Family members of Janiya Thomas plan to honor her life on Sunday, June 25th.

  • Janiya allegedly murdered by mother Keishanna Thomas in 2015
  • Family member Wayne Washington determined to keep memory alive
  • Vigil to be held at Lincoln Park in Palmetto at 6 p.m.
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Janiya’s tragic story is one that rocked the Bay area in 2015. Documents revealed the 11-year-old was found with a broken leg, starved, and weighing only 44 pounds when she was murdered and stuffed into a cardboard box in a freezer.

Prosecutors say it was at the hands of her own mother Keishanna Thomas.

The gut wrenching details and the missed signs are part of the reason one of Janiya’s family members, Wayne Washington is determined to keep her memory alive. He plans to celebrate her life this Sunday with the community.

”The way she died, the way she was found, oh man, it was an awful thing," said Washington. "So I just took it in my heart to have a vigil for her and make sure that this tragedy, the world know about this beautiful angel that we lost in Manatee County."

Washington said as heartbreaking as this is he’s determined to find some light in such a dark case.

“With me being a part of this community, I would’ve felt convicted if I just sat back and heard this kind of story and didn’t have nothing to do with having something positive come out of this," said Washington. "So I’m going to continue, as long as I’m alive, I’m gonna continue to do something."

Disturbing details still coming to light

Thomas is set to go to trial in August. Her attorney has requested the trial be moved because of all the attention the case has garnered. A decision on that could be made as early as next Tuesday.

As the trial approaches, we’re learning more details with the release of documents. In a letter we obtained from prosecutors written by Janiya’s sister, she describes their mother dumping Janiya’s head in "nasty water" with her hands and feet tied.

The sister then describes the details about the night Janiya died. She wrote that she saw Janiya on the bathroom floor with her mouth duct taped. She went on to say she called Janiya’s name, but she didn’t answer, as she was already dead.

There’s still no clear timeline of when Janiya actually died. She was last seen by her siblings in January or February of 2015. Her body was discovered in the freezer in October of that same year.

A continuing commitment

Even though Washington doesn’t know her time of death he said he plans to honor her life every summer to remind children and parents of her life.

This year will be the second annual celebration of life for Janiya. The celebration of life, which is open to the public, will be held at Lincoln Park in Palmetto at 6 p.m.