CASS COUNTY, Texas -- A GoFundMe account has been set up to help pay burial expenses for three young sisters who were found dead in a pond early Saturday.
Temari Oliver, 5, Amiyah Hughes, 8, and Zi'Ariel Oliver, 9, had been reported missing for a few hours before their bodies were recovered from a pond on neighboring ponds.
Texas Rangers are investigating the deaths.
The girl's mother, who identified herself as Shommaonique Oliver-Wickerson, wrote a short message on the GoFundMe page expressing her hurt and shock.
"We are now asking for help to lay my sweet angels to rest. Whatever you can donate will be appreciated," she wrote. More than $5,000 had been raised as of Monday afternoon.
To donate, visit the GoFundMe website and search for "3 Oliver Baby Girls."
About 11 p.m. Friday, officials were notified the girls had gone missing from a house on state Highway 77 outside of Atlanta, Sheriff Larry Rowe said Saturday. The caller is believed to be a friend of the girls' mother who was with the sisters and their siblings while the mother was at work.
As deputies, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Cass County Emergency Services District No. 2 searched for the girls, they found evidence that focused attention on a body of water about 200 yards from the girls' house on neighboring property.
"A pair of shoes was found at the edge of the pond, leading investigators to search the water," Rowe said.
The Bowie County dive team was called in, and the children's bodies were recovered about 3 a.m. Saturday.
Rowe said the Rangers were called for assistance because the investigation "needs priority," citing a number of other cases the Sheriff's Office is working.