The family of 19-year-old Jayden Anderson sat in court Friday as their son’s killer was sentenced to prison. NBC 5’s Vince Sims reports they want their family’s loss to hopefully lead to good and save other young people from violence that leads to prison time.
The Anderson family of Frisco never expected to have to share emotional words in a courtroom about their son Jayden Anderson who was murdered.
“That moment shattered our lives leaving us in a dark void where laughter once echoed, and love flourished,” his mother Delina Anderson said reading from her victim impact statement. “As parents, we mourn not only the life of our son but the dreams and milestones that are now lost forever.”
The Andersons wanted their son’s murderer to hear this.
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“How could a young person choose violence over dialogue extinguishing a beautiful life for no reason at all,” Delilah Anderson read.
They also wanted him to feel the impact of their loss.
“I could tell it resonated,” Jayden’s father Jason Anderson said. “He was very fidgety. He couldn’t find complacency. Kind of head down and fighting emotions and I’m sure it had a great impact on him.”
The murderer, who was only sixteen at the time, was sentenced to 40 years for killing their son. It happened in March outside a Lewisville hookah lounge where the aspiring artist was scheduled to perform.
Nearly six months later the Andersons haven’t yet reached a point of forgiveness.
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“Yes we are praying God gives us a forgiving heart,” Jason Anderson said. “Today I don’t have a heart of forgiveness.”
They do have a giving heart. They're working on a nonprofit in Jayden's honor to mentor teens.
“Reaching out to that age 16, to 13, 12, all the way up to, you know, 18,19 before they get into gangs, into the violence, and just try to bring in positivity and role models and mentors into their life,” Delina Anderson said.
They hope to keep another young person from making a decision that hurts their life and that of another family like theirs.
