Former contestant on ‘The Bachelor’ dies at 31

Hailey Merkt, a former contestant on "The Bachelor," has died after a battle with cancer. (GoFundMe)

A former contestant on “The Bachelor” has died after a battle with cancer at the age of 31.

Hailey Merkt died after battling leukemia, according to her friends and family.

“It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life,” an Instagram message posted on Tuesday read.

Merkt appeared on the 21st season of the ABC reality series in 2017.

The former reality TV contestant began sharing updates on social media following her leukemia diagnosis years after appearing on the show.

In April, she announced that she was “leukemia-free” after an experimental treatment that had just a 2% chance of working.

“This test took weeks to get back. The suspense was killing us all! But then I got the call that I was cancer-free,” Merkt wrote. “I still have a ton of healing. My immunity will be the same as a newborn until 12 months post-transplant. So, I’ll be slowly and carefully getting better day by day.”

This week, her loved ones sadly shared the update on Merkt’s behalf regarding her death last Friday.

They said after the bone marrow transplant had occurred, Merkt was told she had nine months to not think about cancer, but it turned out she had just six weeks before she got the news that leukemia cells were back and moving fast.

“Hailey faced this journey with unimaginable strength, grace, and selflessness,” the Instagram message continued. “Her determination, courage, and will to live surpassed every timeline the doctors gave her, and she chose to spend her final moments surrounded by loved ones and doing what she cherished most with no regrets. “

Several of Merkt’s friends and family have shared their condolences and memories on social media.

‘Heartbreaking’: 5-year-old girl drowns at pool party weeks before 6th birthday

A Georgia family says their 5-year-old child's life was cut short by a drowning accident last week. (GoFundMe)

Atlanta

A child in Georgia reportedly drowned at a pool party just weeks before her 6th birthday.

Family members said Layla Gigger’s life was cut short at 5 years old by a drowning accident over the weekend.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the passing of our beloved Layla,” Laron Gigger, Layla’s uncle shared through a GoFundMe.

Layla was invited to a friend’s birthday party at an apartment complex last week.

Her mother, Antwanesha Fulton, told WSB that she brought Layla, her 1-year-old, and 1-month-old babies to the party which was hosted by a previous neighbor.

Fulton shared that she left Layla with another mother at the party while she took her two younger children home.

According to Fulton, she received a call about 10 minutes later about her daughter drowning.

WSB reports that people were attempting to give Layla CPR and she was taken to the hospital, but she ultimately died.

“She was a talented, beautiful, and sweet little girl whose confident and heartwarming spirit touched everyone around her,” Laron Gigger wrote.

Layla’s birthday would have been Aug. 10.

Loved ones said she was also excited about starting the first grade at the end of summer break.

“Layla’s presence in our lives was a gift, and her absence leaves an unfillable void,” Laron Gigger shared.

Family members have thanked the community for the support they have already received since Layla’s passing.

“Thank you for your support during this heartbreaking time. Your kindness and generosity are deeply appreciated as we strive to celebrate Layla’s life and cherish her memory,” Laron Gigger said.

FedEx driver accused of stealing $5,000 French bulldog that died in his hot delivery truck

Kimani Joehon Marshall is facing charges of larceny, possession of stolen goods and cruelty to animals. (Harnett County Sheriff's Office)

Harnett County, N.C.

A FedEx driver in North Carolina is accused of stealing a French bulldog that ultimately died inside his hot delivery truck.

According to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a stolen bulldog from a neighborhood near U.S. Highway 421 on July 7.

Investigators said they found that a FedEx driver who was in the area delivering packages was the one who stole the dog on July 3.

The dog’s owner reportedly shared on social media that the door to her home was mistakenly left open that day, allowing Tori to escape.

Tori was found dead on July 10 in the Lillington area.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators believe the animal died due to heat-related issues as she traveled inside the FedEx truck when temperatures were in the 90s.

Harnett County Sheriff Wayne Coats said the FedEx driver, later identified as 44-year-old Kimani Joehon Marshall, turned himself in on Monday after an arrest warrant was issued.

Marshall is due in court this week on charges that include larceny of a dog, possession of stolen goods and cruelty to animals.

FedEx said in a statement that Marshall no longer works for the company.

Tori was reportedly worth more than $5,000.

Human remains found inside wastewater well identified as missing 21-year-old college student

Authorities identified the human remains found last month as missing 21-year-old college student Caleb Harris. (Corpus Christi Police Department)

Corpus Christi, Texas

A missing college student in Texas has been confirmed dead after a four-month search for him.

According to the Corpus Christi Police Department, the human remains that were found last month at a wastewater well were that of 21-year-old Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi student Caleb Harris.

Family, friends and law enforcement had been searching for Harris since he was last seen near his apartment on March 4.

Police said city workers conducting maintenance at the Perry Place wastewater lift station discovered the remains inside a wastewater collection well on June 24 and immediately contacted the department.

According to authorities, the remains were found in an advanced state of decomposition, but no signs of trauma were spotted.

This week, the remains were identified as Harris.

A cause of death remains pending with Harris’ remains being transported to the Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination.

The 21-year-old’s family told KRIS they have been leaning on faith to get through the difficult time and appreciated everyone who helped.

“You would never think that you would be put in a position like this. You do everything in your power to protect your kids and something like this happens, it just changes your whole world,” Randy Harris, Caleb Harris’ father, shared.

Corpus Christi police said they were joined by dozens of other law enforcement agencies and individuals from the community in their search for Caleb Harris.

The medical examiner’s office is working on a final autopsy report and police said their investigation into the case remains ongoing.

Investigators urged anyone with further information to contact the Corpus Christi Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 361-826-2840.

3-year-old child found dead after going missing from resort near Walt Disney World

The boy, Rakim Akbari, was believed to have wandered away from an Orlando resort Thursday morning. (Orange County Sheriff's Office, Florida)

Orlando, Fla.

A child is dead after he went missing from a resort near Walt Disney World in Florida on Thursday.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Florida, Rakim Akbari, 3, was reported missing from the Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas at Lake Buena Vista earlier in the day.

Authorities said Rakim had autism and had wandered away from the resort that morning.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office sent out a missing child alert for Rakim before deputies located his body in the water at the resort Thursday afternoon.

“It is with heavy hearts that we must share that our deputies have found Rakim Akbari deceased in a body of water at the resort where he was reported missing this morning. Our detectives are still looking into how this tragedy occurred,” the sheriff’s office shared.

No further details were immediately provided.

The boy was said to have gone missing while wearing pajama pants and a shirt but was without socks or shoes.

“We are grieving his loss, and our prayers are with his family,” the department said.