Sask. town grieves 'sweet little girl' Nia Eastman

It was a sombre day in Choiceland, Sask., on Friday as people tried to come to terms with the death of Nia Eastman, the seven-year-old girl found deceased in a home her father was renting in the small town.

An Amber Alert had been issued for Nia on Thursday after her father, Adam Jay Eastman, failed to return her to her mother's custody the night before.

• Missing Saskatchewan girl Nia Eastman, 7, found dead

Adam Eastman, suspected of abducting Nia, was found dead from self-inflicted injuries around 5:30 a.m. CSTina rural area near Smeaton, Sask., about 20 kilometres away. Hours later, Nia's body was discovered.

"There's been a few sad things happen in Choiceland and this is the worst I've ever seen," said Don Patton, a man who's lived in the town for nearly 70 years.

In a small town where everyone knows each other, Nia was known to be a sweet little girl.

Nia would accompany her mother to bingo nights, Patton said, and would often bring along stickers, giving them out to the people there. "You couldn't wish for a nicer little girl," he said.

"She was a sweetheart," said Jason Gudmundson. "You could be having the worst day possible and she would just look up at you and smile and everything was better."

Standing outside of the home where Nia's body was found, Gudmundson said Friday he felt numb.

Stuffed animals, balloons, candles and flowers have been placed outside the home as a memorial. Rocks and stones have also been placed there, as Gudmundson said the girl loved to pick up rocks and give them to people she saw.

Joanne Daum said she chose to visit Nia's home Friday morning instead of going to a Remembrance Day service in a nearby town. She said she wanted to take time to remember both veterans and the little girl.

"To remember the sweet little girl that Nia was, is and always will be."

Daum described Thursday's tragedy as being like a bomb waiting to go off, saying Eastman was a man who needed help. "This happens everywhere. It happens in small town Saskatchewan We just need to be more observant to everybody around us."

Gudmundson said people in the town are stepping up to offer support to Nia's mother, including through a Go Fund Me page that has been set up to help cover funeral costs.