UNION, S.C. -- Marisha Jeter’s family described her as an outgoing and friendly person who cared about people and didn’t put herself first.

“She rose naturally to the top because other people saw in her those qualitites,” said Lewis Jeter, Marisha’s uncle.

Marisha’s body was found stabbed on Saturday afternoon by art students taking pictures near the Broad River.

Marisha’s father, Manning Jeter, said that his daughter left around 9:30 p.m. Thursday to pick up food at a McDonald’s. When she didn’t return about 30 minutes later, Jeter said he started to worry about her safety.

Union police said that after she picked up the food at McDonald’s, 16-year-old Marisha met 20-year-old Pernell Thompson and his wife, 19-year-old Yolanda Thomspon, in the parking lot of a local YMCA.

Union Public Safety Chief Sam White said it was there that Pernell Thompson stabbed Marisha several times in the neck. Then his wife allegedly helped him dump Marish’a body off a bridge over the Broad River about nine miles outside of Union.

White said Marisha and Pernell Thompson were involved in a relationship of some sort in the past.

“It was not a good relationship as far as the parents were concerned,” White said. “There had been some bad feelings.”

White said Marisha’s bright pink car was found several miles away from where her body was dumped. He said it had been set on fire.

“These three people knew each other,” White said. “They chose the wrong way to try and correct what they foresaw as a problem.”