olds on to as she continues fighting to find out who killed him.

A decade of silence

More than 3,600 days have passed since Demetrius was killed.

Sykes says the family has received few answers and that she hasn't spoken with detectives since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

 And it's not that they called us. It was me calling them,  she said.

The lack of answers has only deepened the family's grief.

 It's been a living hell that we live over and over every day,  Sykes said.

His memory shines through stained glass

At New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, where Demetrius grew up, attended Sunday school and was baptized, his memory lives on in a remarkable way.

His face is depicted in the church's Sankofa Peace Window, a stained-glass tribute honoring young people whose lives were lost to violence.

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Rev. Marshall Hatch Jr. says the children of the church helped select those who would be memorialized.

 The children from the church selected the young people who would be depicted,  Hatch said.  Demetrius, given that he was born and raised here, it was an obvious choice to honor his memory. 

The tribute ensures that Demetrius remains part of the community where he spent his childhood.

Turning tragedy into a way to give back

Just steps from the alley where Demetrius was killed, a cross, a tree and a bench serve as a memorial.

His aunt also placed a small book box there, filling it with books, gloves and hats for neighborhood children.

Although the box was eventually taken, Sykes hopes to replace it.

For her, watching the items disappear meant children were receiving something they needed.

 When I saw the books gone, when I saw the gloves gone, and I saw the hats gone, I used to say, 'Demetrius, somebody's head's covered. Demetrius, somebody's hands are warm... somebody is reading,'  she said.

Even in death, she found a way for her nephew to continue giving to others.

A renewed plea for justice

Ten years later, Demetrius's family is still waiting for someone with information to come forward.

Rev. Hatch is calling on anyone who knows what happened to take responsibility and help bring the family answers.

 As long as you're alive, there's always an opportunity to redeem yourself, to repent, and that's our call to action,  Hatch said.

For Sykes, the hope is that someone will finally break their silence and help solve the murder of a boy who never made it home.

More than a decade has passed without an arrest. The family continues to grieve, but Demetrius's memory remains alive in the community he called home.

The boy whose life was taken in the darkness of an alley is still shining in the light.

Have information about Demetrius Griffin Jr.'s murder?

Anyone with information about the Sept. 16, 2016, murder of Demetrius is urged to contact the Chicago Police Department.

You can submit an anonymous tip online at CPDTIP.com.

Even the smallest detail could help investigators and bring Demetrius's family closer to the answers they have waited a decade to receive.