FLORISSANT, Mo. – The family of a murder victim held a vigil Wednesday night in Saint Ferdinand Park to remember Jacqueline “Jackie” Griffin.
Griffin’s family came to celebrate what would have been her 30th birthday. They said they want to keep her name and memory alive and see an end to gun violence.
It’s been almost four years since Griffin was shot and killed inside a car on Maffitt Avenue. It happened in September 2019. No suspect has been named or arrested.
“I don’t know if I could tag it with a word right now, as in relation to frustration,” said William Griffin, Jacqueline’s father. “The exhaustion that I face day to day, knowing that the people or persons that are responsible for taking my daughter’s life have not yet been held accountable.”
Wednesday would have been a big celebration of 30 years of life.
“It’s still hard due to the fact that you can’t pick up the phone and call her,” said Michael Jones, Jacqueline’s godfather. “You can’t see what she’s posting on Facebook, what she’s doing for her birthday. “I mean, we normally celebrate birthdays around here, and we can’t do that with her now that she’s gone.”
Dozens of family members gathered to release balloons in honor of her birthday.
“She believed in working for a living. She went out there, and she was a go-getter,” William said. “So, I was a very proud and blessed father to have her in my life.”
“We will never forget her, and we’ll never stop fighting to find the murderer,” Jones said. “So that they can be caught, convicted, and penalized for this crime.”
Jacqueline leaves behind a 12-year-old son, two younger sisters, and a loving family that can’t rest until her killer is caught.