It was an emotional evening for the friends and family an Albany man who was beaten to death last year. They returned to the place he was murdered one year after the tragedy.
Family and friends sang songs in unison as they remembered Jerome Walden. He was beaten to death one year ago Sunday. They released balloons in his honor.
"Well, I feel like he is an angel now," said Walden's niece Wanda Rivers. "He is in Heaven. I feel that he really can rest in peace now."
Wanda Rivers says it was very important to go back to the place where the 45-year old lost his life. But, it was still very difficult for many of his loved ones.
"So, I felt that coming back here, it would give us some kind of peace that he was not alone when this happened to him," Rivers said.
They used poetry, signs, flowers, music, and prayers to exclaim their love for Walden and their sorrow about his absence.
Rivers remembers one thing about him the most.
"His smile," she said. "His smile. He was always the one who picked things up to say come on and lets not feel bad or anything. He would cheer everybody up."
Tracy Smith, Demarcus Lewis, and Calvin Brooks are charged with his murder.
Prosecutors say the men chased Walden into the alley and beat him with a board with nails in it.
Walden suffered from head trauma, possible broken ribs, cuts to his chest, and swollen eyes. He died two months after the attack. His family is still grieving.
"People may have forgotten this from seeing it on the news last year," Rivers said. "But, me and my family have to carry this every day. We will never forget this."
Walden's family says it is very important for people to remember what happened on this day one year ago.
Tracy Smith, Demarcus Lewis, and Calvin Brooks are all charged with aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and murder. That trial has been postponed. Smith was found guilty of aggravated assault and aggravated battery in December. The jury deadlocked on the murder charge.
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