Loved ones said their final goodbyes to Jaylen Griffin, the 12-year-old boy who mysteriously vanished nearly four years ago on his way to a Buffalo, New York, corner store.
On Tuesday, the community gathered to honor the boy nearly a month after his decomposed remains were discovered in an attic, just five miles from where he disappeared.
Police quickly classified his case as a runaway, much to his family's chagrin.
"He was not a runaway," Bishop Darius Pridgen reiterated during Jaylen's memorial service at True Bethel Baptist Church, earlier this week, according to WKBW-TV. "He was 12 years old. If 12-year-old children don't come home... it's a missing persons report."
Now, Jaylen's case is being investigated as a homicide.
"Who killed Jaylen Griffin? We're not done. We're not resting," longtime family friend Pastor Tim Newkirk of GYC Ministries assured.
Jaylen's remains were cremated. His father, Brian Griffin – who is still struggling to come to terms with the loss of his son – held tightly to the urn containing what was left of his boy.
"It is still fresh to me. He's been missing for three-and-a-half years. It's been a long time. It's been a long journey and I'm hurting," admitted Griffin.
Jaylen's mother, Joann Ponzo, didn't live to see the day her son's body was found. In September 2023, she died of health issues and a "broken heart," loved ones said.
Although Jaylen's killer or killers are still out there, his grandmother, Shirley Banks, said she's "feeling good all over inside, as I know my grandson got his wings as he did, and I know his mother is shining down."
