter one night so the two could walk to Jamba Juice with their cheerleading shorts over their pants, singing the Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps" the whole way.
She told another story of a time when her niece had been fishing and when her fish couldn't be thrown back because the hook had been lodged too deeply, Frazee named the fish and played with it through its last minutes, then insisted on a proper burial.
Nicole Frazee said her niece, who would have been a junior at Foothill High School, had wanted to change the world.
"She was a unique free spirit who threw all inhibition into the wind," she said, adding that Frazee would want everyone to toss their inhibitions, be silly and make someone smile.
"Mackenzie is not gone. She simply exists elsewhere," she said.
Cousin Monique Cantu shared stories of her childhood, using an aunt's good lemons for a lemonade stand and spending afternoons in the pool playing mermaid games. Cantu's nickname was Rainbow, and Frazee's was Sparkle.
"Her nickname, Sparkle, sums her up," Cantu said.
Aunt Jenny Lopez read from a letter she wrote to Mackenzie, calling her a "hilarious, loving and beautiful girl."
Raye Kreidel met Frazee as a student ambassador. The two toured Europe together and became good friends.
"She's a sweetheart," Kreidel said. "At first she was really shy and you don't expect what comes out of her mouth once you get to know her. She was a sweet girl. She was just really fun."
Frazee had been a good student, taking classes in art at Foothill High School. Her fifth- and sixth-grade teachers from Deerfield Elementary School in Irvine also attended the service and described her as an "exceptional student."
"She was well-liked by her peers and definitely she had a sparkle to her," said fifth-grade teacher Leann Schweer, standing next to sixth-grade teacher Christine French. "The staff enjoyed having her around. Her grandmother worked at the school. She was always helpful to everyone."
"She had a great spirit," said Carrie Harper, who knew Frazee when she was younger. "She knew every song on the radio."
Frazee died Aug. 28 after a car crash at La Colina and Newport Avenue. Frazee was pulled by paramedics from the wreckage of a 1998 Mercedez-Benz, but she died from her injuries at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.
Authorities said the car was sheared into pieces after crashing into a light pole early Thursday morning. The 17-year-old driver of the car has been taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Contact the writer: 949-553-2918 or [email protected]
© Copyright 2011 Freedom Communications. All Rights Reserved.
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