SO SAD: Beloved beauty queen d!es aged 21 as heartbroken mum issues statement
Brynn Carnesecca has died at the age of 21 (Image: GoFundMe)
Brynn Carnesecca, a beauty pageant winner and TV journalist, has died at the age of 21, just weeks before she was due to compete in her next pageant. Crowned Miss American Fork in 2024, Brynn was also the recipient of the 2025 Miss Congeniality Award at Miss Utah. During a candlelight vigil held on Tuesday evening (28 July), Brynn’s mother, Michele Carnesecca, spoke of her daughter’s “amazing life”.
“She took her own precious life, but she is more than what happened to her,” Michele told KSL. “We would like to celebrate the amazing life she lived, she continued, describing Brynn as “an incredible writer and reader from a young age.” She added: “Oh, how she loved to laugh. What sets Brynn apart is that her life was all about service.” A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Brynn’s family cover funeral costs and create a memorial.
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A vigil was held for Brynn on Tuesday evening (Image: GoFundMe)
Brynn, who interned at local TV network KSL last summer, was published by the American Fork Citizen, Lehi Free Press, and BYU’s Daily Universe. The 21-year-old had also spearheaded Envelopes of Hope, which is a pen pal service for incarcerated individuals.
Following the news of her passing, tributes have flooded in for Brynn. Posting on Instagram, the Miss Utah Scholarship Organisation wrote: “We are heartbroken to learn that Brynn Carnesecca, Miss American Fork 2024, has passed away.
The 21-year-old was crowned Miss American Fork in 2024 (Image: GoFundMe)
Brynn brought so much light to the Miss Utah and Miss American Fork programs. Her kindness, service, and friendship touched countless people across the state. Brynn was recognized by her fellow contestants with the Miss Congeniality Award at Miss Utah last year (among numerous other recognitions) — a testament to the way she made others feel seen, valued, and loved.”
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Likewise, the official Instagram account for Miss Utah’s Teen released a statement, musing, “Some people come into your life and leave an impact that you never forget. Brynn was one of those people. The light she carried was something special. She had a way of making the people around her feel seen, loved, and valued, and that is something that will continue to live on through everyone she touched.
