Destinee Koenig was a 16-year-old girl in Missouri who died in an EF-2 tornado in Missouri on April 5, 2023, along with her teenage boyfriend, Micheal McCoy, grandmother, and cousin.
The Bollinger County coroner released the tornado victims’ names, and Koenig’s family confirmed the familial connections in an obituary for her.
“Our hearts go out to the families of the five individuals who lost their lives as well as all of those affected by this storm. We are grateful for the efforts of our state and local response agencies, first responders, utility crews, and volunteer partners, and we will continue to use all state resources possible to assist throughout the recovery process,” Governor Mike Parson wrote on Facebook, adding that the EF-2 tornado reached wind speeds of 130 miles per hour.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Destinee Koenig Filled Her Facebook Page With Photos of Micheal McCoy
On Facebook, Koenig went by the name “Destinee Nicole McCoy,” and plastered her Facebook page with photos of herself with McCoy. His Facebook page is also filled with pictures of the young couple.
“i love that i have someone who loves me unconditionally never gives up on me and supports me i love your getting to eat my lunch and have notes like this at lunch thank you baby your my best friend always and forever🥰” McCoy wrote on Facebook, sharing a picture of a note in which Koenig wrote on March 10, “be safe this day.” Koenig responded to the post, writing, “love you so much 🥰🥰”
On April 6, 2023, Bollinger County Coroner Calvin Troxell announced on Facebook via a post from the Bollinger County Sheriff’s Department: “It is with great sorrow that we announce the identity of the deceased individuals from this tragic storm.”
He named them as:
Jimmy Skaggs, 37.
Susan Sullivan, 57.
Destinee Koenig, 16.
Glenn Burcks, 62.
Micheal McCoy, 18.
“Please continue to pray for their families, and all involved in this incident,” the news release said.
2. Destinee Koenig Died ‘Together’ With her Boyfriend, Mike McCoy, Her Obit Says
According to Koenig’s obituary, Destinee Nicole Koenig, 16, of Sikeston, MO, “passed away on April 5, 2023 in Glen Allen, Missouri. She was born on December 7, 2006 in Cape Girardeau, MO, to Tucker and Amanda (Shipley) Koenig.”
“Destinee loved spending time with her boyfriend, Michael McCoy. Destinee and Michael were together when they passed, suddenly,” the obituary says. “Destinee, her grandmother, Susan and her cousin James all passed away suddenly on April 5th, 2023, due to a devastating tornado.”
According to the obituary, a “funeral service for Destinee, and Memorial Service for Susan and James will be held on April 10th, 2023 at the Hutchings-Pendergrass Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill, Missouri.”
Stormiee Mayberry wrote of McCoy, sharing a photo of him on Facebook, “my baby forever. I’m so sorry. I love you so much. 12/01/04 @3:51 to 04/05/23 @11:15 am.” According to ABC News, Mayberry is McCoy’s mother.
3. A GoFundMe Page Is Raising Money for the Family of Destinee Koenig, Who Was Described as Having a ‘Tender Spot for All Animals’
There is a GoFundMe page to help Koenig’s family.
“Hi. My name is Tracy and I am trying to raise funds to help Amanda pay for the funeral expenses of Susan, Destinee and Jimmy. All three of them passed away in the tornado on 4/5/23. Any help will be greatly appreciated!” it says.
According to her obituary, Koenig “attended New Madrid High School, in New Madrid Missouri, where she was a 10th grade student. She was an animal person, she had a tender spot for all animals, especially cats and dogs. She loved spending time with her family and friends. She always had her phone ready to take a selfie.”
The obit reads, “Anyone who was beside her, was part of a selfie before they knew it. She loved her “squish-mellows” and the Nightmare Before Christmas.”
4. Micheal McCoy & Destinee Koenig, Who Were in a Mobile Home When the Tornado Struck, Were Described as ‘Young & in Love’
According to ABC News, Koenig, McCoy, and the other victims were inside a mobile home that “essentially exploded, leaving only scattered debris.”
McCoy’s uncle, Rustin Kinder, told ABC News that McCoy’s uncle found the teen “badly injured in a field.”
Kinder described McCoy as “young and in love” with Koenig, calling her McCoy’s “whole world.”
Burcks, Sullivan and Skaggs lived in the mobile home, ABC News reported.
5. Susan Sullivan Was a Head Start Teacher & James Skaggs Was the High School ‘Class Clown’
An obituary for Sullivan reads, “Susan, her granddaughter, Destinee, and her nephew, James Skaggs all passed away on April 5th, 2023 due to a devastating tornado.”
According to that obituary, Sullivan, “was a head start teacher for nearly 15 years. She had an avid love for pigs. She loved to spend her free time coloring on her tablet or in coloring books. Susan had a sweet spot for her dog, “baby”, who survives.
Skaggs’ obituary says that Skaggs “was very supportive to all his family any time they needed him. He loved to take pictures, have fun and be the life of the party. He was the class clown when he was in high school. Two of his favorite things were the Golden Girls and SpongeBob SquarePants.”
In 2020, Sullivan wrote on Facebook, “It’s been a long and hard year but I’m still here and hope it gets better.”
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