Riverdale Wildcats youth football team honor teammate killed in Lehigh Acres

Deputies confirmed that a team served a search warrant on 21st Street Southwest in Lehigh Acres on Wednesday, as part of an ongoing investigation, days after the body of 15-year-old Mathew Kymani Stmarc was found one block away. The Lee County Sheriff's Office has not yet confirmed whether the two investigations are connected after deputies also surrounded a duplex on 22nd Street Southwest in Lehigh Acres on Monday. Stmarc’s former football coach and team gathered at Buckingham Community Park to remember him during practice. “He was just one of those kids where he probably, anything you want to do, he would do it. He always had a smile on his face,” said Oliver Freeman, president of the Riverdale Wildcats. The community mourned Stmarc’s loss during practice, with players and cheerleaders coming together to grieve. “They were having their little group hugs, crying and praying with each other just to send love,” said Laquacy Davis, cheer coordinator for the Riverdale Wildcats. To honor Stmarc’s legacy, the Riverdale Wildcats Pop Warner youth sports team is retiring his jersey number. “My boys already decided, like, nobody wears 27 this year, coach. That’s Matthew’s number. So we’re going to do that for him,” Freeman said. The team is also rallying to support Stmarc’s family as they await answers. “We’re hoping that they figure out, like, what happened or find anybody that’s involved so that we can get justice for Matthew,” Davis said. Count on Gulf Coast News to keep you updated on whether the two investigations are connected. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.